diff --git a/xwords4/android/jni/xwjni.c b/xwords4/android/jni/xwjni.c
index 1aa737a6c..0f19529fb 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/jni/xwjni.c
+++ b/xwords4/android/jni/xwjni.c
@@ -780,10 +780,10 @@ Java_org_eehouse_android_xw4_jni_XwJNI_kplr_1getPlayers
     DVC_HEADER(jniGlobalPtr);
 
     XP_U16 nFound = 0;
-    kplr_getPlayers( globalState->dutil, env, NULL, &nFound );
+    kplr_getNames( globalState->dutil, env, NULL, &nFound );
     if ( 0 < nFound ) {
         const XP_UCHAR* names[nFound];
-        kplr_getPlayers( globalState->dutil, env, names, &nFound );
+        kplr_getNames( globalState->dutil, env, names, &nFound );
         jnames = makeStringArray( env, nFound, names );
     }
     DVC_HEADER_END();
diff --git a/xwords4/common/comms.c b/xwords4/common/comms.c
index 06573c3a6..012661ae1 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/comms.c
+++ b/xwords4/common/comms.c
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ static AddressRecord* rememberChannelAddress( CommsCtxt* comms, XWEnv xwe,
 static void augmentChannelAddr( CommsCtxt* comms, AddressRecord* rec,
                                 const CommsAddrRec* addr, XWHostID hostID );
 static XP_Bool augmentAddrIntrnl( CommsCtxt* comms, CommsAddrRec* dest,
-                                  const CommsAddrRec* src );
+                                  const CommsAddrRec* src, XP_Bool isNewer );
 static XP_Bool channelToAddress( CommsCtxt* comms, XWEnv xwe, XP_PlayerAddr channelNo,
                                  const CommsAddrRec** addr );
 static AddressRecord* getRecordFor( CommsCtxt* comms, XWEnv xwe,
@@ -1039,7 +1039,7 @@ comms_augmentHostAddr( CommsCtxt* comms, XWEnv xwe, const CommsAddrRec* addr )
         && ! addr_hasType( &comms->addr, COMMS_CONN_RELAY );
 
     CommsAddrRec tmp = comms->addr;
-    augmentAddrIntrnl( comms, &tmp, addr );
+    augmentAddrIntrnl( comms, &tmp, addr, XP_TRUE );
     util_addrChange( comms->util, xwe, &comms->addr, &tmp );
     comms->addr = tmp;
 
@@ -1069,7 +1069,7 @@ comms_addMQTTDevID( CommsCtxt* comms, XP_PlayerAddr channelNo,
             CommsAddrRec addr = {0};
             addr_setType( &addr, COMMS_CONN_MQTT );
             addr.u.mqtt.devID = *devID;
-            augmentAddrIntrnl( comms, &rec->addr, &addr );
+            augmentAddrIntrnl( comms, &rec->addr, &addr, XP_TRUE );
         }
     }
     if ( !found ) {
@@ -2594,7 +2594,7 @@ comms_isConnected( const CommsCtxt* const comms )
 }
 
 void
-comms_gatherPlayers( CommsCtxt* comms, XWEnv xwe )
+comms_gatherPlayers( CommsCtxt* comms, XWEnv xwe, XP_U32 created )
 {
 #ifdef XWFEATURE_KNOWNPLAYERS
     LOG_FUNC();
@@ -2604,7 +2604,7 @@ comms_gatherPlayers( CommsCtxt* comms, XWEnv xwe )
         comms_getAddrs( comms, NULL, addrs, &nRecs );
 
         const CurGameInfo* gi = comms->util->gameInfo;
-        if ( kplr_addAddrs( comms->dutil, xwe, gi, addrs, nRecs ) ) {
+        if ( kplr_addAddrs( comms->dutil, xwe, gi, addrs, nRecs, created ) ) {
             XP_LOGFF( "not setting flag :-)" );
             // comms->flags |= FLAG_HARVEST_DONE;
         }
@@ -2956,7 +2956,7 @@ static void
 augmentChannelAddr( CommsCtxt* comms, AddressRecord* const rec,
                     const CommsAddrRec* addr, XWHostID hostID )
 {
-    augmentAddrIntrnl( comms, &rec->addr, addr );
+    augmentAddrIntrnl( comms, &rec->addr, addr, XP_TRUE );
     if ( addr_hasType( &rec->addr, COMMS_CONN_RELAY ) ) {
         if ( 0 != hostID ) {
             rec->rr.hostID = hostID;
@@ -2977,13 +2977,15 @@ augmentChannelAddr( CommsCtxt* comms, AddressRecord* const rec,
 
