diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/jni/Android.mk b/xwords4/android/XWords4/jni/Android.mk
index b60f6f5eb..c99c35a1e 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/jni/Android.mk
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/jni/Android.mk
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ LOCAL_DEFINES += \
 	-DHASH_STREAM \
 	-DXWFEATURE_BASE64 \
 	-DXWFEATURE_DEVID \
+	-DCOMMON_LAYOUT \
 	-DINITIAL_CLIENT_VERS=${INITIAL_CLIENT_VERS} \
 	-DRELAY_ROOM_DEFAULT=\"\" \
 	-D__LITTLE_ENDIAN \
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/jni/andutils.c b/xwords4/android/XWords4/jni/andutils.c
index c3530ce08..f9c45c288 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/jni/andutils.c
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/jni/andutils.c
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ getInts( JNIEnv* env, void* cobj, jobject jobj, const SetInfo* sis, XP_U16 nSis
             *ptr = val;
             break;
         }
-        /* XP_LOGF( "%s: wrote int %s of size %dwith val %d at offset %d", */
+        /* XP_LOGF( "%s: wrote int %s of size %d with val %d at offset %d", */
         /*          __func__, si->name, si->siz, val, si->offset ); */
     }
 }
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/jni/xwjni.c b/xwords4/android/XWords4/jni/xwjni.c
index 4aae6f509..0d365d5db 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/jni/xwjni.c
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/jni/xwjni.c
@@ -158,6 +158,36 @@ setJGI( JNIEnv* env, jobject jgi, const CurGameInfo* gi )
     }
 } /* setJGI */
 
+#ifdef COMMON_LAYOUT
+static const SetInfo bd_ints[] = {
+    ARR_MEMBER( BoardDims, left )
+    ,ARR_MEMBER( BoardDims, top )
+    ,ARR_MEMBER( BoardDims, width )
+    ,ARR_MEMBER( BoardDims, height )
+    ,ARR_MEMBER( BoardDims, scoreHt )
+    ,ARR_MEMBER( BoardDims, boardHt )
+    ,ARR_MEMBER( BoardDims, trayTop )
+    ,ARR_MEMBER( BoardDims, trayHt )
+    ,ARR_MEMBER( BoardDims, cellSize )
+    ,ARR_MEMBER( BoardDims, maxCellSize )
+    ,ARR_MEMBER( BoardDims, timerWidth )
+};
+
+static void
+dimsJToC( JNIEnv* env, BoardDims* out, jobject jdims )
+{
+    getInts( env, (void*)out, jdims, bd_ints, VSIZE(bd_ints) );
+}
+
+static void
+dimsCtoJ( JNIEnv* env, jobject jdims, const BoardDims* in )
+{
+    LOG_FUNC();
+    setInts( env, jdims, (void*)in, bd_ints, VSIZE(bd_ints) );
+    LOG_RETURN_VOID();
+}
+#endif
+
 static void
 destroyGI( MPFORMAL CurGameInfo** gip )
 {
@@ -601,6 +631,47 @@ Java_org_eehouse_android_xw4_jni_XwJNI_board_1draw
     return result;
 }
 
+#ifdef COMMON_LAYOUT
+JNIEXPORT void JNICALL
+Java_org_eehouse_android_xw4_jni_XwJNI_board_1figureLayout
+( JNIEnv* env, jclass C, jint gamePtr, jobject jgi, jint fontHt, jint fontWidth,
+  jboolean squareTiles, jobject jbounds, jobject jdims )
+{
+    LOG_FUNC();
+    XWJNI_START();
+    CurGameInfo* gi = makeGI( MPPARM(mpool) env, jgi );
+
+    XP_Rect bounds;
+    bounds.left = getInt( env, jbounds, "left" );
+    bounds.top = getInt( env, jbounds, "top" );
+    bounds.width = getInt( env, jbounds, "right" ) - bounds.left;
+    bounds.height = getInt( env, jbounds, "bottom" ) - bounds.top;
+
+    BoardDims dims;
+    board_figureLayout( state->game.board, gi, fontHt, fontWidth, 
+                        squareTiles, &bounds, ((!!jdims) ? &dims : NULL) );
+
+    destroyGI( MPPARM(mpool) &gi );
+
+    if ( !!jdims ) {
+        dimsCtoJ( env, jdims, &dims );
+    }
+    XWJNI_END();
+    LOG_RETURN_VOID();
+}
+
+JNIEXPORT void JNICALL
+Java_org_eehouse_android_xw4_jni_XwJNI_board_1applyLayout
+( JNIEnv* env, jclass C, jint gamePtr, jobject jdims )
+{
+    XWJNI_START();
+    BoardDims dims;
+    dimsJToC( env, &dims, jdims );
+    board_applyLayout( state->game.board, &dims );
+    XWJNI_END();
+}
+#endif
+
 JNIEXPORT void JNICALL
 Java_org_eehouse_android_xw4_jni_XwJNI_board_1setPos
 (JNIEnv *env, jclass C, jint gamePtr, jint left, jint top, jint width, 
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/values/common_rsrc.xml b/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/values/common_rsrc.xml
index f7af55629..f89799cb7 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/values/common_rsrc.xml
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/values/common_rsrc.xml
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@
   <string name="key_na_browseall">key_na_browseall</string>
   <string name="key_na_values">key_na_values</string>
   <string name="key_enable_debug">key_enable_debug</string>
+  <string name="key_enable_commlayt">key_enable_commlayt</string>
   <string name="key_download_path">key_download_path</string>
 
