diff --git a/xwords4/android/jni/utilwrapper.c b/xwords4/android/jni/utilwrapper.c
index 6f328e09f..0f7194c49 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/jni/utilwrapper.c
+++ b/xwords4/android/jni/utilwrapper.c
@@ -441,14 +441,13 @@ and_dutil_getUserQuantityString( XW_DUtilCtxt* duc, XWEnv xwe,
 }
 
 static void
-and_dutil_storePtr( XW_DUtilCtxt* duc, XWEnv xwe, const XP_UCHAR* keys[],
+and_dutil_storePtr( XW_DUtilCtxt* duc, XWEnv xwe, const XP_UCHAR* key,
                     const void* data, XP_U32 len )
 {
     DUTIL_CBK_HEADER( "store", "(Ljava/lang/String;[B)V" );
-    XP_ASSERT( NULL == keys[1] );
 
     jbyteArray jdata = makeByteArray( env, len, data );
-    jstring jkey = (*env)->NewStringUTF( env, keys[0] );
+    jstring jkey = (*env)->NewStringUTF( env, key );
 
     (*env)->CallVoidMethod( env, dutil->jdutil, mid, jkey, jdata );
 
@@ -471,12 +470,11 @@ loadToByteArray( XW_DUtilCtxt* duc, XWEnv xwe, const XP_UCHAR* key )
 }
 
 static void
-and_dutil_loadPtr( XW_DUtilCtxt* duc, XWEnv xwe, const XP_UCHAR* keys[],
+and_dutil_loadPtr( XW_DUtilCtxt* duc, XWEnv xwe, const XP_UCHAR* key,
                    void* data, XP_U32* lenp )
 {
-    XP_ASSERT( NULL == keys[1] );
     JNIEnv* env = xwe;
-    jbyteArray jvalue = loadToByteArray( duc, env, keys[0] );
+    jbyteArray jvalue = loadToByteArray( duc, env, key );
     jsize len = 0;
     if ( jvalue != NULL ) {
         len = (*env)->GetArrayLength( env, jvalue );
diff --git a/xwords4/common/device.c b/xwords4/common/device.c
index 74afc77dc..4300a3cf8 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/device.c
+++ b/xwords4/common/device.c
@@ -113,8 +113,7 @@ load( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe )
         dutil->devCtxt = state = XP_CALLOC( dutil->mpool, sizeof(*state) );
 
         XWStreamCtxt* stream = mkStream( dutil );
-        const XP_UCHAR* keys[] = { KEY_DEVSTATE, NULL };
-        dutil_loadStream( dutil, xwe, keys, stream );
+        dutil_loadStream( dutil, xwe, KEY_DEVSTATE, stream );
 
         if ( 0 < stream_getSize( stream ) ) {
             state->devCount = stream_getU16( stream );
@@ -152,8 +151,7 @@ dvcStoreLocked( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe, DevCtxt* state )
     XWStreamCtxt* stream = mkStream( dutil );
     stream_putU16( stream, state->devCount );
     stream_putU8( stream, state->mqttQOS );
-    const XP_UCHAR* keys[] = { KEY_DEVSTATE, NULL };
-    dutil_storeStream( dutil, xwe, keys, stream );
+    dutil_storeStream( dutil, xwe, KEY_DEVSTATE, stream );
     stream_destroy( stream );
 }
 
@@ -174,7 +172,6 @@ dvc_store( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe )
 static void
 getMQTTDevID( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe, XP_Bool forceNew, MQTTDevID* devID )
 {
-    const XP_UCHAR* keys[] = { MQTT_DEVID_KEY, NULL };
 #ifdef BOGUS_ALL_SAME_DEVID
     XP_USE(forceNew);
     MQTTDevID bogusID = 0;
@@ -184,9 +181,9 @@ getMQTTDevID( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe, XP_Bool forceNew, MQTTDevID* devID
 
     MQTTDevID tmp = 0;
     XP_U32 len = sizeof(tmp);
-    dutil_loadPtr( dutil, xwe, keys, &tmp, &len );
+    dutil_loadPtr( dutil, xwe, MQTT_DEVID_KEY, &tmp, &len );
     if ( len != sizeof(tmp) || 0 != XP_MEMCMP( &bogusID, &tmp, sizeof(tmp) ) ) {
-        dutil_storePtr( dutil, xwe, keys, &bogusID, sizeof(bogusID) );
+        dutil_storePtr( dutil, xwe, MQTT_DEVID_KEY, &bogusID, sizeof(bogusID) );
     }
     *devID = bogusID;
 
