diff --git a/src/db/dbLock.c b/src/db/dbLock.c
index 3e36a5d49..47f6be68d 100644
--- a/src/db/dbLock.c
+++ b/src/db/dbLock.c
@@ -552,13 +552,18 @@ long epicsShareAPI dbLockShowLocked(int level)
     int     indListType;
     lockSet *plockSet;
     epicsMutexLockStatus status;
-    epicsMutexLockStatus lockSetModifyLockStatus;
+    epicsMutexLockStatus lockSetModifyLockStatus = epicsMutexLockOK;
+    int itry;
 
     printf("listTypeScanLock %d listTypeRecordLock %d listTypeFree %d\n",
         ellCount(&lockSetList[0]),
         ellCount(&lockSetList[1]),
         ellCount(&lockSetList[2]));
-    lockSetModifyLockStatus = epicsMutexLockWithTimeout(lockSetModifyLock,5.0);
+    for(itry=0; itry<100; itry++) {
+        lockSetModifyLockStatus = epicsMutexTryLock(lockSetModifyLock);
+        if(lockSetModifyLockStatus==epicsMutexLockOK) break;
+        epicsThreadSleep(.05);
+    }
     if(lockSetModifyLockStatus!=epicsMutexLockOK) {
         printf("Could not lock lockSetModifyLock\n");
         epicsMutexShow(lockSetModifyLock,level);
diff --git a/src/db/dbNotify.c b/src/db/dbNotify.c
index b35fa7d41..d31a6b564 100644
--- a/src/db/dbNotify.c
+++ b/src/db/dbNotify.c
@@ -390,9 +390,14 @@ int epicsShareAPI dbNotifyDump(void)
     putNotify    *ppn;
     putNotify    *ppnRestart;
     putNotifyRecord *ppnrWait;
+    int itry;
    
     
-    lockStatus = epicsMutexLockWithTimeout(notifyLock,2.0);
+    for(itry=0; itry<100; itry++) {
+        lockStatus = epicsMutexTryLock(notifyLock);
+        if(lockStatus==epicsMutexLockOK) break;
+        epicsThreadSleep(.05);
+    }
     for(pdbRecordType = (dbRecordType *)ellFirst(&pdbbase->recordTypeList);
     pdbRecordType;
     pdbRecordType = (dbRecordType *)ellNext(&pdbRecordType->node)) {