diff --git a/modules/database/src/ioc/db/dbDbLink.c b/modules/database/src/ioc/db/dbDbLink.c
index 0fb325f30..0243fde9a 100644
--- a/modules/database/src/ioc/db/dbDbLink.c
+++ b/modules/database/src/ioc/db/dbDbLink.c
@@ -337,8 +337,8 @@ static long dbDbGetUnits(const struct link *plink, char *units, int unitsSize)
     return 0;
 }
 
-static long dbDbGetAlarm(const struct link *plink, epicsEnum16 *status,
-        epicsEnum16 *severity)
+static long dbDbGetAlarmMsg(const struct link *plink, epicsEnum16 *status,
+                            epicsEnum16 *severity, char *msgbuf, size_t msgbuflen)
 {
     dbChannel *chan = linkChannel(plink);
     dbCommon *precord = dbChannelRecord(chan);
@@ -346,9 +346,19 @@ static long dbDbGetAlarm(const struct link *plink, epicsEnum16 *status,
         *status = precord->stat;
     if (severity)
         *severity = precord->sevr;
+    if (msgbuf && msgbuflen) {
+        strncpy(msgbuf, precord->amsg, msgbuflen-1);
+        msgbuf[msgbuflen-1] = '\0';
+    }
     return 0;
 }
 
+static long dbDbGetAlarm(const struct link *plink, epicsEnum16 *status,
+        epicsEnum16 *severity)
+{
+    return dbDbGetAlarmMsg(plink, status, severity, NULL, 0u);
+}
+
 static long dbDbGetTimeStamp(const struct link *plink, epicsTimeStamp *pstamp)
 {
     dbChannel *chan = linkChannel(plink);
@@ -403,7 +413,8 @@ static lset dbDb_lset = {
     dbDbGetPrecision, dbDbGetUnits,
     dbDbGetAlarm, dbDbGetTimeStamp,
     dbDbPutValue, NULL,
-    dbDbScanFwdLink, doLocked
+    dbDbScanFwdLink, doLocked,
+    dbDbGetAlarmMsg,
 };
 
 
diff --git a/modules/database/src/ioc/db/dbLink.c b/modules/database/src/ioc/db/dbLink.c
index f2e19dbcb..45b5e0f7e 100644
--- a/modules/database/src/ioc/db/dbLink.c
+++ b/modules/database/src/ioc/db/dbLink.c
@@ -402,14 +402,23 @@ long dbGetUnits(const struct link *plink, char *units, int unitsSize)
 }
 
 long dbGetAlarm(const struct link *plink, epicsEnum16 *status,
-        epicsEnum16 *severity)
+                epicsEnum16 *severity)
+{
+    return dbGetAlarmMsg(plink, status, severity, NULL, 0);
+}
+
+long dbGetAlarmMsg(const struct link *plink, epicsEnum16 *status,
+                   epicsEnum16 *severity, char *msgbuf, size_t msgbuflen)
 {
     lset *plset = plink->lset;
 
-    if (!plset || !plset->getAlarm)
+    if (plset && plset->getAlarmMsg) {
+        return plset->getAlarmMsg(plink, status, severity, msgbuf, msgbuflen);
+    } else if(plset && plset->getAlarm) {
+        return plset->getAlarm(plink, status, severity);
+    } else {
         return S_db_noLSET;
-
-    return plset->getAlarm(plink, status, severity);
+    }
 }
 