   <!-- Nor is my email address -->
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/xml/xwprefs.xml b/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/xml/xwprefs.xml
index fb690b6e7..c384a57dc 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/xml/xwprefs.xml
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/xml/xwprefs.xml
@@ -299,6 +299,11 @@
                         android:summary="Menuitems etc."
                         android:defaultValue="false"
                         />
+    <CheckBoxPreference android:key="@string/key_enable_commlayt"
+                        android:title="Use common layout"
+                        android:summary="(rather than android-specific)"
+                        android:defaultValue="false"
+                        />
 
     <!-- For broken devices like my Blaze 4G that report a download
          directory that doesn't exist, allow users to set it.  Mine:
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardDims.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardDims.java
index c44a2e860..650993623 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardDims.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardDims.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ package org.eehouse.android.xw4;
 
 // Why does this have to be its own class...
 public class BoardDims {
+    public int left, top;
     public int width, height;       // of the bitmap
     public int scoreHt;
     public int boardHt;
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardView.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardView.java
index 124a71364..cd6b66390 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardView.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardView.java
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ public class BoardView extends View implements BoardHandler, SyncedDraw {
     private int m_lastSecsLeft;
     private int m_lastTimerPlayer;
     private int m_pendingScore;
+    private boolean m_useCommon;
     private CommsAddrRec.CommsConnType m_connType = 
         CommsAddrRec.CommsConnType.COMMS_CONN_NONE;
 
@@ -188,6 +189,9 @@ public class BoardView extends View implements BoardHandler, SyncedDraw {
         int heightMode = View.MeasureSpec.getMode( heightMeasureSpec );
         // printMode( "heightMode", heightMode );
 
+        m_useCommon = 
+            XWPrefs.getPrefsBoolean( m_context, 
+                                     R.string.key_enable_commlayt, false );
         BoardDims dims = figureBoardDims( width, height );
         // If I let the spec tell me whether I can reduce the width
         // then I don't change it on the second pass, but if I ignore
@@ -247,80 +251,91 @@ public class BoardView extends View implements BoardHandler, SyncedDraw {
     private BoardDims figureBoardDims( int width, int height )
     {
         BoardDims result = new BoardDims();
-        int nCells = m_gi.boardSize;
-        int maxCellSize = 4 * m_defaultFontHt;
-        int trayHt;
-        int scoreHt;
-        int wantHt;
-        int nToScroll;
+        boolean squareTiles = XWPrefs.getSquareTiles( m_context );
 
-        for ( boolean firstPass = true; ; ) {
-            result.width = width;
+        Paint paint = new Paint();
+        paint.setTextSize( m_mediumFontHt );
+        paint.getTextBounds( "-00:00", 0, 6, m_boundsScratch );
+        int timerWidth = m_boundsScratch.width();
 
-            int cellSize = width / nCells;
-            if ( cellSize > maxCellSize ) {
-                cellSize = maxCellSize;
+        if ( m_useCommon ) {
+            Rect bounds = new Rect( 0, 0, width, height );
+            int fontWidth = timerWidth / 6;
+            XwJNI.board_figureLayout( m_jniGamePtr, m_gi, m_defaultFontHt, 
+                                      fontWidth, squareTiles, bounds, result );
+    
+        } else {
+            int nCells = m_gi.boardSize;
+            int maxCellSize = 4 * m_defaultFontHt;
+            int trayHt;
+            int scoreHt;
+            int wantHt;
+            int nToScroll;
 
-                int boardWidth = nCells * cellSize;
-                result.width = boardWidth;
-            }
-            result.maxCellSize = maxCellSize;
+            for ( boolean firstPass = true; ; ) {
+                result.width = width;
 
