diff --git a/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLexRoutines.c b/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLexRoutines.c
index 3aac8e4b1..c2c794212 100644
--- a/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLexRoutines.c
+++ b/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLexRoutines.c
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ static void *getLastTemp(void)
     return(ptempListNode->item);
 }
 
-static char *dbOpenFile(DBBASE *pdbbase,const char *filename,FILE **fp)
+const char *dbOpenFile(DBBASE *pdbbase,const char *filename,FILE **fp)
 {
     ELLLIST     *ppathList = (ELLLIST *)pdbbase->pathPvt;
     dbPathNode  *pdbPathNode;
diff --git a/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticPvt.h b/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticPvt.h
index c949c6374..c6151994e 100644
--- a/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticPvt.h
+++ b/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticPvt.h
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #ifndef INCdbStaticPvth
 #define INCdbStaticPvth 1
 
+#include "dbCoreAPI.h"
 #include "dbStaticLib.h"
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
@@ -42,6 +43,9 @@ void dbMsgPrint(DBENTRY *pdbentry, const char *fmt, ...) EPICS_PRINTF_STYLE(2,3)
 
 void dbPutStringSuggest(DBENTRY *pdbentry, const char *pstring);
 
+DBCORE_API
+const char *dbOpenFile(DBBASE *pdbbase,const char *filename,FILE **fp);
+
 struct jlink;
 
 typedef struct dbLinkInfo {
diff --git a/modules/database/test/ioc/db/dbStaticTest.c b/modules/database/test/ioc/db/dbStaticTest.c
index 5dabc7555..7cba3cec0 100644
--- a/modules/database/test/ioc/db/dbStaticTest.c
+++ b/modules/database/test/ioc/db/dbStaticTest.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 
 #include <errlog.h>
+#include <osiFileName.h>
 #include <dbAccess.h>
 #include <dbStaticLib.h>
 #include <dbStaticPvt.h>
@@ -294,12 +295,22 @@ void dbTestIoc_registerRecordDeviceDriver(struct dbBase *);
 
 MAIN(dbStaticTest)
 {
+    const char *ldir;
+    FILE *fp = NULL;
+
     testPlan(310);
     testdbPrepare();
 
     testdbReadDatabase("dbTestIoc.dbd", NULL, NULL);
     dbTestIoc_registerRecordDeviceDriver(pdbbase);
-    testdbReadDatabase("dbStaticTest.db", NULL, NULL);
+    dbPath(pdbbase,"." OSI_PATH_LIST_SEPARATOR "..");
+    if(!(ldir = dbOpenFile(pdbbase, "dbStaticTest.db", &fp))) {
+        testAbort("Unable to read dbStaticTest.db");
+    }
+    if(dbReadDatabaseFP(&pdbbase, fp, NULL, NULL)) {
+        testAbort("Unable to load %s%sdbStaticTest.db",
+                  ldir, OSI_PATH_LIST_SEPARATOR);
+    }
 
     testEntry("testrec.VAL");
     testEntry("testalias.VAL");