@@ -195,7 +192,7 @@ getMQTTDevID( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe, XP_Bool forceNew, MQTTDevID* devID
     MQTTDevID tmp = 0;
     XP_U32 len = sizeof(tmp);
     if ( !forceNew ) {
-        dutil_loadPtr( dutil, xwe, keys, &tmp, &len );
+        dutil_loadPtr( dutil, xwe, MQTT_DEVID_KEY, &tmp, &len );
     }
 
     /* XP_LOGFF( "len: %d; sizeof(tmp): %zu", len, sizeof(tmp) ); */
@@ -221,7 +218,7 @@ getMQTTDevID( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe, XP_Bool forceNew, MQTTDevID* devID
         }
         XP_LOGFF( "average bits set: %d", total / NUM_RUNS );
 
-        dutil_storePtr( dutil, xwe, keys, &tmp, sizeof(tmp) );
+        dutil_storePtr( dutil, xwe, MQTT_DEVID_KEY, &tmp, sizeof(tmp) );
 
 # ifdef DEBUG
         XP_UCHAR buf[32];
@@ -245,8 +242,7 @@ dvc_getMQTTDevID( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe, MQTTDevID* devID )
 void
 dvc_setMQTTDevID( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe, const MQTTDevID* devID )
 {
-    const XP_UCHAR* keys[] = { MQTT_DEVID_KEY, NULL };
-    dutil_storePtr( dutil, xwe, keys, devID, sizeof(*devID) );
+    dutil_storePtr( dutil, xwe, MQTT_DEVID_KEY, devID, sizeof(*devID) );
 }
 
 void
@@ -813,16 +809,10 @@ dvc_onWebSendResult( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe, XP_U32 resultKey,
                         tmp = cJSON_GetObjectItem( result, "atNext" );
                         if ( !!tmp ) {
                             XP_U32 atNext = tmp->valueint;
-                            {
-                                const XP_UCHAR* keys1[] = { LAST_REG_KEY, NULL };
-                                dutil_storePtr( dutil, xwe, keys1, &atNext,
-                                                sizeof(atNext) );
-                            }
-                            {
-                                const XP_UCHAR* keys2[] = { KEY_GITREV, NULL };
-                                dutil_storePtr( dutil, xwe, keys2, GITREV,
-                                                XP_STRLEN(GITREV) );
-                            }
+                            dutil_storePtr( dutil, xwe, LAST_REG_KEY, &atNext,
+                                            sizeof(atNext) );
+                            dutil_storePtr( dutil, xwe, KEY_GITREV, GITREV,
+                                            XP_STRLEN(GITREV) );
                         }
 
                         tmp = cJSON_GetObjectItem( result, "qos" );
@@ -969,8 +959,7 @@ storePhoniesData( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe, DevCtxt* dc )
         XP_ASSERT( pdc1 == pdc );
     }
 
-    const XP_UCHAR* keys[] = { KEY_LEGAL_PHONIES, NULL };
-    dutil_storeStream( dutil, xwe, keys, stream );
+    dutil_storeStream( dutil, xwe, KEY_LEGAL_PHONIES, stream );
     stream_destroy( stream );
 }
 
@@ -981,8 +970,7 @@ loadPhoniesData( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe, DevCtxt* dc )
     XP_ASSERT ( !dc->pd );
 
     XWStreamCtxt* stream = mkStream( dutil );
-    const XP_UCHAR* keys[] = { KEY_LEGAL_PHONIES, NULL };
-    dutil_loadStream( dutil, xwe, keys, stream );
+    dutil_loadStream( dutil, xwe, KEY_LEGAL_PHONIES, stream );
 
