diff --git a/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLexRoutines.c b/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLexRoutines.c
index 612dd6587..787ce29d8 100644
--- a/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLexRoutines.c
+++ b/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLexRoutines.c
@@ -1187,6 +1187,7 @@ static void dbRecordField(char *name,char *value)
         errSymLookup(status, msg, sizeof(msg));
         epicsPrintf("Can't set \"%s.%s\" to \"%s\" %s : %s\n",
             dbGetRecordName(pdbentry), name, value, pdbentry->message ? pdbentry->message : "", msg);
+        dbPutStringSuggest(pdbentry, value);
         yyerror(NULL);
         return;
     }
diff --git a/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticLib.c b/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticLib.c
index 4ed96272b..63a76d321 100644
--- a/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticLib.c
+++ b/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticLib.c
@@ -2632,6 +2632,52 @@ long dbPutString(DBENTRY *pdbentry,const char *pstring)
     return(status);
 }
 
+void dbPutStringSuggest(DBENTRY *pdbentry, const char *pstring)
+{
+    dbFldDes    *pflddes = pdbentry->pflddes;
+
+    switch (pflddes->field_type) {
+    case DBF_MENU:
+    case DBF_DEVICE: {
+        int i, nchoices = 0;
+        char** choices = NULL;
+        const char *best = NULL;
+        double maxdist = 0.0; /* don't offer suggestions which have no similarity */
+
+        if(pflddes->field_type==DBF_MENU) {
+            dbMenu  *pdbMenu = (dbMenu *)pflddes->ftPvt;
+            if(!pdbMenu)
+                return;
+
+            choices = pdbMenu->papChoiceValue;
+            nchoices = pdbMenu->nChoice;
+
+        } else {
+            dbDeviceMenu *pdbDeviceMenu = dbGetDeviceMenu(pdbentry);
+            if(!pdbDeviceMenu)
+                return;
+
+            choices = pdbDeviceMenu->papChoice;
+            nchoices = pdbDeviceMenu->nChoice;
+        }
+
+        for(i=0; i<nchoices; i++) {
+            double dist = epicsStrSimilarity(pstring, choices[i]);
+            if(dist>maxdist) {
+                best = choices[i];
+                maxdist = dist;
+            }
+        }
+        if(best) {
+            epicsPrintf("    Did you mean \"%s\"?\n", best);
+        }
+    }
+        break;
+    default:
+        break;
+    }
+}
+
 char * dbVerify(DBENTRY *pdbentry, const char *pstring)
 {
     dbFldDes *pflddes = pdbentry->pflddes;
diff --git a/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticPvt.h b/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticPvt.h
index 0197054ee..0ff9bdbce 100644
--- a/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticPvt.h
+++ b/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticPvt.h
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ long dbPutStringNum(DBENTRY *pdbentry,const char *pstring);
 
 void dbMsgPrint(DBENTRY *pdbentry, const char *fmt, ...) EPICS_PRINTF_STYLE(2,3);
 
+void dbPutStringSuggest(DBENTRY *pdbentry, const char *pstring);
+
 struct jlink;
 
 typedef struct dbLinkInfo {