diff --git a/xwords4/common/comms.c b/xwords4/common/comms.c
index 908e52944..ab1391e84 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/comms.c
+++ b/xwords4/common/comms.c
@@ -121,6 +121,8 @@ typedef struct _SD {
 
 EXTERN_C_START
 
+#define MSGS_IN_CHANNEL 1
+
 typedef struct MsgQueueElem {
     struct MsgQueueElem* next;
     XP_U8* msg;                 /* ptr to NetLaunchInfo if isInvite is true */
@@ -138,6 +140,10 @@ typedef struct MsgQueueElem {
 
 typedef struct AddressRecord {
     struct AddressRecord* next;
+#ifdef MSGS_IN_CHANNEL
+    MsgQueueElem* _msgQueueHead;
+#endif
+
     CommsAddrRec addr;
     MsgID nextMsgID;        /* on a per-channel basis */
     MsgID lastMsgAckd;      /* on a per-channel basis */
@@ -183,8 +189,9 @@ struct CommsCtxt {
     XP_U32 lastMsgRcd;
 #endif
     void* sendClosure;
-
+#ifndef MSGS_IN_CHANNEL
     MsgQueueElem* _msgQueueHead;
+#endif
     XP_U16 queueLen;
     XP_U16 channelSeed;         /* tries to be unique per device to aid
                                    dupe elimination at start */
@@ -457,7 +464,7 @@ init_relay( CommsCtxt* comms, XWEnv xwe, XP_U16 nPlayersHere, XP_U16 nPlayersTot
 }
 #endif
 
-#ifdef DEBUG
+#if defined DEBUG && !defined MSGS_IN_CHANNEL
 
 static ForEachAct
 rmTarget( MsgQueueElem* elem, void* closure )
@@ -589,26 +596,48 @@ comms_make( MPFORMAL XWEnv xwe, XW_UtilCtxt* util, XP_Bool isServer,
     return comms;
 } /* comms_make */
 
+/* This can get folded in at call site once MSGS_IN_CHANNEL goes away */
+static XP_Bool
+forOneElem( CommsCtxt* comms, MsgQueueElem*** home,
+            EachMsgProc proc, void* closure )
+{
+    MsgQueueElem* elem = **home;
+    ForEachAct fea = (*proc)( elem, closure );
+    if ( 0 != (FEA_REMOVE & fea) ) {
+        **home = elem->next;
+#ifdef DEBUG
+        elem->next = NULL;
+#endif
+        freeElem( MPPARM(comms->mpool) elem );
+        XP_ASSERT( 1 <= comms->queueLen );
+        --comms->queueLen;
+    } else {
+        *home = &elem->next;
+    }
+    XP_Bool done = 0 != (FEA_EXIT & fea);
+    return done;
+}
+
 static void
 forEachElem( CommsCtxt* comms, EachMsgProc proc, void* closure )
 {
     THREAD_CHECK_START(comms);
-    for ( MsgQueueElem** home = &comms->_msgQueueHead; !!*home; ) {
-        MsgQueueElem* elem = *home;
-        ForEachAct fea = (*proc)( elem, closure );
-        if ( 0 != (FEA_REMOVE & fea) ) {
-            *home = elem->next;
-            freeElem( MPPARM(comms->mpool) elem );
-            XP_ASSERT( 1 <= comms->queueLen );
-            --comms->queueLen;
-        } else {
-            home = &elem->next;
-        }
-        if ( 0 != (FEA_EXIT & fea) ) {
-            break;
+#ifdef MSGS_IN_CHANNEL
+    for ( AddressRecord* recs = comms->recs; !!recs; recs = recs->next ) {
+        for ( MsgQueueElem** home = &recs->_msgQueueHead; !!*home; ) {
+            if ( forOneElem( comms, &home, proc, closure ) ) {
+                goto done;
+            }
         }
     }
-
+#else
+    for ( MsgQueueElem** home = &comms->_msgQueueHead; !!*home; ) {
+        if ( forOneElem( comms, &home, proc, closure ) ) {
+            goto done;
+        }
+    }
+#endif
+ done:
     assertQueueOk( comms );
     THREAD_CHECK_END();
 }
@@ -624,7 +653,9 @@ cleanupInternal( CommsCtxt* comms )
 {
     forEachElem( comms, freeElemProc, NULL );
     XP_ASSERT( 0 == comms->queueLen );
+#ifndef MSGS_IN_CHANNEL
     XP_ASSERT( NULL == comms->_msgQueueHead );
+#endif
 } /* cleanupInternal */
 
 static void
@@ -635,6 +666,9 @@ cleanupAddrRecs( CommsCtxt* comms )
 
     for ( recs = comms->recs; !!recs; recs = next ) {
         next = recs->next;
+#ifdef MSGS_IN_CHANNEL
+        XP_ASSERT( !recs->_msgQueueHead );
+#endif
         XP_FREE( comms->mpool, recs );
     }
     comms->recs = (AddressRecord*)NULL;
@@ -1628,6 +1662,7 @@ static void
 nukeInvites( CommsCtxt* comms, XWEnv xwe, XP_PlayerAddr channelNo )
 {
     XP_LOGFF( "(channelNo=0x%X)", channelNo );
+    assertQueueOk( comms );
     channelNo &= CHANNEL_MASK;
 