 static XP_Bool
 augmentAddrIntrnl( CommsCtxt* comms, CommsAddrRec* destAddr,
-                   const CommsAddrRec* srcAddr )
+                   const CommsAddrRec* srcAddr, XP_Bool isNewer )
 {
     XP_Bool changed = XP_FALSE;
+    const CommsAddrRec empty = {0};
     if ( !!srcAddr ) {
         CommsConnType typ;
         for ( XP_U32 st = 0; addr_iter( srcAddr, &typ, &st ); ) {
-            if ( ! addr_hasType( destAddr, typ ) ) {
+            XP_Bool newType = !addr_hasType( destAddr, typ );
+            if ( newType ) {
                 XP_LOGFF( "adding new type %s to rec", ConnType2Str(typ) );
                 addr_addType( destAddr, typ );
 
@@ -3040,19 +3042,20 @@ augmentAddrIntrnl( CommsCtxt* comms, CommsAddrRec* destAddr,
                 break;
             }
             if ( !!dest ) {
-                XP_Bool changing = 0 != XP_MEMCMP( dest, src, siz );
-                if ( changing ) {
-#ifdef DEBUG
-                    CommsAddrRec dummy = {0};
-                    if ( 0 == XP_MEMCMP( &dummy, dest, siz ) ) {
-                        XP_LOGFF( "setting %s-type addr for first time", ConnType2Str(typ) );
-                    } else if ( 0 != XP_MEMCMP( dest, src, siz ) ) {
-                        XP_LOGFF( "actually changing addr info for typ %s", ConnType2Str(typ) );
+                XP_Bool different = 0 != XP_MEMCMP( dest, src, siz );
+                if ( different ) {
+                    /* If the dest is non-empty AND the src is older, don't do
+                       anything: don't replace newer info with older. Note
+                       that this assumes unset values are empty!!! */
+                    if ( !isNewer && !newType
+                         && 0 != XP_MEMCMP( &empty, dest, siz ) ) {
+                        XP_LOGFF( "%s: not replacing new info with old",
+                                  ConnType2Str(typ) );
+                    } else {
+                        XP_MEMCPY( dest, src, siz );
+                        changed = XP_TRUE;
                     }
-#endif
-                    XP_MEMCPY( dest, src, siz );
                 }
-                changed = changed || changing;
             }
         }
     }
@@ -3060,9 +3063,9 @@ augmentAddrIntrnl( CommsCtxt* comms, CommsAddrRec* destAddr,
 }
 
 XP_Bool
-augmentAddr( CommsAddrRec* addr, const CommsAddrRec* newer )
+augmentAddr( CommsAddrRec* addr, const CommsAddrRec* newer, XP_Bool isNewer )
 {
-    return augmentAddrIntrnl( NULL, addr, newer );
+    return augmentAddrIntrnl( NULL, addr, newer, isNewer );
 }
 
 static XP_Bool
diff --git a/xwords4/common/comms.h b/xwords4/common/comms.h
index ef857196e..8ee68d031 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/comms.h
+++ b/xwords4/common/comms.h
@@ -238,7 +238,8 @@ XP_Bool comms_isConnected( const CommsCtxt* const comms );
 void comms_gameJoined( CommsCtxt* comms, const XP_UCHAR* connname, XWHostID hid );
 #endif
 
-XP_Bool augmentAddr( CommsAddrRec* addr, const CommsAddrRec* newer );
+XP_Bool augmentAddr( CommsAddrRec* addr, const CommsAddrRec* newer,
+                     XP_Bool isNewer );
 
 CommsConnType addr_getType( const CommsAddrRec* addr );
 void addr_setType( CommsAddrRec* addr, CommsConnType type );
@@ -262,7 +263,7 @@ void comms_setAddrDisabled( CommsCtxt* comms, CommsConnType typ,
 XP_Bool comms_getAddrDisabled( const CommsCtxt* comms, CommsConnType typ, 
                                XP_Bool send );
 
-void comms_gatherPlayers( CommsCtxt* comms, XWEnv xwe );
+void comms_gatherPlayers( CommsCtxt* comms, XWEnv xwe, XP_U32 created );
 
 # else
 #  define comms_setAddrDisabled( comms, typ, send, enabled )
diff --git a/xwords4/common/comtypes.h b/xwords4/common/comtypes.h
index 1d275227e..59a4f253e 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/comtypes.h
+++ b/xwords4/common/comtypes.h
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ typedef enum {
 #define SUFFIX_NEXTID "nextID"
 #define SUFFIX_DEVSTATE "devState"
 #define SUFFIX_MQTT_DEVID "mqtt_devid_key"
-#define SUFFIX_KNOWN_PLAYERS "known_players_key"
+#define SUFFIX_KNOWN_PLAYERS "known_players_key_dev1"
 
