diff --git a/xwords4/common/server.c b/xwords4/common/server.c
index cdac90108..217dceaa6 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/server.c
+++ b/xwords4/common/server.c
@@ -83,14 +83,14 @@ typedef enum {
 
 #define XWPROTO_NBITS 4
 
+#define UNKNOWN_DEVICE -1
+#define SERVER_DEVICE 0
+
 typedef struct ServerPlayer {
     EngineCtxt* engine; /* each needs his own so don't interfere each other */
     XP_S8 deviceIndex;  /* 0 means local, -1 means unknown */
 } ServerPlayer;
 
-#define UNKNOWN_DEVICE -1
-#define SERVER_DEVICE 0
-
 typedef struct RemoteAddress {
     XP_PlayerAddr channelNo;
 #ifdef STREAM_VERS_BIGBOARD
@@ -3862,6 +3862,26 @@ server_getMissingPlayers( const ServerCtxt* server )
     return result;
 }
 
+XP_Bool
+server_getOpenChannel( const ServerCtxt* server, XP_U16* channel )
+{
+    XP_Bool result = XP_FALSE;
+    XP_ASSERT( amServer( server ) );
+    if ( amServer( server ) && 0 < server->nv.pendingRegistrations ) {
+        const XP_U16 nPlayers = server->vol.gi->nPlayers;
+        const ServerPlayer* players = server->players;
+        for ( int ii = 0; ii < nPlayers && !result; ++ii ) {
+            result = UNKNOWN_DEVICE == players->deviceIndex;
+            if ( result ) {
+                *channel = ii;
+            }
+            ++players;
+        }
+    }
+    XP_LOGFF( "channel= %d, found: %s", *channel, boolToStr(result) );
+    return result;
+}
+
 XP_U32
 server_getLastMoveTime( const ServerCtxt* server )
 {
diff --git a/xwords4/common/server.h b/xwords4/common/server.h
index 61a8e1ad0..426da30e0 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/server.h
+++ b/xwords4/common/server.h
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ void server_unpause( ServerCtxt* server, XWEnv xwe, XP_S16 turn, const XP_UCHAR*
 
 /* return bitvector marking players still not arrived in networked game */
 XP_U16 server_getMissingPlayers( const ServerCtxt* server );
+XP_Bool server_getOpenChannel( const ServerCtxt* server, XP_U16* channel );
 XP_U32 server_getLastMoveTime( const ServerCtxt* server );
 /* Signed in case no dictionary available */
 XP_S16 server_countTilesInPool( ServerCtxt* server );
diff --git a/xwords4/linux/gtkboard.c b/xwords4/linux/gtkboard.c
index a016c1997..db9676e1b 100644
--- a/xwords4/linux/gtkboard.c
+++ b/xwords4/linux/gtkboard.c
@@ -1386,55 +1386,57 @@ send_invites( CommonGlobals* cGlobals, XP_U16 nPlayers,
     XP_ASSERT( comms );
     comms_getSelfAddr( comms, &myAddr );
 
-    gint forceChannel = 1;  /* 1 is what Android does. Limits to two-device games */
+    XP_U16 channel;
+    if ( server_getOpenChannel( cGlobals->game.server, &channel ) ) {
+        gint forceChannel = channel;
 
-    NetLaunchInfo nli = {0};    /* include everything!!! */
-    nli_init( &nli, cGlobals->gi, &myAddr, nPlayers, forceChannel );
+        NetLaunchInfo nli = {0};    /* include everything!!! */
+        nli_init( &nli, cGlobals->gi, &myAddr, nPlayers, forceChannel );
 #ifdef XWFEATURE_RELAY
-    if ( addr_hasType( &myAddr, COMMS_CONN_RELAY ) ) {
-        XP_UCHAR buf[32];
-        snprintf( buf, sizeof(buf), "%X", makeRandomInt() );
-        nli_setInviteID( &nli, buf ); /* PENDING: should not be relay only!!! */
-    }
+        if ( addr_hasType( &myAddr, COMMS_CONN_RELAY ) ) {
+            XP_UCHAR buf[32];
+            snprintf( buf, sizeof(buf), "%X", makeRandomInt() );
+            nli_setInviteID( &nli, buf ); /* PENDING: should not be relay only!!! */
+        }
 #endif
-    // nli_setDevID( &nli, linux_getDevIDRelay( cGlobals->params ) );
+        // nli_setDevID( &nli, linux_getDevIDRelay( cGlobals->params ) );
 
