diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/service/SafeBluetooth.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/service/SafeBluetooth.kt
index f3cb6caf3..669323f31 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/service/SafeBluetooth.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/service/SafeBluetooth.kt
@@ -608,7 +608,7 @@ class SafeBluetooth(private val context: Context, private val device: BluetoothD
         cont: Continuation<Unit>
     ) = queueWork("reqMtu", cont, 5 * 1000) {
         isSettingMtu = true
-        gatt!!.requestMtu(len)
+        gatt?.requestMtu(len) ?: false
     }
 
     fun asyncRequestMtu(
@@ -629,7 +629,7 @@ class SafeBluetooth(private val context: Context, private val device: BluetoothD
     ) = queueWork("writeC ${c.uuid}", cont) {
         currentReliableWrite = null
         c.value = v
-        gatt!!.writeCharacteristic(c)
+        gatt?.writeCharacteristic(c) ?: false
     }
 
     fun asyncWriteCharacteristic(
@@ -653,7 +653,7 @@ class SafeBluetooth(private val context: Context, private val device: BluetoothD
     ) = queueWork("rwriteC ${c.uuid}", cont) {
         logAssert(gatt!!.beginReliableWrite())
         currentReliableWrite = c.value.clone()
-        gatt!!.writeCharacteristic(c)
+        gatt?.writeCharacteristic(c) ?: false
     }
 
     /* fun asyncWriteReliable(
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/SettingsFragment.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/SettingsFragment.kt
index 9b04376a4..9f1eadf5b 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/SettingsFragment.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/SettingsFragment.kt
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import android.hardware.usb.UsbDevice
 import android.hardware.usb.UsbManager
 import android.os.Bundle
 import android.os.ParcelUuid
+import android.os.RemoteException
 import android.view.LayoutInflater
 import android.view.View
 import android.view.ViewGroup
@@ -429,10 +430,16 @@ class BTScanModel(app: Application) : AndroidViewModel(app), Logging {
 
     /// Change to a new macaddr selection, updating GUI and radio
     fun changeScanSelection(context: MainActivity, newAddr: String) {
-        info("Changing device to ${newAddr.anonymize}")
-        selectedAddress = newAddr
-        changeDeviceSelection(context, newAddr)
-        devices.value = devices.value // Force a GUI update
+        try {
+            info("Changing device to ${newAddr.anonymize}")
+            changeDeviceSelection(context, newAddr)
+            selectedAddress =
+                newAddr // do this after changeDeviceSelection, so if it throws the change will be discarded
+            devices.value = devices.value // Force a GUI update
+        } catch (ex: RemoteException) {
+            errormsg("Failed talking to service, probably it is shutting down $ex.message")
+            // ignore the failure and the GUI won't be updating anyways
+        }
     }
 }