diff --git a/wince/cemain.c b/wince/cemain.c
index 06e69e683..99e9b2d97 100755
--- a/wince/cemain.c
+++ b/wince/cemain.c
@@ -1103,7 +1103,7 @@ ceLoadSavedGame( CEAppGlobals* globals )
                 snprintf( buf, VSIZE(buf), "Unable to open dictionary: %s",
                           dictName );
                 buf[VSIZE(buf)-1] = '\0';
-                ceOops( globals, NULL, buf );
+                ceOops( globals, buf );
 
             }
             XP_FREE( globals->mpool, dictName );
@@ -1130,7 +1130,7 @@ ceLoadSavedGame( CEAppGlobals* globals )
                 if ( !!dict ) {
                     dict_destroy( dict );
                 }
-                ceOops( globals, NULL, "Saved game cannot be opened." );
+                ceOops( globals, "Saved game cannot be opened." );
             }
         }
 
@@ -2660,7 +2660,7 @@ messageBoxStream( CEAppGlobals* globals, XWStreamCtxt* stream, wchar_t* title,
     int result;
 
     assertOnTop( globals->hWnd );
-    result = ceMessageBoxChar( globals, NULL, buf, title, buttons );
+    result = ceMessageBoxChar( globals, buf, title, buttons );
 
     XP_FREE( globals->mpool, buf );
     return result;
@@ -2986,7 +2986,7 @@ ce_util_userError( XW_UtilCtxt* uc, UtilErrID id )
         break;
     }
 
-    ceOops( globals, NULL, message );
+    ceOops( globals, message );
 } /* ce_util_userError */
 
 static XP_Bool
@@ -3357,7 +3357,7 @@ ce_util_warnIllegalWord( XW_UtilCtxt* uc, BadWordInfo* bwi,
     sprintf( msgBuf, "Word[s] %s not found in dictionary.", wordsBuf );
 
     if ( turnLost ) {
-        ceMessageBoxChar( globals, NULL, msgBuf, L"Illegal word", 
+        ceMessageBoxChar( globals, msgBuf, L"Illegal word", 
                           MB_OK | MB_ICONHAND );
         isOk = XP_TRUE;
     } else {
diff --git a/wince/ceprefs.c b/wince/ceprefs.c
index f3edb5b78..94da0221e 100755
--- a/wince/ceprefs.c
+++ b/wince/ceprefs.c
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ PrefsDlg(HWND hDlg, UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
                         break;
                     case IDC_CHECKHINTSLIMITS:
                         if ( IS_SMARTPHONE(globals) ) {
-                            ceMessageBoxChar( globals, hDlg, "This feature "
+                            ceMessageBoxChar( globals, "This feature "
                                               "requires a touch screen.", 
                                               L"Sorry", MB_OK | MB_ICONHAND );
                             ceSetChecked( hDlg, IDC_CHECKHINTSLIMITS, XP_FALSE );
diff --git a/wince/ceutil.c b/wince/ceutil.c
index ae8e240e4..aab21a3e1 100755
--- a/wince/ceutil.c
+++ b/wince/ceutil.c
@@ -881,9 +881,10 @@ ceGetPath( CEAppGlobals* globals, CePathType typ,
 } /* ceGetPath */
 
 int
-ceMessageBoxChar( CEAppGlobals* XP_UNUSED(globals), HWND parent, 
-                  const XP_UCHAR* str, const wchar_t* title, XP_U16 buttons )
+ceMessageBoxChar( CEAppGlobals* XP_UNUSED(globals), const XP_UCHAR* str, 
+                  const wchar_t* title, XP_U16 buttons )
 {
+    HWND parent;
     /* Get the length required, then alloc and go.  This is technically
        correct, but everywhere else I assume a 2:1 ratio for wchar_t:char. */
     XP_U16 clen = 1 + strlen(str);
@@ -893,16 +894,13 @@ ceMessageBoxChar( CEAppGlobals* XP_UNUSED(globals), HWND parent,
     
     MultiByteToWideChar( CP_ACP, MB_PRECOMPOSED, str, clen, widebuf, wlen );
 
-/*     if ( !parent ) { */
-/*         parent = globals->hWnd; */
-/*     } */
     parent = GetForegroundWindow();
     return MessageBox( parent, widebuf, title, buttons );
 } /* ceMessageBoxChar */
 
 int
-ceOops( CEAppGlobals* globals, HWND parent, const XP_UCHAR* str )
+ceOops( CEAppGlobals* globals, const XP_UCHAR* str )
 {
-    return ceMessageBoxChar( globals, parent, str, L"Oops!", 
+    return ceMessageBoxChar( globals, str, L"Oops!", 
                              MB_OK | MB_ICONHAND );
 }
diff --git a/wince/ceutil.h b/wince/ceutil.h
index e01c42027..d7ac2e24b 100755
--- a/wince/ceutil.h
+++ b/wince/ceutil.h
@@ -47,9 +47,9 @@ void ceCheckMenus( const CEAppGlobals* globals );
 void ceGetItemRect( HWND hDlg, XP_U16 resID, RECT* rect );
 void ceMoveItem( HWND hDlg, XP_U16 resID, XP_S16 byX, XP_S16 byY );
 
-int ceMessageBoxChar( CEAppGlobals* globals, HWND parent, const XP_UCHAR* str, 
+int ceMessageBoxChar( CEAppGlobals* globals, const XP_UCHAR* str, 
                       const wchar_t* title, XP_U16 buttons );
-int ceOops( CEAppGlobals* globals, HWND parent, const XP_UCHAR* str );
+int ceOops( CEAppGlobals* globals, const XP_UCHAR* str );
 
 typedef enum {
     PREFS_FILE_PATH_L