diff --git a/src/db/dbConvert.c b/src/db/dbConvert.c
index e2bb9df42..60fae1332 100644
--- a/src/db/dbConvert.c
+++ b/src/db/dbConvert.c
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ static long getCharChar(
     char *pbuffer = (char *)pto;
     char *psrc=(char *)(paddr->pfield);
 
-    if (paddr->pfldDes->field_type == DBF_STRING) {
+    if (paddr->pfldDes && paddr->pfldDes->field_type == DBF_STRING) {
         pbuffer[--nRequest] = 0;
         if (nRequest == 0) return(0);
     }
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@ static long getCharUchar(
     unsigned char *pbuffer = (unsigned char *)pto;
     char *psrc=(char *)(paddr->pfield);
 
-    if (paddr->pfldDes->field_type == DBF_STRING) {
+    if (paddr->pfldDes && paddr->pfldDes->field_type == DBF_STRING) {
         pbuffer[--nRequest] = 0;
         if (nRequest == 0) return(0);
     }
@@ -2594,7 +2594,7 @@ static long putStringEnum(
 	    status = (*prset->get_enum_strs)(paddr,&enumStrs);
 	    if(!status) {
 		nchoices = enumStrs.no_str;
-		nargs = sscanf(pbuffer," %u %n",&ind,&nchars);
+		nargs = sscanf(pbuffer,"%u%n",&ind,&nchars);
 		if(nargs==1 && nchars==strlen(pbuffer) && ind<nchoices) {
 		    *pfield = ind;
 		    return(0);
@@ -2643,7 +2643,7 @@ static long putStringMenu(
 		return(0);
 	    }
 	}
-	nargs = sscanf(pbuffer," %u %n",&ind,&nchars);
+	nargs = sscanf(pbuffer,"%u%n",&ind,&nchars);
 	if(nargs==1 && nchars==strlen(pbuffer) && ind<nChoice) {
 	    *pfield = ind;
 	    return(0);
@@ -2681,7 +2681,7 @@ static long putStringDevice(
 		return(0);
 	    }
 	}
-	nargs = sscanf(pbuffer," %u %n",&ind,&nchars);
+	nargs = sscanf(pbuffer,"%u%n",&ind,&nchars);
 	if(nargs==1 && nchars==strlen(pbuffer) && ind<nChoice) {
 	    *pfield = ind;
 	    return(0);
diff --git a/src/db/dbFastLinkConv.c b/src/db/dbFastLinkConv.c
index 2f26e2b53..6e1d2d01a 100644
--- a/src/db/dbFastLinkConv.c
+++ b/src/db/dbFastLinkConv.c
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ static long cvt_st_e(
 	    status = (*prset->get_enum_strs)(paddr,&enumStrs);
 	    if(!status) {
 		nchoices = enumStrs.no_str;
-		nargs = sscanf(from," %u %n",&ind,&nchars);
+		nargs = sscanf(from,"%u%n",&ind,&nchars);
 		if(nargs==1 && nchars==strlen(from) && ind<nchoices) {
 		    *pfield = ind;
 		    return(0);
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ static long cvt_st_menu(
 		return(0);
 	    }
 	}
-	nargs = sscanf(from," %u %n",&ind,&nchars);
+	nargs = sscanf(from,"%u%n",&ind,&nchars);
 	if(nargs==1 && nchars==strlen(from) && ind<nChoice) {
 	    *to = ind;
 	    return(0);
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ static long cvt_st_device(
 		return(0);
 	    }
 	}
-	nargs = sscanf(from," %u %n",&ind,&nchars);
+	nargs = sscanf(from,"%u%n",&ind,&nchars);
 	if(nargs==1 && nchars==strlen(from) && ind<nChoice) {
 	    *to = ind;
 	    return(0);
diff --git a/src/db/dbTest.c b/src/db/dbTest.c
index 53ec55fe9..a9262051c 100644
--- a/src/db/dbTest.c
+++ b/src/db/dbTest.c
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ long epicsShareAPI dbpf(const char *pname,const char *pvalue)
     if (nameToAddr(pname, &addr)) return -1;
     /* For enumerated types must allow for ENUM rather than string*/
     /* If entire field is digits then use DBR_ENUM else DBR_STRING*/
-    if (addr.dbr_field_type == DBR_ENUM && !*pvalue &&
+    if (addr.dbr_field_type == DBR_ENUM && *pvalue &&
         strspn(pvalue,"0123456789") == strlen(pvalue)) {
         unsigned short value;
 