     XP_U8 flags;
     if ( stream_gotU8( stream, &flags ) && PD_VERSION_1 == flags ) {
@@ -1197,16 +1185,10 @@ registerIf( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe )
 {
     XP_U32 atNext = 0;
     XP_U32 len = sizeof(atNext);
-    {
-        const XP_UCHAR* keys1[] = { LAST_REG_KEY, NULL };
-        dutil_loadPtr( dutil, xwe, keys1, &atNext, &len );
-    }
+    dutil_loadPtr( dutil, xwe, LAST_REG_KEY, &atNext, &len );
     XP_UCHAR gitrev[128];
     len = VSIZE(gitrev);
-    {
-        const XP_UCHAR* keys2[] = { KEY_GITREV, NULL };
-        dutil_loadPtr( dutil, xwe, keys2, gitrev, &len );
-    }
+    dutil_loadPtr( dutil, xwe, KEY_GITREV, gitrev, &len );
     if ( len >= VSIZE(gitrev) ) {
         len = VSIZE(gitrev) - 1;
     }
diff --git a/xwords4/common/dutil.c b/xwords4/common/dutil.c
index a5e370473..f765ab458 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/dutil.c
+++ b/xwords4/common/dutil.c
@@ -30,26 +30,26 @@
 #include "xwmutex.h"
 
 static void
-super_dutil_storeStream( XW_DUtilCtxt* duc, XWEnv xwe, const XP_UCHAR* keys[],
+super_dutil_storeStream( XW_DUtilCtxt* duc, XWEnv xwe, const XP_UCHAR* key,
                          XWStreamCtxt* data )
 {
     const void* ptr = stream_getPtr( data );
     XP_U16 len = stream_getSize( data );
-    dutil_storePtr( duc, xwe, keys, (void*)ptr, len );
+    dutil_storePtr( duc, xwe, key, (void*)ptr, len );
 }
 
 static void
 super_dutil_loadStream( XW_DUtilCtxt* duc, XWEnv xwe,
-                        const XP_UCHAR* keys[], XWStreamCtxt* inOut )
+                        const XP_UCHAR* key, XWStreamCtxt* inOut )
 {
     /* get the size */
     XP_U32 len = 0;
-    dutil_loadPtr( duc, xwe, keys, NULL, &len );
+    dutil_loadPtr( duc, xwe, key, NULL, &len );
 
     /* load if it exists */
     if ( 0 < len ) {
         void* buf = XP_MALLOC( duc->mpool, len );
-        dutil_loadPtr( duc, xwe, keys, buf, &len );
+        dutil_loadPtr( duc, xwe, key, buf, &len );
 
         stream_putBytes( inOut, buf, len );
         XP_FREEP( duc->mpool, &buf );
diff --git a/xwords4/common/dutil.h b/xwords4/common/dutil.h
index ae2a66d13..6664257fc 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/dutil.h
+++ b/xwords4/common/dutil.h
@@ -55,16 +55,16 @@ typedef struct _DUtilVtable {
                                                       XP_U16 stringCode,
                                                       XP_U16 quantity );
     void (*m_dutil_storeStream)( XW_DUtilCtxt* duc, XWEnv xwe,
-                                 const XP_UCHAR* keys[],
+                                 const XP_UCHAR* key,
                                  XWStreamCtxt* stream );
     void (*m_dutil_loadStream)( XW_DUtilCtxt* duc, XWEnv xwe,
-                                const XP_UCHAR* keys[],
+                                const XP_UCHAR* key,
                                 XWStreamCtxt* inOut );
     void (*m_dutil_storePtr)( XW_DUtilCtxt* duc, XWEnv xwe,
-                              const XP_UCHAR* keys[],
+                              const XP_UCHAR* key,
                               const void* data, XP_U32 len);
     void (*m_dutil_loadPtr)( XW_DUtilCtxt* duc, XWEnv xwe,
-                             const XP_UCHAR* keys[],
+                             const XP_UCHAR* key,
                              void* data, XP_U32* lenp );
 # ifdef XWFEATURE_DEVICE
     void (*m_dutil_forEach)( XW_DUtilCtxt* duc, XWEnv xwe,
diff --git a/xwords4/common/knownplyr.c b/xwords4/common/knownplyr.c
index 70bcf6695..933a6144b 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/knownplyr.c
+++ b/xwords4/common/knownplyr.c
@@ -69,8 +69,7 @@ loadStateLocked( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe )
         dutil->kpCtxt = state = XP_CALLOC( dutil->mpool, sizeof(*state) );
         XWStreamCtxt* stream = mem_stream_make_raw( MPPARM(dutil->mpool)
                                                     dutil_getVTManager(dutil) );
-        const XP_UCHAR* keys[] = { KNOWN_PLAYERS_KEY, NULL };
-        dutil_loadStream( dutil, xwe, keys, stream );
+        dutil_loadStream( dutil, xwe, KNOWN_PLAYERS_KEY, stream );
         if ( 0 < stream_getSize( stream ) ) {
             XP_U8 vers = stream_getU8( stream );
             stream_setVersion( stream, vers );
@@ -106,8 +105,7 @@ saveState( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe, KPState* state )
 