-            // Now determine if vertical scrolling will be necessary.
-            // There's a minimum tray and scoreboard height.  If we can
-            // fit them and all cells no scrolling's needed.  Otherwise
-            // determine the minimum number that must be hidden to fit.
-            // Finally grow scoreboard and tray to use whatever's left.
-            trayHt = 2 * cellSize;
-            scoreHt = (cellSize * 3) / 2;
-            wantHt = trayHt + scoreHt + (cellSize * nCells);
-            if ( wantHt <= height ) {
-                nToScroll = 0;
-            } else {
-                // Scrolling's required if we use cell width sufficient to
-                // fill the screen.  But perhaps we don't need to.
-                int cellWidth = 2 * (height / ( 4 + 3 + (2*nCells)));
-                if ( firstPass && cellWidth >= m_defaultFontHt ) {
-                    firstPass = false;
-                    width = nCells * cellWidth;
-                    continue;
+                int cellSize = width / nCells;
+                if ( cellSize > maxCellSize ) {
+                    cellSize = maxCellSize;
+
+                    int boardWidth = nCells * cellSize;
+                    result.width = boardWidth;
+                }
+                result.maxCellSize = maxCellSize;
+
+                // Now determine if vertical scrolling will be necessary.
+                // There's a minimum tray and scoreboard height.  If we can
+                // fit them and all cells no scrolling's needed.  Otherwise
+                // determine the minimum number that must be hidden to fit.
+                // Finally grow scoreboard and tray to use whatever's left.
+                trayHt = 2 * cellSize;
+                scoreHt = (cellSize * 3) / 2;
+                wantHt = trayHt + scoreHt + (cellSize * nCells);
+                if ( wantHt <= height ) {
+                    nToScroll = 0;
                 } else {
-                    nToScroll = nCells - ((height - trayHt - scoreHt) / cellSize);
+                    // Scrolling's required if we use cell width sufficient to
+                    // fill the screen.  But perhaps we don't need to.
+                    int cellWidth = 2 * (height / ( 4 + 3 + (2*nCells)));
+                    if ( firstPass && cellWidth >= m_defaultFontHt ) {
+                        firstPass = false;
+                        width = nCells * cellWidth;
+                        continue;
+                    } else {
+                        nToScroll = nCells - ((height - trayHt - scoreHt) / cellSize);
+                    }
                 }
-            }
 
-            int heightUsed = trayHt + scoreHt + (nCells - nToScroll) * cellSize;
-            int heightLeft = height - heightUsed;
-            if ( 0 < heightLeft ) {
-                if ( heightLeft > (cellSize * 3 / 2) ) {
-                    heightLeft = cellSize * 3 / 2;
+                int heightUsed = trayHt + scoreHt + (nCells - nToScroll) * cellSize;
+                int heightLeft = height - heightUsed;
+                if ( 0 < heightLeft ) {
+                    if ( heightLeft > (cellSize * 3 / 2) ) {
+                        heightLeft = cellSize * 3 / 2;
+                    }
+                    heightLeft /= 3;
+                    scoreHt += heightLeft;
+
+                    trayHt += heightLeft * 2;
+                    if ( squareTiles && trayHt > (width / 7) ) {
+                        trayHt = width / 7;
+                    }
+                    heightUsed = trayHt + scoreHt + ((nCells - nToScroll) * cellSize);
                 }
-                heightLeft /= 3;
-                scoreHt += heightLeft;
 
-                trayHt += heightLeft * 2;
-                if ( XWPrefs.getSquareTiles( m_context ) 
-                     && trayHt > (width / 7) ) {
-                    trayHt = width / 7;
+                result.trayHt = trayHt;
+                result.scoreHt = scoreHt;
+
+                result.boardHt = cellSize * nCells;
+                result.trayTop = scoreHt + (cellSize * (nCells-nToScroll));
+                result.height = heightUsed;
+                result.cellSize = cellSize;
+
+                if ( m_gi.timerEnabled ) {
+                    result.timerWidth = timerWidth;
                 }
-                heightUsed = trayHt + scoreHt + ((nCells - nToScroll) * cellSize);
+                break;
             }
-
-            result.trayHt = trayHt;
-            result.scoreHt = scoreHt;
-
-            result.boardHt = cellSize * nCells;
-            result.trayTop = scoreHt + (cellSize * (nCells-nToScroll));
-            result.height = heightUsed;
-            result.cellSize = cellSize;
-
-            if ( m_gi.timerEnabled ) {
-                Paint paint = new Paint();
-                paint.setTextSize( m_mediumFontHt );
-                paint.getTextBounds( "-00:00", 0, 6, m_boundsScratch );
-                result.timerWidth = m_boundsScratch.width();
-            }
-            break;
         }
 
         return result;
@@ -362,7 +377,8 @@ public class BoardView extends View implements BoardHandler, SyncedDraw {
             XwJNI.board_setDraw( m_jniGamePtr, m_canvas );
 
