diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/DBUtils.java b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/DBUtils.java
index 25f53e470..4d6c1cb56 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/DBUtils.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/DBUtils.java
@@ -1868,7 +1868,7 @@ public class DBUtils {
     {
         Assert.assertNotNull( msg );
         Assert.assertFalse( -1 == fromPlayer );
-        ArrayList<ContentValues> valuess = new ArrayList<ContentValues>();
+        ArrayList<ContentValues> valuess = new ArrayList<>();
         valuess.add( cvForChat( rowid, msg, fromPlayer, tsSeconds ) );
         appendChatHistory( context, valuess );
         Log.i( TAG, "appendChatHistory: inserted \"%s\" from player %d",
diff --git a/xwords4/common/server.c b/xwords4/common/server.c
index 6a7a58180..771d92987 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/server.c
+++ b/xwords4/common/server.c
@@ -722,7 +722,6 @@ sendChatTo( ServerCtxt* server, XP_U16 devIndex, const XP_UCHAR* msg,
         XWStreamCtxt* stream = messageStreamWithHeader( server, devIndex,
                                                         XWPROTO_CHAT );
         stringToStream( stream, msg );
-        XP_ASSERT( from < server->vol.gi->nPlayers );
         stream_putU8( stream, from );
         stream_putU32( stream, timestamp );
         stream_destroy( stream );
@@ -766,7 +765,6 @@ receiveChat( ServerCtxt* server, XWStreamCtxt* incoming )
         sendChatToClientsExcept( server, sourceClientIndex, msg, from,
                                  timestamp );
     }
-    XP_ASSERT( from < server->vol.gi->nPlayers );
     util_showChat( server->vol.util, msg, from, timestamp );
     XP_FREE( server->mpool, msg );
     return XP_TRUE;
diff --git a/xwords4/common/strutils.c b/xwords4/common/strutils.c
index ba7b5c986..82054d8fc 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/strutils.c
+++ b/xwords4/common/strutils.c
@@ -267,8 +267,12 @@ stringFromStreamHere( XWStreamCtxt* stream, XP_UCHAR* buf, XP_U16 buflen )
 void
 stringToStream( XWStreamCtxt* stream, const XP_UCHAR* str )
 {
-    XP_U16 len = str==NULL? 0: XP_STRLEN( str );
-    XP_ASSERT( len < 0xFF );
+    XP_U16 len = str == NULL? 0: XP_STRLEN( str );
+    if ( len > 0xFF ) {
+        XP_LOGFF( "truncating string '%s', dropping len from %d to %d",
+                  str, len, 0xFF );
+        len = 0xFF;
+    }
     stream_putU8( stream, (XP_U8)len );
     stream_putBytes( stream, str, len );
 } /* putStringToStream */