diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/jni/xwjni.c b/xwords4/android/XWords4/jni/xwjni.c
index d98c53d88..b1170d854 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/jni/xwjni.c
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/jni/xwjni.c
@@ -979,6 +979,16 @@ Java_org_eehouse_android_xw4_jni_XwJNI_comms_1resendAll
     XWJNI_END();
 }
 
+JNIEXPORT void JNICALL
+Java_org_eehouse_android_xw4_jni_XwJNI_comms_1transportFailed
+( JNIEnv* env, jclass C, jint gamePtr )
+{
+    XWJNI_START();
+    XP_ASSERT( !!state->game.comms );
+    (void)comms_transportFailed( state->game.comms );
+    XWJNI_END();
+}
+
 JNIEXPORT void JNICALL
 Java_org_eehouse_android_xw4_jni_XwJNI_server_1endGame
 ( JNIEnv* env, jclass C, jint gamePtr )
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/CommsTransport.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/CommsTransport.java
index 784a5c94b..68107a1aa 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/CommsTransport.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/CommsTransport.java
@@ -110,6 +110,8 @@ public class CommsTransport extends Thread implements TransportProcs {
                 m_socketChannel.register( m_selector, ops );
                 m_selector.select();
             } catch ( ClosedChannelException cce ) {
+                // we get this when relay goes down.  Need to notify!
+                m_jniThread.handle( JNICmd.CMD_TRANSFAIL );
                 Utils.logf( "exiting: " + cce.toString() );
                 break;
             } catch ( java.io.IOException ioe ) {
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 6d09d1193..be32d81a0 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
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ public class JNIThread extends Thread {
             CMD_START,
             CMD_DO,
             CMD_RECEIVE,
+            CMD_TRANSFAIL,
             CMD_PREFS_CHANGE,
             CMD_PEN_DOWN,
             CMD_PEN_MOVE,
@@ -288,6 +289,10 @@ public class JNIThread extends Thread {
                 handle( JNICmd.CMD_DO );
                 break;
 
+            case CMD_TRANSFAIL:
+                XwJNI.comms_transportFailed( m_jniGamePtr );
+                break;
+
             case CMD_PREFS_CHANGE:
                 // need to inval all because some of prefs,
                 // e.g. colors, aren't known by common code so
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 e96f89d86..1d0b99c59 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
@@ -160,6 +160,7 @@ public class XwJNI {
     public static native void comms_getAddr( int gamePtr, CommsAddrRec addr );
     public static native void comms_setAddr( int gamePtr, CommsAddrRec addr );
     public static native void comms_resendAll( int gamePtr );
+    public static native void comms_transportFailed( int gamePtr );
 
     // Dicts
     public static native boolean dict_tilesAreSame( int dictPtr1, int dictPtr2 );