         dll_map( &state->players->links, saveProc, NULL, stream );
 
-        const XP_UCHAR* keys[] = { KNOWN_PLAYERS_KEY, NULL };
-        dutil_storeStream( dutil, xwe, keys, stream );
+        dutil_storeStream( dutil, xwe, KNOWN_PLAYERS_KEY, stream );
         stream_destroy( stream );
         state->dirty = XP_FALSE;
     }
diff --git a/xwords4/common/smsproto.c b/xwords4/common/smsproto.c
index ccf0245e5..f6b4702b3 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/smsproto.c
+++ b/xwords4/common/smsproto.c
@@ -126,8 +126,7 @@ smsproto_init( MPFORMAL XWEnv xwe, XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil )
     MPASSIGN( state->mpool, mpool );
 
     XP_U32 siz = sizeof(state->nNextID);
-    const XP_UCHAR* keys[] = { KEY_NEXTID, NULL, };
-    dutil_loadPtr( state->dutil, xwe, keys, &state->nNextID, &siz );
+    dutil_loadPtr( state->dutil, xwe, KEY_NEXTID, &state->nNextID, &siz );
     XP_LOGF( "%s(): loaded nextMsgID: %d", __func__, state->nNextID );
 
     restorePartials( state, xwe );
@@ -706,8 +705,7 @@ savePartials( SMSProto* state, XWEnv xwe )
     if ( state->lastStoredSize == 2 && newSize == 2 ) {
         XP_LOGFF( "not storing empty again" );
     } else {
-        const XP_UCHAR* keys[] = { KEY_PARTIALS, NULL, };
-        dutil_storeStream( state->dutil, xwe, keys, stream );
+        dutil_storeStream( state->dutil, xwe, KEY_PARTIALS, stream );
         state->lastStoredSize = newSize;
     }
 
@@ -721,8 +719,7 @@ restorePartials( SMSProto* state, XWEnv xwe )
 {
     XWStreamCtxt* stream = mkStream( state );
 
-    const XP_UCHAR* keys[] = { KEY_PARTIALS, NULL, };
-    dutil_loadStream( state->dutil, xwe, keys, stream );
+    dutil_loadStream( state->dutil, xwe, KEY_PARTIALS, stream );
     if ( stream_getSize( stream ) >= 1
          && PARTIALS_FORMAT == stream_getU8( stream ) ) {
         int nFromPhones = stream_getU8( stream );
@@ -883,8 +880,7 @@ static int
 nextMsgID( SMSProto* state, XWEnv xwe )
 {
     int result = ++state->nNextID % 0x000000FF;
-    const XP_UCHAR* keys[] = { KEY_NEXTID, NULL, };
-    dutil_storePtr( state->dutil, xwe, keys, &state->nNextID,
+    dutil_storePtr( state->dutil, xwe, KEY_NEXTID, &state->nNextID,
                     sizeof(state->nNextID) );
     LOG_RETURNF( "%d", result );
     return result;
diff --git a/xwords4/common/stats.c b/xwords4/common/stats.c
index 8c46aa350..de5ff849f 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/stats.c
+++ b/xwords4/common/stats.c
@@ -171,8 +171,7 @@ storeCountsLocked( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe )
         }
     }
 
-    const XP_UCHAR* keys[] = { STATS_KEY, NULL };
-    dutil_storeStream( dutil, xwe, keys, stream );
+    dutil_storeStream( dutil, xwe, STATS_KEY, stream );
     stream_destroy( stream );
 }
 
@@ -186,8 +185,7 @@ loadCountsLocked( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe )
     ss->statsVals = statsVals;
 
