diff --git a/src/ioc/db/test/Makefile b/src/ioc/db/test/Makefile
index 67ef688e0..da3bc035e 100644
--- a/src/ioc/db/test/Makefile
+++ b/src/ioc/db/test/Makefile
@@ -152,7 +152,13 @@ recGblCheckDeadbandTest_SRCS += dbTestIoc_registerRecordDeviceDriver.cpp
 testHarness_SRCS += recGblCheckDeadbandTest.c
 TESTS += recGblCheckDeadbandTest
 
-# The testHarness runs all the test programs in a known working order.
+TESTPROD_HOST += testPutGetTest
+testPutGetTest_SRCS += dbPutGetTest.c
+testPutGetTest_SRCS += dbTestIoc_registerRecordDeviceDriver.cpp
+testHarness_SRCS += dbPutGetTest.db
+TESTS += testPutGetTest
+
+# This runs all the test programs in a known working order:
 testHarness_SRCS += epicsRunDbTests.c
 
 dbTestHarness_SRCS += $(testHarness_SRCS)
diff --git a/src/ioc/db/test/dbPutGetTest.c b/src/ioc/db/test/dbPutGetTest.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b9729940d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ioc/db/test/dbPutGetTest.c
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+
+#include <string.h>
+
+#include <dbAccess.h>
+#include <dbStaticLib.h>
+#include <dbStaticPvt.h>
+#include <dbUnitTest.h>
+#include <testMain.h>
+
+static
+void testdbGetStringEqual(const char *pv, const char *expected)
+{
+    const char *actual;
+    int ok;
+    DBENTRY ent;
+
+    dbInitEntry(pdbbase, &ent);
+
+    if(dbFindRecord(&ent, pv)) {
+        testFail("Failed to find record '%s'", pv);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    actual = dbGetString(&ent);
+    ok = (!actual && !expected)
+            || (actual && expected && strcmp(actual, expected)==0);
+
+    testOk(ok, "dbGetString(\"%s\") -> \"%s\" == \"%s\"", pv, actual, expected);
+
+    dbFinishEntry(&ent);
+}
+
+static
+void testGetString(void)
+{
+    testDiag("testGetString()");
+
+    testdbGetStringEqual("recempty.DTYP", "Soft Channel");
+    testdbGetStringEqual("recempty.DESC", "");
+    testdbGetStringEqual("recempty.PHAS", "0");
+    testdbGetStringEqual("recempty.TSE" , "0");
+    testdbGetStringEqual("recempty.DISA", "0");
+    testdbGetStringEqual("recempty.DISV", "0");
+
+    testdbGetStringEqual("recoverwrite.DTYP", "Soft Channel");
+    testdbGetStringEqual("recoverwrite.DESC", "");
+    testdbGetStringEqual("recoverwrite.PHAS", "0");
+    testdbGetStringEqual("recoverwrite.TSE" , "0");
+    testdbGetStringEqual("recoverwrite.DISA", "0");
+    testdbGetStringEqual("recoverwrite.DISV", "0");
+}
+
+void dbTestIoc_registerRecordDeviceDriver(struct dbBase *);
+
+MAIN(dbPutGet)
+{
+    testPlan(0);
+    testdbPrepare();
+
+    testdbReadDatabase("dbTestIoc.dbd", NULL, NULL);
+    dbTestIoc_registerRecordDeviceDriver(pdbbase);
+    testdbReadDatabase("dbPutGetTest.db", NULL, NULL);
+
+    testGetString();
+
+    testdbCleanup();
+
+    return testDone();
+}
diff --git a/src/ioc/db/test/dbPutGetTest.db b/src/ioc/db/test/dbPutGetTest.db
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..06a520c60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ioc/db/test/dbPutGetTest.db
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+
+record(x, "recempty") {
+# empty string is the same "0" for numeric fields
+    field(DTYP, "")
+    field(DESC, "")
+    field(PHAS, "")
+    field(TSE , "")
+    field(DISA, "")
+    field(DISV, "")
+}
+
+record(x, "recoverwrite") {
+# first with non-default values
+    field(DTYP, "Scan I/O")
+    field(DESC, "hello")
+    field(PHAS, "2")
+    field(TSE , "5")
+    field(DISA, "6")
+    field(DISV, "7")
+}
+
+record(x, "recoverwrite") {
+# now restore default values
+    field(DTYP, "")
+    field(DESC, "")
+    field(PHAS, "")
+    field(TSE , "")
+    field(TSEL, "")
+    field(DISA, "")
+    field(DISV, "")
+}
diff --git a/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticRun.c b/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticRun.c
index ebaa44346..ede218cd5 100644
--- a/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticRun.c
+++ b/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticRun.c
@@ -376,6 +376,10 @@ long dbPutStringNum(DBENTRY *pdbentry, const char *pstring)
     if (!pfield)
         return S_dbLib_fieldNotFound;
 
+    /* empty string is the same as writing numeric zero */
+    if(pstring[0]=='\0')
+        pstring = "0";
+
     switch (pflddes->field_type) {
     case DBF_CHAR:
         return epicsParseInt8(pstring, pfield, 0, NULL);