     listRecs( comms, __func__ );
@@ -1649,9 +1684,18 @@ nukeInvites( CommsCtxt* comms, XWEnv xwe, XP_PlayerAddr channelNo )
     }
 
     if ( !!deadRec ) {
+#ifdef MSGS_IN_CHANNEL
+        XP_ASSERT( !!deadRec->_msgQueueHead ); /* otherwise we'll leak */
+        freeElem( MPPARM(comms->mpool) deadRec->_msgQueueHead );
+        deadRec->_msgQueueHead = NULL;
+        --comms->queueLen;
+#endif
         removeFromQueue( comms, xwe, channelNo, 0 );
         CNO_FMT( cbuf, deadRec->channelNo );
         XP_LOGFF( "removing rec for %s", cbuf );
+#ifdef MSGS_IN_CHANNEL
+        XP_ASSERT( !deadRec->_msgQueueHead );
+#endif
         XP_FREEP( comms->mpool, &deadRec );
     }
 
@@ -1795,20 +1839,30 @@ addToQueue( CommsCtxt* comms, XWEnv xwe, MsgQueueElem* newElem, XP_Bool notify )
     MsgQueueElem* asAdded = newElem;
     THREAD_CHECK_START( comms );
     newElem->next = (MsgQueueElem*)NULL;
-    if ( !comms->_msgQueueHead ) {
-        comms->_msgQueueHead = newElem;
+
+    MsgQueueElem** head;
+#ifdef MSGS_IN_CHANNEL
+    AddressRecord* rec = getRecordFor( comms, newElem->channelNo );
+    head = &rec->_msgQueueHead;
+#else
+    head = &comms->_msgQueueHead;
+#endif
+
+    if ( !*head ) {
+        *head = newElem;
+#ifndef MSGS_IN_CHANNEL
         XP_ASSERT( comms->queueLen == 0 );
+#endif
     } else {
-        MsgQueueElem* tail = comms->_msgQueueHead;
-        while ( !!tail->next ) {
-            tail = tail->next;
+        while ( !!(*head)->next ) {
+            head = &(*head)->next;
         }
-        if ( elems_same( tail, newElem ) ) {
+        if ( elems_same( *head, newElem ) ) {
             /* This does still happen! Not sure why. */
             freeElem( MPPARM(comms->mpool) newElem );
-            asAdded = tail;
+            asAdded = *head;
         } else {
-            tail->next = newElem;
+            (*head)->next = newElem;
         }
 
         XP_ASSERT( comms->queueLen > 0 );
@@ -1856,10 +1910,20 @@ _assertQueueOk( const CommsCtxt* comms, const char* func )
 {
     XP_LOGFF( "(func=%s)", func );
     XP_U16 count = 0;
+
+
+#ifdef MSGS_IN_CHANNEL
+    for ( AddressRecord* recs = comms->recs; !!recs; recs = recs->next ) {
+        for ( MsgQueueElem* elem = recs->_msgQueueHead; !!elem; elem = elem->next ) {
+            ++count;
+        }
+    }
+#else
     for ( MsgQueueElem* elem = comms->_msgQueueHead;
           !!elem; elem = elem->next ) {
         ++count;
     }
+#endif
     XP_ASSERT( count == comms->queueLen );
     if ( count >= 10 ) {
         XP_LOGFF( "queueLen unexpectedly high: %d", count );
@@ -1910,6 +1974,7 @@ elems_same( const MsgQueueElem* elem1, const MsgQueueElem* elem2 )
 static void
 freeElem( MPFORMAL MsgQueueElem* elem )
 {
+    XP_ASSERT( !elem->next );
     XP_FREEP( mpool, &elem->msg );
 #ifdef COMMS_CHECKSUM
     /* XP_LOGFF( "freeing msg with len %d, sum %s", elem->len, elem->checksum ); */
@@ -1964,6 +2029,7 @@ static void
 removeFromQueue( CommsCtxt* comms, XWEnv xwe, XP_PlayerAddr channelNo, MsgID msgID )
 {
     THREAD_CHECK_START( comms );
+    assertQueueOk( comms );
     CNO_FMT( cbuf, channelNo );
     XP_LOGFF( "(channelNo=%d): remove msgs <= " XP_LD " for %s (queueLen: %d)",
              channelNo, msgID, cbuf, comms->queueLen );
@@ -3145,6 +3211,7 @@ comms_msgProcessed( CommsCtxt* comms, XWEnv xwe,
                     CommsMsgState* state, XP_Bool rejected )
 {
     THREAD_CHECK_START(comms);
+    assertQueueOk( comms );
 #ifdef COMMS_CHECKSUM
     XP_LOGFF( "rec: %p; len: %d; sum: %s; id: %d; rejected: %s", state->rec,
               state->len, state->sum, state->msgID, boolToStr(rejected) );