diff --git a/modules/database/src/ioc/db/dbConstLink.c b/modules/database/src/ioc/db/dbConstLink.c
index 282493992..c05915717 100644
--- a/modules/database/src/ioc/db/dbConstLink.c
+++ b/modules/database/src/ioc/db/dbConstLink.c
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include "dbFldTypes.h"
 #include "dbLink.h"
 #include "link.h"
+#include "errlog.h"
 
 /**************************** Convert functions ****************************/
 
@@ -178,17 +179,23 @@ static long dbConstLoadLS(struct link *plink, char *pbuffer, epicsUInt32 size,
     epicsUInt32 *plen)
 {
     const char *pstr = plink->value.constantStr;
+    long status;
 
     if (!pstr)
         return S_db_badField;
 
-    return dbLSConvertJSON(pstr, pbuffer, size, plen);
+    status = dbLSConvertJSON(pstr, pbuffer, size, plen);
+    if (status)
+        errlogPrintf("... while parsing link %s.%s %s\n",
+            plink->precord->name, dbLinkFieldName(plink), pstr);
+    return status;
 }
 
 static long dbConstLoadArray(struct link *plink, short dbrType, void *pbuffer,
         long *pnReq)
 {
     const char *pstr = plink->value.constantStr;
+    long status;
 
     if (!pstr)
         return S_db_badField;
@@ -197,7 +204,11 @@ static long dbConstLoadArray(struct link *plink, short dbrType, void *pbuffer,
     if (dbrType == DBF_MENU || dbrType == DBF_ENUM || dbrType == DBF_DEVICE)
         dbrType = DBF_USHORT;
 
-    return dbPutConvertJSON(pstr, dbrType, pbuffer, pnReq);
+    status = dbPutConvertJSON(pstr, dbrType, pbuffer, pnReq);
+    if (status)
+        errlogPrintf("... while parsing link %s.%s %s\n",
+            plink->precord->name, dbLinkFieldName(plink), pstr);
+    return status;
 }
 
 static long dbConstGetNelements(const struct link *plink, long *nelements)
diff --git a/modules/database/src/ioc/db/dbConvertJSON.c b/modules/database/src/ioc/db/dbConvertJSON.c
index 2f54aa0d9..f4bc81940 100644
--- a/modules/database/src/ioc/db/dbConvertJSON.c
+++ b/modules/database/src/ioc/db/dbConvertJSON.c
@@ -162,6 +162,11 @@ long dbPutConvertJSON(const char *json, short dbrType,
     if(INVALID_DB_REQ(dbrType))
         return S_db_badDbrtype;
 
+    if (!jlen) {
+        *pnRequest = 0;
+        return 0;
+    }
+
     parser->depth = 0;
     parser->dbrType = dbrType;
     parser->dbrSize = dbValueSize(dbrType);
@@ -186,7 +191,7 @@ long dbPutConvertJSON(const char *json, short dbrType,
     case yajl_status_error: {
         unsigned char *err = yajl_get_error(yh, 1,
             (const unsigned char *) json, jlen);
-        fprintf(stderr, "dbConvertJSON: %s\n", err);
+        errlogPrintf("dbConvertJSON: %s\n", err);
         yajl_free_error(yh, err);
         }
         /* fall through */
@@ -242,7 +247,7 @@ long dbLSConvertJSON(const char *json, char *pdest, epicsUInt32 size,
     case yajl_status_error: {
         unsigned char *err = yajl_get_error(yh, 1,
             (const unsigned char *) json, jlen);
-        fprintf(stderr, "dbLoadLS_JSON: %s\n", err);
+        errlogPrintf("dbLoadLS_JSON: %s\n", err);
         yajl_free_error(yh, err);
         }
         /* fall through */