     XWStreamCtxt* stream = mkStream( dutil );
-    const XP_UCHAR* keys[] = { STATS_KEY, NULL };
-    dutil_loadStream( dutil, xwe, keys, stream );
+    dutil_loadStream( dutil, xwe, STATS_KEY, stream );
 
     XP_U8 version;
     if ( stream_gotU8( stream, &version ) ) {
diff --git a/xwords4/linux/lindutil.c b/xwords4/linux/lindutil.c
index 903be7d53..392653acf 100644
--- a/xwords4/linux/lindutil.c
+++ b/xwords4/linux/lindutil.c
@@ -52,9 +52,9 @@ static const XP_UCHAR* linux_dutil_getUserString( XW_DUtilCtxt* duc, XWEnv xwe,
 static const XP_UCHAR* linux_dutil_getUserQuantityString( XW_DUtilCtxt* duc, XWEnv xwe, XP_U16 code,
                                                           XP_U16 quantity );
 
-static void linux_dutil_storePtr( XW_DUtilCtxt* duc, XWEnv xwe, const XP_UCHAR* keys[],
+static void linux_dutil_storePtr( XW_DUtilCtxt* duc, XWEnv xwe, const XP_UCHAR* key,
                                   const void* data, XP_U32 len );
-static void linux_dutil_loadPtr( XW_DUtilCtxt* duc, XWEnv xwe, const XP_UCHAR* keys[],
+static void linux_dutil_loadPtr( XW_DUtilCtxt* duc, XWEnv xwe, const XP_UCHAR* key,
                                  void* data, XP_U32* lenp );
 static void linux_dutil_forEach( XW_DUtilCtxt* duc, XWEnv xwe,
                                  const XP_UCHAR* keys[],
@@ -580,36 +580,34 @@ linux_dutil_getUserQuantityString( XW_DUtilCtxt* duc, XWEnv xwe, XP_U16 code,
 
 static void
 linux_dutil_storePtr( XW_DUtilCtxt* duc, XWEnv XP_UNUSED(xwe),
-                      const XP_UCHAR* keys[],
+                      const XP_UCHAR* key,
                       const void* data, const XP_U32 len )
 {
-    XP_ASSERT( keys[1] == NULL );
     LaunchParams* params = (LaunchParams*)duc->closure;
     sqlite3* pDb = params->pDb;
 
     gchar* b64 = g_base64_encode( data, len);
-    gdb_store( pDb, keys[0], b64 );
+    gdb_store( pDb, key, b64 );
     g_free( b64 );
 }
 
 static void
 linux_dutil_loadPtr( XW_DUtilCtxt* duc, XWEnv XP_UNUSED(xwe),
-                     const XP_UCHAR* keys[],
+                     const XP_UCHAR* key,
                      void* data, XP_U32* lenp )
 {
-    XP_ASSERT( NULL == keys[1] );
     LaunchParams* params = (LaunchParams*)duc->closure;
     sqlite3* pDb = params->pDb;
 
     gint buflen = 0;
-    FetchResult res = gdb_fetch( pDb, keys[0], NULL, NULL, &buflen );
+    FetchResult res = gdb_fetch( pDb, key, NULL, NULL, &buflen );
     if ( res == BUFFER_TOO_SMALL ) { /* expected: I passed 0 */
         if ( 0 == *lenp ) {
             *lenp = buflen;
         } else {
             gchar* tmp = XP_MALLOC( duc->mpool, buflen );
             gint tmpLen = buflen;
-            res = gdb_fetch( pDb, keys[0], NULL, tmp, &tmpLen );
+            res = gdb_fetch( pDb, key, NULL, tmp, &tmpLen );
             XP_ASSERT( buflen == tmpLen );
             XP_ASSERT( res == SUCCESS );
             XP_ASSERT( tmp[buflen-1] == '\0' );
@@ -627,7 +625,7 @@ linux_dutil_loadPtr( XW_DUtilCtxt* duc, XWEnv XP_UNUSED(xwe),
         *lenp = 0;              /* doesn't exist */
     }
 
-    XP_LOGFF( "(key=%s) => len: %d", keys[0], *lenp );
+    XP_LOGFF( "(key=%s) => len: %d", key, *lenp );
 }
 
 static void