diff --git a/xwords4/common/board.c b/xwords4/common/board.c
index acd873b5c..0a0e96e10 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/board.c
+++ b/xwords4/common/board.c
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@
 # define MAX_BOARD_ZOOM 4
 #endif
 
+#define BOARD_ZOOMBY 2
+
 #ifdef CPLUS
 extern "C" {
 #endif
@@ -547,13 +549,20 @@ canZoomIn( const BoardCtxt* board, XP_S16 newCount )
 }
 
 XP_Bool
-board_zoom( BoardCtxt* board, XP_S16 zoomBy, XP_Bool* canInOut )
+board_zoom( BoardCtxt* board, XP_S16 zoomDir, XP_Bool* canInOut )
 {
+    XP_S16 zoomBy = 0;
     XP_Bool changed;
     XP_S16 zoomCount = board->zoomCount;
     ScrollData* hsd = &board->sd[SCROLL_H];
     ScrollData* vsd = &board->sd[SCROLL_V];
 
+    if ( zoomDir > 0 ) {
+        zoomBy = BOARD_ZOOMBY;
+    } else if ( zoomDir < 0 ) {
+        zoomBy = -BOARD_ZOOMBY;
+    }
+
     XP_U16 maxCount = model_numCols( board->model ) - MAX_BOARD_ZOOM;
     if ( board->boardBounds.width > board->boardBounds.height ) {
         XP_U16 ratio = board->boardBounds.width / board->boardBounds.height;
@@ -1672,13 +1681,22 @@ figureDims( XP_U16* edges, XP_U16 len, XP_U16 nVisible,
 static XP_U16
 figureHScale( BoardCtxt* board )
 {
-    XP_U16 nCols = model_numCols( board->model );
-    XP_U16 nVisCols = nCols - board->zoomCount;
-    XP_U16 scale = board->boardBounds.width / nVisCols;
-    XP_U16 spares = board->boardBounds.width % nVisCols;
+    XP_U16 nCols, nVisCols, scale, spares;
+    XP_U16 maxOffset;
+    ScrollData* hsd;
 
-    XP_U16 maxOffset = nCols - nVisCols;
-    ScrollData* hsd = &board->sd[SCROLL_H];
+    while ( !canZoomIn( board, board->zoomCount ) ) {
+        XP_ASSERT( board->zoomCount >= BOARD_ZOOMBY );
+        board->zoomCount -= BOARD_ZOOMBY;
+    }
+
+    nCols = model_numCols( board->model );
+    nVisCols = nCols - board->zoomCount;
+    scale = board->boardBounds.width / nVisCols;
+    spares = board->boardBounds.width % nVisCols;
+
+    maxOffset = nCols - nVisCols;
+    hsd = &board->sd[SCROLL_H];
     if ( hsd->offset > maxOffset ) {
         hsd->offset = maxOffset;
     }
diff --git a/xwords4/common/board.h b/xwords4/common/board.h
index 61a875da6..f05d197c4 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/board.h
+++ b/xwords4/common/board.h
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ void board_reset( BoardCtxt* board );
 XP_Bool board_setYOffset( BoardCtxt* board, XP_U16 newOffset );
 XP_U16 board_getYOffset( const BoardCtxt* board );
 
+/* zoomBy: >0: zoom in; < 0: zoom out; 0: query only */
 XP_Bool board_zoom( BoardCtxt* board, XP_S16 zoomBy, XP_Bool* canInOut );
 
 void board_setScoreboardLoc( BoardCtxt* board, 
diff --git a/xwords4/linux/gtkmain.c b/xwords4/linux/gtkmain.c
index e8c65d2a6..5f5177903 100644
--- a/xwords4/linux/gtkmain.c
+++ b/xwords4/linux/gtkmain.c
@@ -1095,7 +1095,7 @@ static void
 handle_zoomin_button( GtkWidget* XP_UNUSED(widget), GtkAppGlobals* globals )
 {
     XP_Bool inOut[2];
-    if ( board_zoom( globals->cGlobals.game.board, 2, inOut ) ) {
+    if ( board_zoom( globals->cGlobals.game.board, 1, inOut ) ) {
         board_draw( globals->cGlobals.game.board );
         setZoomButtons( globals, inOut );
     }
@@ -1105,7 +1105,7 @@ static void
 handle_zoomout_button( GtkWidget* XP_UNUSED(widget), GtkAppGlobals* globals )
 {
     XP_Bool inOut[2];
-    if ( board_zoom( globals->cGlobals.game.board, -2, inOut ) ) {
+    if ( board_zoom( globals->cGlobals.game.board, -1, inOut ) ) {
         board_draw( globals->cGlobals.game.board );
         setZoomButtons( globals, inOut );
     }