 long dbGetTimeStamp(const struct link *plink, epicsTimeStamp *pstamp)
diff --git a/modules/database/src/ioc/db/dbLink.h b/modules/database/src/ioc/db/dbLink.h
index dd7163c8c..c0540271a 100644
--- a/modules/database/src/ioc/db/dbLink.h
+++ b/modules/database/src/ioc/db/dbLink.h
@@ -282,6 +282,8 @@ typedef struct lset {
      * @param   status      where to put the alarm status (or NULL)
      * @param   severity    where to put the severity (or NULL)
      * @returns status value
+     *
+     * @note Link types which provide getAlarm should also provided getAlarmMsg().
      */
     long (*getAlarm)(const struct link *plink, epicsEnum16 *status,
             epicsEnum16 *severity);
@@ -361,6 +363,20 @@ typedef struct lset {
      * @returns status value
      */
     long (*doLocked)(struct link *plink, dbLinkUserCallback rtn, void *priv);
+
+    /** @brief Extended version of getAlarm
+     *
+     * Equivalent of getAlarm() and also copy out alarm message string.
+     * The msgbuf argument may be NULL and/or msgbuflen==0, in which case
+     * the call must be the same as a call to getAlarm().
+     *
+     * Implementations must write a trailing nil to msgbuf whenever
+     * @code msgbuf!=NULL && msgbuflen>0 @endcode .
+     *
+     * @since UNRELEASED
+     */
+    long (*getAlarmMsg)(const struct link *plink, epicsEnum16 *status,
+                        epicsEnum16 *severity, char *msgbuf, size_t msgbuflen);
 } lset;
 
 #define dbGetSevr(link, sevr) \
@@ -402,6 +418,14 @@ DBCORE_API long dbGetUnits(const struct link *plink, char *units,
         int unitsSize);
 DBCORE_API long dbGetAlarm(const struct link *plink, epicsEnum16 *status,
         epicsEnum16 *severity);
+/** Get link alarm and message string.
+ * To ensure the complete message string is copied, ensure @code msgbuflen >= sizeof (dbCommon::amsg) @endcode .
+ * A trailing nil will be added whenever @code msgbuflen > 0 @endcode .
+ * @since UNRELEASED
+ */
+DBCORE_API long dbGetAlarmMsg(const struct link *plink, epicsEnum16 *status,
+        epicsEnum16 *severity, char *msgbuf, size_t msgbuflen);
+#define dbGetAlarmMsg(LINK, STAT, SEVR, BUF, BUFLEN) dbGetAlarmMsg(LINK, STAT, SEVR, BUF, BUFLEN)
 DBCORE_API long dbGetTimeStamp(const struct link *plink,
         epicsTimeStamp *pstamp);
 DBCORE_API long dbPutLink(struct link *plink, short dbrType,
diff --git a/modules/database/src/std/link/lnkCalc.c b/modules/database/src/std/link/lnkCalc.c
index 8d7f72c69..7c3eab722 100644
--- a/modules/database/src/std/link/lnkCalc.c
+++ b/modules/database/src/std/link/lnkCalc.c
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ typedef struct calc_link {
     } pstate;
     epicsEnum16 stat;
     epicsEnum16 sevr;
+    char amsg[MAX_STRING_SIZE];
     short prec;
     char *expr;
     char *major;
@@ -385,9 +386,10 @@ static void lnkCalc_report(const jlink *pjlink, int level, int indent)
 
     if (level > 0) {
         if (clink->sevr)
-            printf("%*s  Alarm: %s, %s\n", indent, "",
+            printf("%*s  Alarm: %s, %s, \"%s\"\n", indent, "",
                 epicsAlarmSeverityStrings[clink->sevr],
-                epicsAlarmConditionStrings[clink->stat]);
+                epicsAlarmConditionStrings[clink->stat],
+                clink->amsg);
 
         if (clink->post_major)
             printf("%*s  Major expression: \"%s\"\n", indent, "",
@@ -583,6 +585,7 @@ static long lnkCalc_getValue(struct link *plink, short dbrType, void *pbuffer,
     }
     clink->stat = 0;
     clink->sevr = 0;
+    clink->amsg[0] = '\0';
 
     if (clink->post_expr) {
         status = calcPerform(clink->arg, &clink->val, clink->post_expr);
@@ -604,7 +607,8 @@ static long lnkCalc_getValue(struct link *plink, short dbrType, void *pbuffer,
         if (!status && alval) {
             clink->stat = LINK_ALARM;
             clink->sevr = MAJOR_ALARM;
-            recGblSetSevr(prec, clink->stat, clink->sevr);
+            strcpy(clink->amsg, "post_major error");
+            recGblSetSevrMsg(prec, clink->stat, clink->sevr, "post_major error");
         }
     }
 
