diff --git a/src/ioc/db/dbAccess.c b/src/ioc/db/dbAccess.c
index 973a66836..6e43959e3 100644
--- a/src/ioc/db/dbAccess.c
+++ b/src/ioc/db/dbAccess.c
@@ -1036,7 +1036,7 @@ static long dbPutFieldLink(DBADDR *paddr,
         return S_db_badDbrtype;
     }
 
-    status = dbParseLink(pstring, pfldDes->field_type, &link_info, 0);
+    status = dbParseLink(pstring, pfldDes->field_type, &link_info);
     if (status)
         return status;
 
@@ -1343,4 +1343,3 @@ done:
     paddr->pfield = pfieldsave;
     return status;
 }
-
diff --git a/src/ioc/db/dbJLink.c b/src/ioc/db/dbJLink.c
index 13470fe9a..10a4e62d2 100644
--- a/src/ioc/db/dbJLink.c
+++ b/src/ioc/db/dbJLink.c
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ typedef struct parseContext {
     short dbfType;
     short jsonDepth;
     unsigned key_is_link:1;
-    unsigned lset_debug:1;
 } parseContext;
 
 #define CALL_OR_STOP(routine) !(routine) ? jlif_stop : (routine)
@@ -87,7 +86,6 @@ static int dbjl_value(parseContext *parser, jlif_result result) {
     } else if (parent->pif->end_child) {
         parent->pif->end_child(parent, pjlink);
     }
-    pjlink->debug = 0;
 
     parser->pjlink = parent;
 
@@ -257,7 +255,7 @@ static int dbjl_map_key(void *ctx, const unsigned char *key, size_t len) {
 
     pjlink->pif = pjlif;
     pjlink->parseDepth = 0;
-    pjlink->debug = !!parser->lset_debug;
+
     if (parser->pjlink) {
         /* We're starting a child link, save its parent */
         pjlink->parent = parser->pjlink;
@@ -345,7 +343,7 @@ static yajl_callbacks dbjl_callbacks = {
 };
 
 long dbJLinkParse(const char *json, size_t jlen, short dbfType,
-    jlink **ppjlink, unsigned opts)
+    jlink **ppjlink)
 {
     parseContext context, *parser = &context;
     yajl_alloc_funcs dbjl_allocs;
@@ -358,7 +356,6 @@ long dbJLinkParse(const char *json, size_t jlen, short dbfType,
     parser->dbfType = dbfType;
     parser->jsonDepth = 0;
     parser->key_is_link = 0;
-    parser->lset_debug = !!(opts&LINK_DEBUG_LSET);
 
     IFDEBUG(10)
         printf("dbJLinkInit(\"%.*s\", %d, %p)\n",
diff --git a/src/ioc/db/dbJLink.h b/src/ioc/db/dbJLink.h
index 61b59670b..954b69be5 100644
--- a/src/ioc/db/dbJLink.h
+++ b/src/ioc/db/dbJLink.h
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 * Copyright (c) 2016 UChicago Argonne LLC, as Operator of Argonne
 *     National Laboratory.
 * EPICS BASE is distributed subject to a Software License Agreement found
-* in file LICENSE that is included with this distribution. 
+* in file LICENSE that is included with this distribution.
 \*************************************************************************/
 /* dbJLink.h */
 
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ typedef struct jlink {
     struct jlif *pif;       /* Link methods */
     struct jlink *parent;   /* NULL for top-level links */
     int parseDepth;         /* Used by parser, unused afterwards */
-    unsigned debug:1;       /* set by caller of jlif operations to request debug output to console */
     /* Link types extend or embed this structure for private storage */
 } jlink;
 
@@ -98,7 +97,7 @@ typedef struct jlif {
     void (*report)(const jlink *, int level, int indent);
         /* Optional, print status information about this link instance, then
          * if (level > 0) print a link identifier (at indent+2) and call
-         *     dbJLinkReport(child, level-1, indent+4) 
+         *     dbJLinkReport(child, level-1, indent+4)
          * for each child.
          */
 
@@ -113,7 +112,7 @@ typedef struct jlif {
 } jlif;
 
 epicsShareFunc long dbJLinkParse(const char *json, size_t len, short dbfType,
-    jlink **ppjlink, unsigned opts);
+    jlink **ppjlink);
 epicsShareFunc long dbJLinkInit(struct link *plink);
 
 epicsShareFunc void dbJLinkFree(jlink *);
@@ -130,4 +129,3 @@ epicsShareFunc long dbJLinkMapAll(char *recname, jlink_map_fn rtn, void *ctx);
 #endif
 
