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 4064a3fce..5f9ea2af6 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardView.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardView.java
@@ -301,17 +301,22 @@ public class BoardView extends View implements DrawCtx, BoardHandler,
     public void measureRemText( Rect r, int nTilesLeft, int[] width, 
                                 int[] height ) 
     {
-        m_remText = String.format( "%d", nTilesLeft ); // should cache a formatter
-        m_fillPaint.setTextSize( r.bottom - r.top - 2 );
-        m_fillPaint.getTextBounds( m_remText, 0, m_remText.length(), 
-                                   m_boundsScratch );
+        if ( nTilesLeft > 0 ) {
+            // should cache a formatter
+            m_remText = String.format( "%d", nTilesLeft );
+            m_fillPaint.setTextSize( r.bottom - r.top - 2 );
+            m_fillPaint.getTextBounds( m_remText, 0, m_remText.length(), 
+                                       m_boundsScratch );
 
-        int minWidth = m_boundsScratch.right;
-        if ( minWidth < 20 ) {
-            minWidth = 20; // it's a button; make it bigger
+            int minWidth = m_boundsScratch.right;
+            if ( minWidth < 20 ) {
+                minWidth = 20; // it's a button; make it bigger
+            }
+            width[0] = minWidth;
+            height[0] = m_boundsScratch.bottom;
+        } else {
+            width[0] = height[0] = 0;
         }
-        width[0] = minWidth;
-        height[0] = m_boundsScratch.bottom;
     }
 
     public void drawRemText( Rect rInner, Rect rOuter, int nTilesLeft,