 #define FULL_KEY(PARTIAL) "persist_key:" PARTIAL
 
diff --git a/xwords4/common/game.c b/xwords4/common/game.c
index 91a61e3dd..0a2e97b1c 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/game.c
+++ b/xwords4/common/game.c
@@ -136,7 +136,6 @@ game_makeNewGame( MPFORMAL XWEnv xwe, XWGame* game, CurGameInfo* gi,
         gi->gameID = makeGameID( util );
     }
     game->created = dutil_getCurSeconds( util_getDevUtilCtxt( util, xwe ), xwe );
-
     game->util = util;
 
     game->model = model_make( MPPARM(mpool) xwe, (DictionaryCtxt*)NULL,
@@ -328,9 +327,6 @@ game_makeFromStream( MPFORMAL XWEnv xwe, XWStreamCtxt* stream, XWGame* game,
 
     if ( success && !!game && !!game->comms ) {
         XP_ASSERT( comms_getIsServer(game->comms) == server_getIsServer(game->server) );
-        if ( server_getGameIsConnected( game->server ) ) {
-            comms_gatherPlayers( game->comms, xwe );
-        }
     }
 
     return success;
@@ -368,7 +364,14 @@ game_saveToStream( const XWGame* game, XWEnv xwe, const CurGameInfo* gi,
     gi_writeToStream( stream, gi );
 
     if ( !!game ) {
-        stream_putU32( stream, game->created );
+        const XP_U32 created = game->created;
+        if ( !!game->comms
+             && 0 != created
+             && server_getGameIsConnected( game->server ) ) {
+            comms_gatherPlayers( game->comms, xwe, created );
+        }
+
+        stream_putU32( stream, created );
         XP_ASSERT( 0 != saveToken );
 
         XP_U8 flags = NULL == game->comms ? 0 : FLAG_HASCOMMS;
diff --git a/xwords4/common/game.h b/xwords4/common/game.h
index 856e26ba2..69ce2f15c 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/game.h
+++ b/xwords4/common/game.h
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ typedef struct _GameStateInfo {
     XP_Bool canUnpause;         /* duplicate-mode only */
 } GameStateInfo;
 
-typedef struct XWGame {
+typedef struct _XWGame {
     XW_UtilCtxt* util;
     BoardCtxt* board;
     ModelCtxt* model;
diff --git a/xwords4/common/knownplyr.c b/xwords4/common/knownplyr.c
index 3da259c77..2e81af859 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/knownplyr.c
+++ b/xwords4/common/knownplyr.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 
 typedef struct _KnownPlayer {
     struct _KnownPlayer* next;
+    XP_U32 newestMod;
     XP_UCHAR* name;
     CommsAddrRec addr;
 } KnownPlayer;
@@ -38,7 +39,8 @@ typedef struct _KPState {
 } KPState;
 
 static void addPlayer( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, KPState* state,
-                       const XP_UCHAR* name, const CommsAddrRec* addr );
+                       const XP_UCHAR* name, const CommsAddrRec* addr,
+                       XP_U32 newestMod );
 static void getPlayersImpl( const KPState* state, const XP_UCHAR** players,
                             XP_U16* nFound );
 
@@ -47,13 +49,14 @@ loadFromStream( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, KPState* state, XWStreamCtxt* stream )
 {
     LOG_FUNC();
     while ( 0 < stream_getSize( stream ) ) {
+        XP_U32 newestMod = stream_getU32( stream );
         XP_UCHAR buf[64];
         stringFromStreamHere( stream, buf, VSIZE(buf) );
 
         CommsAddrRec addr = {0};
         addrFromStream( &addr, stream );
 
-        addPlayer( dutil, state, buf, &addr );
+        addPlayer( dutil, state, buf, &addr, newestMod );
     }
 }
 
@@ -88,6 +91,7 @@ saveState( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe, KPState* state )
                                                     dutil_getVTManager(dutil) );
         stream_putU8( stream, CUR_STREAM_VERS );
         for ( KnownPlayer* kp = state->players; !!kp; kp = kp->next ) {
+            stream_putU32( stream, kp->newestMod );
             stringToStream( stream, kp->name );
             addrToStream( stream, &kp->addr );
         }
@@ -156,8 +160,8 @@ makeUniqueName( const KPState* state, const XP_UCHAR* name,
  * For early testing, however, just make a new name.
  */
 static void
-addPlayer( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, KPState* state,
-           const XP_UCHAR* name, const CommsAddrRec* addr )
+addPlayer( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, KPState* state, const XP_UCHAR* name,
+           const CommsAddrRec* addr, XP_U32 newestMod )
 {
     XP_LOGFF( "(name=%s)", name );
     KnownPlayer* withSameDevID = NULL;
@@ -176,7 +180,12 @@ addPlayer( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, KPState* state,
 