             // need to synchronize??
-            m_jniThread.handle( JNIThread.JNICmd.CMD_LAYOUT, dims );
+            m_jniThread.handle( JNIThread.JNICmd.CMD_LAYOUT, dims, 
+                                m_useCommon );
             m_jniThread.handle( JNIThread.JNICmd.CMD_DRAW );
             layoutDone = true;
         }
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/JNIThread.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/JNIThread.java
index d23443534..649e7d698 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/JNIThread.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/JNIThread.java
@@ -230,32 +230,36 @@ public class JNIThread extends Thread {
         Message.obtain( m_handler, DIALOG, titleArg, 0, text ).sendToTarget();
     }
 
-    private void doLayout( BoardDims dims )
+    private void doLayout( BoardDims dims, boolean useCommon )
     {
-        int scoreWidth = dims.width - dims.cellSize;
-        ConnStatusHandler.setRect( scoreWidth, 0, scoreWidth + dims.cellSize, 
-                                   dims.scoreHt );
+        if ( useCommon ) {
+            XwJNI.board_applyLayout( m_jniGamePtr, dims );
+        } else {
+            int scoreWidth = dims.width - dims.cellSize;
+            ConnStatusHandler.setRect( scoreWidth, 0, scoreWidth + dims.cellSize, 
+                                       dims.scoreHt );
 
-        if ( m_gi.timerEnabled ) {
-            scoreWidth -= dims.timerWidth;
-            XwJNI.board_setTimerLoc( m_jniGamePtr, scoreWidth, 0, 
-                                     dims.timerWidth, dims.scoreHt );
-        } 
-        XwJNI.board_setScoreboardLoc( m_jniGamePtr, 0, 0, scoreWidth, 
-                                      dims.scoreHt, true );
+            if ( m_gi.timerEnabled ) {
+                scoreWidth -= dims.timerWidth;
+                XwJNI.board_setTimerLoc( m_jniGamePtr, scoreWidth, 0, 
+                                         dims.timerWidth, dims.scoreHt );
+            } 
+            XwJNI.board_setScoreboardLoc( m_jniGamePtr, 0, 0, scoreWidth, 
+                                          dims.scoreHt, true );
 
-        // Have no idea why I was doing -1 below, but it breaks layout
-        // for small (QVGA) boards.  If it needs to be done, do it
-        // early in figureBoardDims so the calculations that follow
-        // are consistent.
-        XwJNI.board_setPos( m_jniGamePtr, 0, dims.scoreHt, 
-                            dims.width/*-1*/, dims.boardHt, dims.maxCellSize, 
-                            false );
+            // Have no idea why I was doing -1 below, but it breaks layout
+            // for small (QVGA) boards.  If it needs to be done, do it
+            // early in figureBoardDims so the calculations that follow
+            // are consistent.
+            XwJNI.board_setPos( m_jniGamePtr, 0, dims.scoreHt, 
+                                dims.width/*-1*/, dims.boardHt, dims.maxCellSize, 
+                                false );
 
-        XwJNI.board_setTrayLoc( m_jniGamePtr, 0, dims.trayTop,
-                                dims.width/*-1*/, dims.trayHt, kMinDivWidth );
+            XwJNI.board_setTrayLoc( m_jniGamePtr, 0, dims.trayTop,
+                                    dims.width/*-1*/, dims.trayHt, kMinDivWidth );
 
-        XwJNI.board_invalAll( m_jniGamePtr );
+            XwJNI.board_invalAll( m_jniGamePtr );
+        }
     }
 
     private boolean nextSame( JNICmd cmd ) 
@@ -354,7 +358,7 @@ public class JNIThread extends Thread {
                 break;
 
             case CMD_LAYOUT:
-                doLayout( (BoardDims)args[0] );
+                doLayout( (BoardDims)args[0], (Boolean)args[1] );
                 draw = true;
                 // check and disable zoom button at limit
                 handle( JNICmd.CMD_ZOOM, 0 );
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/XwJNI.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/XwJNI.java
index b50be9b46..d5d2d64a0 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/XwJNI.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/XwJNI.java
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@
 
 package org.eehouse.android.xw4.jni;
 
+import android.graphics.Rect;
+import org.eehouse.android.xw4.BoardDims;
+
 // Collection of native methods
 public class XwJNI {
 
@@ -145,6 +148,15 @@ public class XwJNI {
     public static native void board_setDraw( int gamePtr, DrawCtx draw );
     public static native void board_invalAll( int gamePtr );
     public static native boolean board_draw( int gamePtr );
+
+    // Only if COMMON_LAYOUT defined
+    public static native void board_figureLayout( int gamePtr, CurGameInfo gi, 
+                                                  int fontHt, int fontWidth, 
+                                                  boolean squareTiles, 
+                                                  Rect bounds, BoardDims dims );
+    // Only if COMMON_LAYOUT defined
+    public static native void board_applyLayout( int gamePtr, BoardDims dims );
+
     public static native void board_setPos( int gamePtr, int left, int top,
                                             int width, int height, 
                                             int maxCellHt, boolean lefty );