 #endif /* INC_dbJLink_H */
-
diff --git a/src/ioc/db/test/dbPutLinkTest.c b/src/ioc/db/test/dbPutLinkTest.c
index d6748a9eb..00634fd66 100644
--- a/src/ioc/db/test/dbPutLinkTest.c
+++ b/src/ioc/db/test/dbPutLinkTest.c
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ static void testLinkParse(void)
     for (;td->str; td++) {
         int i, N;
         testDiag("Parsing \"%s\"", td->str);
-        testOk(dbParseLink(td->str, DBF_INLINK, &info, 0) == 0, "Parser returned OK");
+        testOk(dbParseLink(td->str, DBF_INLINK, &info) == 0, "Parser returned OK");
         if (!testOk(info.ltype == td->info.ltype, "Link type value"))
             testDiag("Expected %d, got %d", td->info.ltype, info.ltype);
         if (td->info.target)
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ static void testLinkFailParse(void)
     eltc(1);
 
     for(;*td; td++) {
-        testOk(dbParseLink(*td, DBF_INLINK, &info, 0) == S_dbLib_badField,
+        testOk(dbParseLink(*td, DBF_INLINK, &info) == S_dbLib_badField,
             "dbParseLink correctly rejected \"%s\"", *td);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticLib.c b/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticLib.c
index 7549a0da6..4f14c5596 100644
--- a/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticLib.c
+++ b/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticLib.c
@@ -2205,7 +2205,7 @@ long dbInitRecordLinks(dbRecordType *rtyp, struct dbCommon *prec)
         if(!plink->text)
             continue;
 
-        if(dbParseLink(plink->text, pflddes->field_type, &link_info, 0)!=0) {
+        if(dbParseLink(plink->text, pflddes->field_type, &link_info)!=0) {
             /* This was already parsed once when ->text was set.
              * Any syntax error messages were printed at that time.
              */
@@ -2234,7 +2234,7 @@ void dbFreeLinkInfo(dbLinkInfo *pinfo)
     pinfo->target = NULL;
 }
 
-long dbParseLink(const char *str, short ftype, dbLinkInfo *pinfo, unsigned opts)
+long dbParseLink(const char *str, short ftype, dbLinkInfo *pinfo)
 {
     char *pstr;
     size_t len;
@@ -2270,7 +2270,7 @@ long dbParseLink(const char *str, short ftype, dbLinkInfo *pinfo, unsigned opts)
 
     /* Check for braces => JSON */
     if (*str == '{' && str[len-1] == '}') {
-        if (dbJLinkParse(str, len, ftype, &pinfo->jlink, opts))
+        if (dbJLinkParse(str, len, ftype, &pinfo->jlink))
             goto fail;
 
         pinfo->ltype = JSON_LINK;
@@ -2605,19 +2605,8 @@ long dbPutString(DBENTRY *pdbentry,const char *pstring)
     case DBF_FWDLINK: {
             dbLinkInfo link_info;
             DBLINK *plink = (DBLINK *)pfield;
-            DBENTRY infoentry;
-            unsigned opts = 0;
 
-            if(pdbentry->precnode && ellCount(&pdbentry->precnode->infoList)) {
-                dbCopyEntryContents(pdbentry, &infoentry);
-
-                if(dbFindInfo(&infoentry, "base:lsetDebug")==0 && epicsStrCaseCmp(dbGetInfoString(&infoentry), "YES")==0)
-                    opts |= LINK_DEBUG_LSET;
-
-                dbFinishEntry(&infoentry);
-            }
-
-            status = dbParseLink(pstring, pflddes->field_type, &link_info, opts);
+            status = dbParseLink(pstring, pflddes->field_type, &link_info);
             if (status) break;
 
             if (plink->type==CONSTANT && plink->value.constantStr==NULL) {
diff --git a/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticPvt.h b/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticPvt.h
index b1ad70de6..85fc02217 100644
--- a/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticPvt.h
+++ b/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticPvt.h
@@ -59,12 +59,10 @@ typedef struct dbLinkInfo {
 
 long dbInitRecordLinks(dbRecordType *rtyp, struct dbCommon *prec);
 
-#define LINK_DEBUG_LSET 1
-
 /* Parse link string.  no record locks needed.
  * on success caller must free pinfo->target
  */
-epicsShareFunc long dbParseLink(const char *str, short ftype, dbLinkInfo *pinfo, unsigned opts);
+epicsShareFunc long dbParseLink(const char *str, short ftype, dbLinkInfo *pinfo);
 /* Check if link type allow the parsed link value pinfo
  * to be assigned to the given link.
  * Record containing plink must be locked.