     XP_UCHAR tmpName[64];
     if ( !!withSameDevID ) {    /* only one allowed */
-        state->dirty = augmentAddr( &withSameDevID->addr, addr ) || state->dirty;
+        XP_Bool isNewer = newestMod > withSameDevID->newestMod;
+        XP_Bool changed = augmentAddr( &withSameDevID->addr, addr, isNewer );
+        if ( isNewer ) {
+            withSameDevID->newestMod = newestMod;
+        }
+        state->dirty = changed || state->dirty;
     } else {
         if ( !!withSameName ) {
         /* Same name but different devID? Create a unique name */
@@ -197,7 +206,7 @@ addPlayer( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, KPState* state,
 
 XP_Bool
 kplr_addAddrs( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe, const CurGameInfo* gi,
-               CommsAddrRec addrs[], XP_U16 nAddrs )
+               CommsAddrRec addrs[], XP_U16 nAddrs, XP_U32 modTime )
 {
     LOG_FUNC();
     XP_Bool canUse = XP_TRUE;
@@ -213,7 +222,7 @@ kplr_addAddrs( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe, const CurGameInfo* gi,
         for ( int ii = 0; ii < nAddrs && canUse; ++ii ) {
             const XP_UCHAR* name = figureNameFor( ii, gi );
             if ( !!name ) {
-                addPlayer( dutil, state, name, &addrs[ii] );
+                addPlayer( dutil, state, name, &addrs[ii], modTime );
             } else {
                 XP_LOGFF( "unable to find %dth name", ii );
             }
@@ -247,8 +256,8 @@ getPlayersImpl( const KPState* state, const XP_UCHAR** players, XP_U16* nFound )
 }
 
 void
-kplr_getPlayers( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe,
-                 const XP_UCHAR** players, XP_U16* nFound )
+kplr_getNames( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe,
+               const XP_UCHAR** players, XP_U16* nFound )
 {
     KPState* state = loadState( dutil, xwe );
     getPlayersImpl( state, players, nFound );
diff --git a/xwords4/common/knownplyr.h b/xwords4/common/knownplyr.h
index 1adc712b4..ae6a6a5ca 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/knownplyr.h
+++ b/xwords4/common/knownplyr.h
@@ -32,13 +32,13 @@ void kplr_cleanup( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil );
 
 XP_Bool kplr_havePlayers( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe );
 
-void kplr_getPlayers( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe, const XP_UCHAR** players,
-                      XP_U16* nFound );
+void kplr_getNames( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe, const XP_UCHAR** players,
+                    XP_U16* nFound );
 XP_Bool kplr_getAddr( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe, const XP_UCHAR* name,
                       CommsAddrRec* addr );
 
 XP_Bool kplr_addAddrs( XW_DUtilCtxt* dutil, XWEnv xwe, const CurGameInfo* gi,
-                       CommsAddrRec addrs[], XP_U16 nAddrs );
+                       CommsAddrRec addrs[], XP_U16 nAddrs, XP_U32 modTime );
 # else
 #  define kplr_cleanup( dutil )
 # endif
diff --git a/xwords4/linux/gtkinvit.c b/xwords4/linux/gtkinvit.c
index eb2cbadef..5333e4b55 100644
--- a/xwords4/linux/gtkinvit.c
+++ b/xwords4/linux/gtkinvit.c
@@ -286,10 +286,10 @@ makeKnownsPage( GtkInviteState* state, PageData* data )
     gtk_box_pack_start( GTK_BOX(hbox), label, FALSE, TRUE, 0 );
 
     XP_U16 nFound = 0;
-    kplr_getPlayers( state->dutil, NULL_XWE, NULL, &nFound );
+    kplr_getNames( state->dutil, NULL_XWE, NULL, &nFound );
     XP_ASSERT( nFound > 0 );
     const XP_UCHAR* names[nFound];
-    kplr_getPlayers( state->dutil, NULL_XWE, names, &nFound );
+    kplr_getNames( state->dutil, NULL_XWE, names, &nFound );
 
     GtkWidget* combo = state->knownsCombo = gtk_combo_box_text_new();
     for ( int ii = 0; ii < nFound; ++ii ) {