-    if ( addr_hasType( &myAddr, COMMS_CONN_MQTT ) ) {
-        const MQTTDevID* devid = mqttc_getDevID( cGlobals->params );
-        nli_setMQTTDevID( &nli, devid );
-    }
+        if ( addr_hasType( &myAddr, COMMS_CONN_MQTT ) ) {
+            const MQTTDevID* devid = mqttc_getDevID( cGlobals->params );
+            nli_setMQTTDevID( &nli, devid );
+        }
 
 #ifdef DEBUG
-    {
-        XWStreamCtxt* stream = mem_stream_make_raw( MPPARM(cGlobals->util->mpool)
-                                                    cGlobals->params->vtMgr );
-        nli_saveToStream( &nli, stream );
-        NetLaunchInfo tmp;
-        nli_makeFromStream( &tmp, stream );
-        stream_destroy( stream );
-        XP_ASSERT( 0 == memcmp( &nli, &tmp, sizeof(nli) ) );
-    }
+        {
+            XWStreamCtxt* stream = mem_stream_make_raw( MPPARM(cGlobals->util->mpool)
+                                                        cGlobals->params->vtMgr );
+            nli_saveToStream( &nli, stream );
+            NetLaunchInfo tmp;
+            nli_makeFromStream( &tmp, stream );
+            stream_destroy( stream );
+            XP_ASSERT( 0 == memcmp( &nli, &tmp, sizeof(nli) ) );
+        }
 #endif
 
 #ifdef XWFEATURE_COMMS_INVITE
-    comms_invite( comms, NULL_XWE, &nli, destAddr, XP_TRUE );
+        comms_invite( comms, NULL_XWE, &nli, destAddr, XP_TRUE );
 #else
-    if ( !!destAddr && '\0' != destAddr->u.sms.phone[0] && 0 < destAddr->u.sms.port ) {
-        linux_sms_invite( cGlobals->params, &nli,
-                          destAddr->u.sms.phone, destAddr->u.sms.port );
-    }
+        if ( !!destAddr && '\0' != destAddr->u.sms.phone[0] && 0 < destAddr->u.sms.port ) {
+            linux_sms_invite( cGlobals->params, &nli,
+                              destAddr->u.sms.phone, destAddr->u.sms.port );
+        }
 # ifdef XWFEATURE_RELAY
-    if ( 0 != relayDevID || !!relayID ) {
-        XP_ASSERT( 0 != relayDevID || (!!relayID && !!relayID[0]) );
-        relaycon_invite( cGlobals->params, relayDevID, relayID, &nli );
-    }
+        if ( 0 != relayDevID || !!relayID ) {
+            XP_ASSERT( 0 != relayDevID || (!!relayID && !!relayID[0]) );
+            relaycon_invite( cGlobals->params, relayDevID, relayID, &nli );
+        }
 # endif
 
-    if ( addr_hasType( destAddr, COMMS_CONN_MQTT ) ) {
-        mqttc_invite( cGlobals->params, 0, &nli, &destAddr->u.mqtt.devID );
-    }
+        if ( addr_hasType( destAddr, COMMS_CONN_MQTT ) ) {
+            mqttc_invite( cGlobals->params, 0, &nli, &destAddr->u.mqtt.devID );
+        }
 #endif
-
+    }
     /* while ( gtkaskm( "Invite how many and how?", infos, VSIZE(infos) ) ) {  */
     /*     int nPlayers = atoi( countStr ); */
     /*     if ( 0 >= nPlayers || nPlayers > nMissing ) { */