diff --git a/xwords4/android/jni/andutils.c b/xwords4/android/jni/andutils.c
index ce2f8a329..2d9235581 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/jni/andutils.c
+++ b/xwords4/android/jni/andutils.c
@@ -847,8 +847,9 @@ deleteLocalRefs( JNIEnv* env, ... )
         jobject jnext = va_arg( ap, jobject );
         if ( DELETE_NO_REF == jnext ) {
             break;
+        } else if ( !!jnext ) {
+            deleteLocalRef( env, jnext );
         }
-        deleteLocalRef( env, jnext );
     }
     va_end( ap );
 }
diff --git a/xwords4/android/jni/utilwrapper.c b/xwords4/android/jni/utilwrapper.c
index 6e5b8a215..816ca6424 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/jni/utilwrapper.c
+++ b/xwords4/android/jni/utilwrapper.c
@@ -575,17 +575,14 @@ and_util_notifyIllegalWords( XW_UtilCtxt* uc, XWEnv xwe, BadWordInfo* bwi,
 
 #ifdef XWFEATURE_CHAT
 static void
-and_util_showChat( XW_UtilCtxt* uc, XWEnv xwe, const XP_UCHAR* msg, XP_S16 from, XP_U32 timestamp )
+and_util_showChat( XW_UtilCtxt* uc, XWEnv xwe, const XP_UCHAR* msg,
+                   const XP_UCHAR* from, XP_U32 timestamp )
 {
     UTIL_CBK_HEADER( "showChat", "(Ljava/lang/String;ILjava/lang/String;I)V" );
-    jstring jname = NULL;
-    if ( 0 <= from ) {
-        LocalPlayer* lp = &uc->gameInfo->players[from];
-        XP_ASSERT( !lp->isLocal );
-        jname = (*env)->NewStringUTF( env, lp->name );
-    }
 
+    jstring jname = !!from ? (*env)->NewStringUTF( env, from ) : NULL;
     jstring jmsg = (*env)->NewStringUTF( env, msg );
+
     (*env)->CallVoidMethod( env, util->jutil, mid, jmsg, from, jname, timestamp );
     deleteLocalRefs( env, jmsg, jname, DELETE_NO_REF );
     UTIL_CBK_TAIL();
diff --git a/xwords4/common/server.c b/xwords4/common/server.c
index 66f696c0d..27d8569cb 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/server.c
+++ b/xwords4/common/server.c
@@ -1106,7 +1106,9 @@ receiveChat( ServerCtxt* server, XWEnv xwe, XWStreamCtxt* incoming )
     XP_S16 from = -1;
     if ( 1 <= stream_getSize( incoming ) ) {
         from = stream_getU8( incoming );
-        XP_ASSERT( !server->vol.gi->players[from].isLocal );
+        if ( server->vol.gi->players[from].isLocal ) {
+            from = -1;
+        }
     }
 
     XP_U32 timestamp = sizeof(timestamp) <= stream_getSize( incoming )
@@ -1116,7 +1118,11 @@ receiveChat( ServerCtxt* server, XWEnv xwe, XWStreamCtxt* incoming )
         sendChatToClientsExcept( server, xwe, sourceClientIndex, msg, from,
                                  timestamp );
     }
-    util_showChat( server->vol.util, xwe, msg, from, timestamp );
+    const XP_UCHAR* sender = NULL;
+    if ( 0 <= from ) {
+        sender = server->vol.gi->players[from].name;
+    }
+    util_showChat( server->vol.util, xwe, msg, sender, timestamp );
     XP_FREE( server->mpool, msg );
     return XP_TRUE;
 }
diff --git a/xwords4/common/util.h b/xwords4/common/util.h
index 67db09364..3a5555ada 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/util.h
+++ b/xwords4/common/util.h
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ typedef struct UtilVtable {
 
 #ifdef XWFEATURE_CHAT
     void (*m_util_showChat)( XW_UtilCtxt* uc, XWEnv xwe, const XP_UCHAR* const msg, 
-                             XP_S16 from, XP_U32 timestamp );
+                             const XP_UCHAR* from, XP_U32 timestamp );
 #endif
 
 #ifdef SHOW_PROGRESS
diff --git a/xwords4/linux/cursesboard.c b/xwords4/linux/cursesboard.c
index 4aed2d70d..d863bb9d1 100644
--- a/xwords4/linux/cursesboard.c
+++ b/xwords4/linux/cursesboard.c
@@ -1251,17 +1251,13 @@ curses_util_informWordsBlocked( XW_UtilCtxt* XP_UNUSED(uc), XWEnv XP_UNUSED(xwe)
 static void
 curses_util_showChat( XW_UtilCtxt* uc, XWEnv XP_UNUSED(xwe),
                       const XP_UCHAR* const XP_UNUSED_DBG(msg),
-                      XP_S16 XP_UNUSED_DBG(from), XP_U32 XP_UNUSED(timestamp) )
+                      const XP_UCHAR* const XP_UNUSED_DBG(from),
+                      XP_U32 XP_UNUSED(timestamp) )
 {
     CursesBoardGlobals* globals = (CursesBoardGlobals*)uc->closure;
     globals->nChatsSent = 0;
 # ifdef DEBUG
-    const XP_UCHAR* name = "<unknown>";
-    if ( 0 <= from ) {
-        CommonGlobals* cGlobals = &globals->cGlobals;
-        name = cGlobals->gi->players[from].name;
-    }
-    XP_LOGFF( "got \"%s\" from %s", msg, name );
+    XP_LOGFF( "got \"%s\" from %s", msg, from );
 # endif
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/xwords4/linux/gtkboard.c b/xwords4/linux/gtkboard.c
index f81b7935a..84fa7c3eb 100644
--- a/xwords4/linux/gtkboard.c
+++ b/xwords4/linux/gtkboard.c
@@ -1944,19 +1944,15 @@ gtk_util_getMQTTIDsFor( XW_UtilCtxt* uc, XWEnv xwe, XP_U16 nRelayIDs,
 #ifdef XWFEATURE_CHAT
 static void
 gtk_util_showChat( XW_UtilCtxt* uc, XWEnv XP_UNUSED(xwe),
-                   const XP_UCHAR* const msg, XP_S16 from,
-                   XP_U32 tsSecs )
+                   const XP_UCHAR* const msg,
+                   const XP_UCHAR* const from, XP_U32 tsSecs )
 {
     GtkGameGlobals* globals = (GtkGameGlobals*)uc->closure;
     XP_UCHAR buf[1024];
-    XP_UCHAR* name = "<unknown>";
-    if ( 0 <= from ) {
-        name = globals->cGlobals.gi->players[from].name;
-    }
 
     GDateTime* dt = g_date_time_new_from_unix_utc( tsSecs );
     gchar* tsStr = g_date_time_format( dt, "%T" );
-    XP_SNPRINTF( buf, VSIZE(buf), "Quoth %s at %s: \"%s\"", name, tsStr, msg );
+    XP_SNPRINTF( buf, VSIZE(buf), "Quoth %s at %s: \"%s\"", from, tsStr, msg );
     g_free( tsStr );
     g_date_time_unref (dt);