diff --git a/str-to-enum.patch b/str-to-enum.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..73ed6cddb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/str-to-enum.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+=== modified file 'src/db/dbConvert.c'
+--- src/db/dbConvert.c	2012-01-11 22:47:37 +0000
++++ src/db/dbConvert.c	2012-01-26 23:05:05 +0000
+@@ -2600,7 +2600,7 @@
+ 	    status = (*prset->get_enum_strs)(paddr,&enumStrs);
+ 	    if(!status) {
+ 		nchoices = enumStrs.no_str;
+-		nargs = sscanf(pbuffer," %u %n",&ind,&nchars);
++		nargs = sscanf(pbuffer,"%u%n",&ind,&nchars);
+ 		if(nargs==1 && nchars==strlen(pbuffer) && ind<nchoices) {
+ 		    *pfield = ind;
+ 		    return(0);
+@@ -2649,7 +2649,7 @@
+ 		return(0);
+ 	    }
+ 	}
+-	nargs = sscanf(pbuffer," %u %n",&ind,&nchars);
++	nargs = sscanf(pbuffer,"%u%n",&ind,&nchars);
+ 	if(nargs==1 && nchars==strlen(pbuffer) && ind<nChoice) {
+ 	    *pfield = ind;
+ 	    return(0);
+@@ -2687,7 +2687,7 @@
+ 		return(0);
+ 	    }
+ 	}
+-	nargs = sscanf(pbuffer," %u %n",&ind,&nchars);
++	nargs = sscanf(pbuffer,"%u%n",&ind,&nchars);
+ 	if(nargs==1 && nchars==strlen(pbuffer) && ind<nChoice) {
+ 	    *pfield = ind;
+ 	    return(0);
+
+=== modified file 'src/db/dbFastLinkConv.c'
+--- src/db/dbFastLinkConv.c	2010-10-05 19:27:37 +0000
++++ src/db/dbFastLinkConv.c	2012-01-26 23:05:11 +0000
+@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@
+ 	    status = (*prset->get_enum_strs)(paddr,&enumStrs);
+ 	    if(!status) {
+ 		nchoices = enumStrs.no_str;
+-		nargs = sscanf(from," %u %n",&ind,&nchars);
++		nargs = sscanf(from,"%u%n",&ind,&nchars);
+ 		if(nargs==1 && nchars==strlen(from) && ind<nchoices) {
+ 		    *pfield = ind;
+ 		    return(0);
+@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@
+ 		return(0);
+ 	    }
+ 	}
+-	nargs = sscanf(from," %u %n",&ind,&nchars);
++	nargs = sscanf(from,"%u%n",&ind,&nchars);
+ 	if(nargs==1 && nchars==strlen(from) && ind<nChoice) {
+ 	    *to = ind;
+ 	    return(0);
+@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@
+ 		return(0);
+ 	    }
+ 	}
+-	nargs = sscanf(from," %u %n",&ind,&nchars);
++	nargs = sscanf(from,"%u%n",&ind,&nchars);
+ 	if(nargs==1 && nchars==strlen(from) && ind<nChoice) {
+ 	    *to = ind;
+ 	    return(0);
+
+=== modified file 'src/db/dbTest.c'
+--- src/db/dbTest.c	2010-10-05 19:27:37 +0000
++++ src/db/dbTest.c	2012-01-26 21:34:42 +0000
+@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@
+     if (nameToAddr(pname, &addr)) return -1;
+     /* For enumerated types must allow for ENUM rather than string*/
+     /* If entire field is digits then use DBR_ENUM else DBR_STRING*/
+-    if (addr.dbr_field_type == DBR_ENUM && !*pvalue &&
++    if (addr.dbr_field_type == DBR_ENUM && *pvalue &&
+         strspn(pvalue,"0123456789") == strlen(pvalue)) {
+         unsigned short value;
+ 
+