diff --git a/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLex.l b/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLex.l
index 4d961975b..33185133c 100644
--- a/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLex.l
+++ b/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLex.l
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 newline     "\n"
 backslash   "\\"
+singlequote "'"
 doublequote "\""
 comment     "#"
 whitespace  [ \t\r\n]
@@ -18,14 +19,17 @@ stringchar  [^"\n\\]
 bareword    [a-zA-Z0-9_\-+:.\[\]<>;]
 
 punctuation [:,\[\]{}]
-normalchar  [^"\\\0-\x1f]
+normalchar  [^"'\\\0-\x1f]
 barechar    [a-zA-Z0-9_\-+.]
 escapedchar ({backslash}[^ux1-9])
 hexdigit    [0-9a-fA-F]
 latinchar   ({backslash}"x"{hexdigit}{2})
 unicodechar ({backslash}"u"{hexdigit}{4})
-jsonchar    ({normalchar}|{escapedchar}|{latinchar}|{unicodechar})
-jsondqstr   ({doublequote}{jsonchar}*{doublequote})
+jsondqchar  ({normalchar}|{singlequote}|{escapedchar}|{latinchar}|{unicodechar})
+jsondqstr   ({doublequote}{jsondqchar}*{doublequote})
+jsonsqchar  ({normalchar}|{doublequote}|{escapedchar}|{latinchar}|{unicodechar})
+jsonsqstr   ({singlequote}{jsonsqchar}*{singlequote})
+jsonstr     ({jsondqstr}|{jsonsqstr})
 
 sign        ([+-]?)
 int         ({sign}([0-9]|[1-9][0-9]+))
@@ -107,7 +111,7 @@ static int yyreset(void)
 
 <JSON>{punctuation}     return yytext[0];
 
-<JSON>{jsondqstr} {
+<JSON>{jsonstr} {
     yylval.Str = dbmfStrdup((char *) yytext);
     return jsonSTRING;
 }
diff --git a/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLexRoutines.c b/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLexRoutines.c
index 1ec804441..ade66e347 100644
--- a/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLexRoutines.c
+++ b/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLexRoutines.c
@@ -1173,7 +1173,7 @@ static void dbRecordField(char *name,char *value)
         return;
     }
 
-    if (*value == '"') {
+    if (*value == '"' || *value == '\'') {
         /* jsonSTRING values still have their quotes */
         value++;
         value[strlen(value) - 1] = 0;
@@ -1206,7 +1206,7 @@ static void dbRecordInfo(char *name, char *value)
     ptempListNode = (tempListNode *)ellFirst(&tempList);
     pdbentry = ptempListNode->item;
 
-    if (*value == '"') {
+    if (*value == '"' || *value == '\'') {
         /* jsonSTRING values still have their quotes */
         value++;
         value[strlen(value) - 1] = 0;
diff --git a/modules/database/test/ioc/db/dbPutLinkTest.c b/modules/database/test/ioc/db/dbPutLinkTest.c
index 830d37f6c..a1b45c8fc 100644
--- a/modules/database/test/ioc/db/dbPutLinkTest.c
+++ b/modules/database/test/ioc/db/dbPutLinkTest.c
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ static const struct testParseDataT {
     {" #B111 C112 N113 @cparam", {CAMAC_IO, "cparam", 0, "BCN", {111, 112, 113}}},
     {" @hello world ", {INST_IO, "hello world", 0, "", /*{}*/}},
     {" {\"x\":true} ", {JSON_LINK, "{\"x\":true}", 0, "", /*{}*/}},
+    {" {'x':true} ", {JSON_LINK, "{'x':true}", 0, "", /*{}*/}},
     {NULL}
 };
 
@@ -587,7 +588,9 @@ void testJLink(void)
 
     testdbGetFieldEqual("j1.INP", DBF_STRING, "{z:{good:1}}");
     testdbGetFieldEqual("j1.VAL", DBF_LONG, 1);
+    testdbGetFieldEqual("j2.INP", DBF_STRING, "{\"z\":{'good':2}}");
     testdbGetFieldEqual("j2.VAL", DBF_LONG, 2);
+    testdbGetFieldEqual("j2.TSEL", DBF_STRING, "j1.TIME NPP NMS");
     testdbGetFieldEqual("j3.VAL", DBF_LONG, 3);
 
     testNumZ(6);
@@ -596,7 +599,7 @@ void testJLink(void)
     testdbPutFieldOk("j1.PROC", DBF_LONG, 1);
     testdbGetFieldEqual("j1.VAL", DBF_LONG, 4);
 
-    testdbPutFieldOk("j2.TSEL", DBF_STRING, "{\"z\":{\"good\":0}}");
+    testdbPutFieldOk("j2.TSEL", DBF_STRING, "{'z':{good:0}}");
     testdbPutFieldOk("j2.PROC", DBF_LONG, 1);
 
     testNumZ(7);
@@ -611,8 +614,8 @@ void testJLink(void)
     testNumZ(7);
 
     /* Check SDIS using a JSON link prevents processing */
-    testdbPutFieldOk("j1.SDIS", DBF_STRING, "{\"z\":{\"good\":1}}");
-    testdbPutFieldOk("j1.INP", DBF_STRING, "{\"z\":{\"good\":1}}");
+    testdbPutFieldOk("j1.SDIS", DBF_STRING, "{z:{good:1}}");
+    testdbPutFieldOk("j1.INP", DBF_STRING, "{z:{good:1}}");
     testdbPutFieldOk("j1.PROC", DBF_LONG, 1);
     testdbGetFieldEqual("j1.VAL", DBF_LONG, 4);
 
@@ -697,7 +700,7 @@ void testTSEL(void)
 
 MAIN(dbPutLinkTest)
 {
-    testPlan(337);
+    testPlan(342);
     testLinkParse();
     testLinkFailParse();
     testCADBSet();
diff --git a/modules/database/test/ioc/db/dbPutLinkTestJ.db b/modules/database/test/ioc/db/dbPutLinkTestJ.db
index 621557c2c..4f518c50f 100644
--- a/modules/database/test/ioc/db/dbPutLinkTestJ.db
+++ b/modules/database/test/ioc/db/dbPutLinkTestJ.db
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@ record(x, "j1") {
 }
 
 record(x, "j2") {
-  field(INP, {z:{good:2}})
-  field(TSEL, "j1.TIME")
+  field(INP, {"z":{'good':2}})
+  field(TSEL, 'j1.TIME')
 }
 
 record(x, "j3") {