diff --git a/xwords4/relay/cref.cpp b/xwords4/relay/cref.cpp
index c9b9f745e..3a338cc28 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/cref.cpp
+++ b/xwords4/relay/cref.cpp
@@ -839,7 +839,7 @@ CookieRef::handleEvents()
 
 bool
 CookieRef::send_with_length( const AddrInfo* addr, HostID dest, 
-                             const unsigned char* buf, int bufLen, bool cascade,
+                             const uint8_t* buf, int bufLen, bool cascade,
                              uint32_t* packetIDP )
 {
     bool failed = false;
@@ -898,9 +898,8 @@ CookieRef::send_stored_messages( HostID dest, const AddrInfo* addr )
               ++iter ) {
             DBMgr::MsgInfo msg = *iter;
             uint32_t packetID;
-            if ( !send_with_length( addr, dest, 
-                                    (const unsigned char*)msg.msg.c_str(), 
-                                    msg.msg.length(), true, &packetID ) ) {
+            if ( !send_with_length( addr, dest, msg.msg.data(), 
+                                    msg.msg.size(), true, &packetID ) ) {
                 break;
             }
             if ( !UDPAckTrack::setOnAck( onMsgAcked, packetID, (void*)msg.msgID ) ) {
diff --git a/xwords4/relay/dbmgr.cpp b/xwords4/relay/dbmgr.cpp
index e33e760a6..21c9a26c7 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/dbmgr.cpp
+++ b/xwords4/relay/dbmgr.cpp
@@ -1006,14 +1006,15 @@ DBMgr::storedMessagesImpl( string test, vector<DBMgr::MsgInfo>& msgs )
     int nTuples = PQntuples( result );
     for ( int ii = 0; ii < nTuples; ++ii ) {
         int id = atoi( PQgetvalue( result, ii, 0 ) );
-        size_t msglen = atoi( PQgetvalue( result, ii, 3 ) );
+        AddrInfo::ClientToken token = atoi( PQgetvalue( result, ii, 4 ) );
+        MsgInfo msg( id, token );
+
         uint8_t buf[1024];
         size_t buflen = sizeof(buf);
         decodeMessage( result, m_useB64, ii, 1, 2, buf, &buflen );
+        size_t msglen = atoi( PQgetvalue( result, ii, 3 ) );
         assert( 0 == msglen || buflen == msglen );
-        string str( (char*)buf, buflen );
-        AddrInfo::ClientToken token = atoi( PQgetvalue( result, ii, 4 ) );
-        MsgInfo msg( str, id, token );
+        msg.msg.insert( msg.msg.end(), buf, &buf[buflen] );
         msgs.push_back( msg );
     }
     PQclear( result );
diff --git a/xwords4/relay/dbmgr.h b/xwords4/relay/dbmgr.h
index 7dfcaf001..bccb5c8d6 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/dbmgr.h
+++ b/xwords4/relay/dbmgr.h
@@ -41,10 +41,10 @@ class DBMgr {
 
     class MsgInfo {
     public:
-        MsgInfo( string m, int id, AddrInfo::ClientToken tok ) { 
-            msg = m; msgID = id; token = tok; 
+        MsgInfo( int id, AddrInfo::ClientToken tok ) { 
+            msgID = id; token = tok; 
         }
-        string msg;
+        vector<uint8_t> msg;
         int msgID;
         AddrInfo::ClientToken token;
     };
diff --git a/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.cpp b/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.cpp
index 8f2097f9a..676db31a5 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.cpp
+++ b/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.cpp
@@ -1156,8 +1156,8 @@ pushMsgs( vector<unsigned char>& out, DBMgr* dbmgr, const char* connName,
     vector<DBMgr::MsgInfo>::const_iterator iter;
     for ( iter = msgs.begin(); msgs.end() != iter; ++iter ) {
         DBMgr::MsgInfo msg = *iter;
-        int len = msg.msg.length();
-        uint8_t* ptr = (uint8_t*)msg.msg.c_str();
+        int len = msg.msg.size();
+        uint8_t* ptr = msg.msg.data();
         pushShort( out, len );
         out.insert( out.end(), ptr, ptr + len );
         msgIDs.push_back( msg.msgID );
@@ -1509,9 +1509,8 @@ retrieveMessages( DevID& devID, const AddrInfo* addr )
     for ( iter = msgs.begin(); iter != msgs.end(); ++iter ) {
         DBMgr::MsgInfo msg = *iter;
         uint32_t packetID;
-        if ( !send_msg_via_udp( addr, msg.token, 
-                                (unsigned char*)msg.msg.c_str(), 
-                                msg.msg.length(), &packetID ) ) {
+        if ( !send_msg_via_udp( addr, msg.token, msg.msg.data(), 
+                                msg.msg.size(), &packetID ) ) {
             logf( XW_LOGERROR, "%s: unable to send to devID %d", 
                   __func__, devID.asRelayID() );
             break;