diff --git a/xwords4/linux/gtknewgame.c b/xwords4/linux/gtknewgame.c
index 06b8f6085..dace64d3f 100644
--- a/xwords4/linux/gtknewgame.c
+++ b/xwords4/linux/gtknewgame.c
@@ -357,18 +357,16 @@ makeNewGameDialog( GtkNewGameState* state )
     for ( iter = dicts, ii = 0; !!iter; iter = iter->next, ++ii ) {
         const gchar* name = iter->data;
         gtk_combo_box_append_text( GTK_COMBO_BOX(dictCombo), name );
-        if ( !!gi->dictName && !strcmp( name, gi->dictName ) ) {
+        if ( !!gi->dictName ) {
+            if ( !strcmp( name, gi->dictName ) ) {
+                gtk_combo_box_set_active( GTK_COMBO_BOX(dictCombo), ii );
+            }
+        } else if ( 0 == ii ) {
             gtk_combo_box_set_active( GTK_COMBO_BOX(dictCombo), ii );
         }
     }
 	g_slist_free( dicts );
 
-    /* if ( !!gi->dictName ) { */
-    /*     gtk_box_pack_start( GTK_BOX(hbox),  */
-    /*                         gtk_label_new(gi->dictName), */
-    /*                         FALSE, TRUE, 0 ); */
-    /* } */
-
     gtk_widget_show( hbox );
 
     gtk_box_pack_start( GTK_BOX(vbox), hbox, FALSE, TRUE, 0 );
@@ -571,6 +569,9 @@ newGameDialog( GtkGameGlobals* globals, CurGameInfo* gi, CommsAddrRec* addr,
         state.revert = FALSE;
         state.loaded = XP_FALSE;
         state.nCols = gi->boardSize;
+        if ( 0 == state.nCols ) {
+            state.nCols = globals->cGlobals.params->pgi.boardSize;
+        }
         state.role = gi->serverRole;
 
         XP_MEMCPY( &state.addr, addr, sizeof(state.addr) );
diff --git a/xwords4/linux/linuxmain.c b/xwords4/linux/linuxmain.c
index 083035540..e5510a2c8 100644
--- a/xwords4/linux/linuxmain.c
+++ b/xwords4/linux/linuxmain.c
@@ -1512,10 +1512,10 @@ getDictPath( const LaunchParams *params, const char* name,
              char* result, int resultLen )
 {
     XP_Bool success = XP_FALSE;
-    GSList* dictDirs;
+    GSList* iter;
     result[0] = '\0';
-    for ( dictDirs = params->dictDirs; !!dictDirs; dictDirs = dictDirs->next ) {
-        const char* path = dictDirs->data;
+    for ( iter = params->dictDirs; !!iter; iter = iter->next ) {
+        const char* path = iter->data;
         char buf[256];
         int len = snprintf( buf, VSIZE(buf), "%s/%s.xwd", path, name );
         if ( len < VSIZE(buf) && file_exists( buf ) ) {
@@ -1734,7 +1734,8 @@ main( int argc, char** argv )
     mainParams.showRobotScores = XP_FALSE;
     mainParams.useMmap = XP_TRUE;
 
-    char* envDictPath = getenv( "XW_DICTSPATH" );
+    char* envDictPath = getenv( "XW_DICTDIR" );
+    XP_LOGF( "%s: envDictPath=%s", __func__, envDictPath );
     if ( !!envDictPath ) {
         char *saveptr;
         for ( ; ; ) {