diff --git a/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLexRoutines.c b/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLexRoutines.c
index 9bc0f8722..b5f94674f 100644
--- a/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLexRoutines.c
+++ b/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLexRoutines.c
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 #include <stddef.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
-#include <stdbool.h>
 
 #include "dbDefs.h"
 #include "dbmf.h"
@@ -27,6 +26,7 @@
 #include "freeList.h"
 #include "gpHash.h"
 #include "macLib.h"
+#include "iocInit.h"
 
 #define epicsExportSharedSymbols
 #include "dbBase.h"
@@ -116,12 +116,6 @@ typedef struct tempListNode {
 static ELLLIST tempList = ELLLIST_INIT;
 static void *freeListPvt = NULL;
 static int duplicate = FALSE;
-static bool dbLoadRecordsAllowed = true;
-
-void disableDbLoadRecords()
-{
-    dbLoadRecordsAllowed = false;
-}
 
 static void yyerrorAbort(char *str)
 {
@@ -222,7 +216,7 @@ static long dbReadCOM(DBBASE **ppdbbase,const char *filename, FILE *fp,
     char	*penv;
     char	**macPairs;
     
-    if(!dbLoadRecordsAllowed)
+    if(getIocState() != iocVirgin)
         return -2;
 
     if(*ppdbbase == 0) *ppdbbase = dbAllocBase();
diff --git a/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticIocRegister.c b/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticIocRegister.c
index 7156691ac..18d346c70 100644
--- a/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticIocRegister.c
+++ b/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticIocRegister.c
@@ -8,19 +8,12 @@
 \*************************************************************************/
 
 #include "iocsh.h"
-#include "initHooks.h"
 
 #define epicsExportSharedSymbols
 #include "dbStaticIocRegister.h"
 #include "dbStaticLib.h"
 #include "dbStaticPvt.h"
 
-static void dbStaticIocRegisterInitHook(initHookState state)
-{
-    if(state == initHookAtIocBuild)
-        disableDbLoadRecords();
-}
-
 /* common arguments */
 
 static const iocshArg argPdbbase = { "pdbbase", iocshArgPdbbase};
@@ -160,7 +153,6 @@ static void dbReportDeviceConfigCallFunc(const iocshArgBuf *args)
 
 void dbStaticIocRegister(void)
 {
-    initHookRegister(dbStaticIocRegisterInitHook);
     iocshRegister(&dbDumpPathFuncDef, dbDumpPathCallFunc);
     iocshRegister(&dbDumpRecordFuncDef, dbDumpRecordCallFunc);
     iocshRegister(&dbDumpMenuFuncDef, dbDumpMenuCallFunc);
diff --git a/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticPvt.h b/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticPvt.h
index 62e595e02..842c0dc21 100644
--- a/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticPvt.h
+++ b/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticPvt.h
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ dbDeviceMenu *dbGetDeviceMenu(DBENTRY *pdbentry);
 void dbFreeLinkContents(struct link *plink);
 void dbFreePath(DBBASE *pdbbase);
 int dbIsMacroOk(DBENTRY *pdbentry);
-void disableDbLoadRecords();
 
 /*The following routines have different versions for run-time no-run-time*/
 long dbAllocRecord(DBENTRY *pdbentry,const char *precordName);
diff --git a/src/ioc/misc/iocInit.c b/src/ioc/misc/iocInit.c
index a45770d9e..93d8908a8 100644
--- a/src/ioc/misc/iocInit.c
+++ b/src/ioc/misc/iocInit.c
@@ -70,9 +70,7 @@
 #include "registryRecordType.h"
 #include "rsrv.h"
 
-static enum {
-    iocVirgin, iocBuilding, iocBuilt, iocRunning, iocPaused, iocStopped
-} iocState = iocVirgin;
+static enum iocStateEnum iocState = iocVirgin;
 static enum {
     buildRSRV, buildIsolated
 } iocBuildMode;
@@ -91,6 +89,11 @@ static void exitDatabase(void *dummy);
 int dbThreadRealtimeLock = 1;
 epicsExportAddress(int, dbThreadRealtimeLock);
 
+enum iocStateEnum getIocState(void)
+{
+    return iocState;
+}
+
 /*
  *  Initialize EPICS on the IOC.
  */
diff --git a/src/ioc/misc/iocInit.h b/src/ioc/misc/iocInit.h
index 24ae45e06..3e711d6c5 100644
--- a/src/ioc/misc/iocInit.h
+++ b/src/ioc/misc/iocInit.h
@@ -13,10 +13,15 @@
 
 #include "shareLib.h"
 
+enum iocStateEnum {
+    iocVirgin, iocBuilding, iocBuilt, iocRunning, iocPaused, iocStopped
+};
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
+epicsShareFunc enum iocStateEnum getIocState(void);
 epicsShareFunc int iocInit(void);
 epicsShareFunc int iocBuild(void);
 epicsShareFunc int iocBuildIsolated(void);