@@ -615,7 +619,8 @@ static long lnkCalc_getValue(struct link *plink, short dbrType, void *pbuffer,
         if (!status && alval) {
             clink->stat = LINK_ALARM;
             clink->sevr = MINOR_ALARM;
-            recGblSetSevr(prec, clink->stat, clink->sevr);
+            strcpy(clink->amsg, "post_minor error");
+            recGblSetSevrMsg(prec, clink->stat, clink->sevr, "post_minor error");
         }
     }
 
@@ -659,6 +664,7 @@ static long lnkCalc_putValue(struct link *plink, short dbrType,
     }
     clink->stat = 0;
     clink->sevr = 0;
+    clink->amsg[0] = '\0';
 
     /* Get the value being output as VAL */
     status = conv(pbuffer, &clink->val, NULL);
@@ -673,7 +679,8 @@ static long lnkCalc_putValue(struct link *plink, short dbrType,
         if (!status && alval) {
             clink->stat = LINK_ALARM;
             clink->sevr = MAJOR_ALARM;
-            recGblSetSevr(prec, clink->stat, clink->sevr);
+            strcpy(clink->amsg, "post_major error");
+            recGblSetSevrMsg(prec, clink->stat, clink->sevr, "post_major error");
         }
     }
 
@@ -684,7 +691,8 @@ static long lnkCalc_putValue(struct link *plink, short dbrType,
         if (!status && alval) {
             clink->stat = LINK_ALARM;
             clink->sevr = MINOR_ALARM;
-            recGblSetSevr(prec, clink->stat, clink->sevr);
+            strcpy(clink->amsg, "post_major error");
+            recGblSetSevrMsg(prec, clink->stat, clink->sevr, "post_minor error");
         }
     }
 
@@ -718,8 +726,8 @@ static long lnkCalc_getUnits(const struct link *plink, char *units, int len)
     return 0;
 }
 
-static long lnkCalc_getAlarm(const struct link *plink, epicsEnum16 *status,
-    epicsEnum16 *severity)
+static long lnkCalc_getAlarmMsg(const struct link *plink, epicsEnum16 *status,
+                                epicsEnum16 *severity, char *msgbuf, size_t msgbuflen)
 {
     calc_link *clink = CONTAINER(plink->value.json.jlink,
         struct calc_link, jlink);
@@ -728,10 +736,20 @@ static long lnkCalc_getAlarm(const struct link *plink, epicsEnum16 *status,
         *status = clink->stat;
     if (severity)
         *severity = clink->sevr;
+    if (msgbuf && msgbuflen) {
+        strncpy(msgbuf, clink->amsg, msgbuflen-1);
+        msgbuf[msgbuflen-1] = '\0';
+    }
 
     return 0;
 }
 
+static long lnkCalc_getAlarm(const struct link *plink, epicsEnum16 *status,
+    epicsEnum16 *severity)
+{
+    return lnkCalc_getAlarmMsg(plink, status, severity, NULL, 0u);
+}
+
 static long lnkCalc_getTimestamp(const struct link *plink, epicsTimeStamp *pstamp)
 {
     calc_link *clink = CONTAINER(plink->value.json.jlink,
@@ -763,7 +781,8 @@ static lset lnkCalc_lset = {
     lnkCalc_getPrecision, lnkCalc_getUnits,
     lnkCalc_getAlarm, lnkCalc_getTimestamp,
     lnkCalc_putValue, NULL,
-    NULL, doLocked
+    NULL, doLocked,
+    lnkCalc_getAlarmMsg,
 };
 
 static jlif lnkCalcIf = {