diff --git a/src/ca/baseNMIU.cpp b/src/ca/baseNMIU.cpp
index 3f6c131a6..b3f161ac6 100644
--- a/src/ca/baseNMIU.cpp
+++ b/src/ca/baseNMIU.cpp
@@ -29,5 +29,11 @@ baseNMIU::~baseNMIU ()
 {
 }
 
+void baseNMIU::forceSubscriptionUpdate (
+        epicsGuard < epicsMutex > & guard, nciu & chan )
+{
+}
+
+
 
 
diff --git a/src/ca/nciu.cpp b/src/ca/nciu.cpp
index 2e1254766..b26ee68cc 100644
--- a/src/ca/nciu.cpp
+++ b/src/ca/nciu.cpp
@@ -560,17 +560,13 @@ void nciu::sendSubscriptionUpdateRequests ( epicsGuard < epicsMutex > & guard )
     while ( pNetIO.valid () ) {
         tsDLIter < baseNMIU > next = pNetIO;
         next++;
-        class netSubscription * pSubscr = pNetIO->isSubscription ();
-        // the channel becomes connected while subscription update requests
-        // are pending so IO types other than subscription IO might be attached
-        if ( pSubscr ) {
-            try {
-                pSubscr->subscriptionUpdateIfRequired ( guard, *this );
-            }
-            catch ( ... ) {
-                errlogPrintf ( "CAC: failed to send subscription update request "
-                               "during channel connect\n" );
-            }
+        try {
+            pNetIO->forceSubscriptionUpdate ( guard, *this );
+        }
+        catch ( ... ) {
+            errlogPrintf ( 
+                "CAC: failed to send subscription update request "
+                "during channel connect\n" );
         }
         pNetIO = next;
     }
diff --git a/src/ca/netIO.h b/src/ca/netIO.h
index 75a3a21e5..12e9a7169 100644
--- a/src/ca/netIO.h
+++ b/src/ca/netIO.h
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ public:
         epicsGuard < epicsMutex > &, cacRecycle &,
         unsigned type, arrayElementCount count, 
         const void * pData ) = 0;
+    virtual void forceSubscriptionUpdate (
+        epicsGuard < epicsMutex > & guard, nciu & chan ) = 0;
     virtual class netSubscription * isSubscription () = 0;
     virtual void show ( 
         unsigned level ) const = 0;
@@ -91,8 +93,6 @@ public:
         epicsGuard < epicsMutex > & guard, nciu & chan );
     void unsubscribeIfRequired ( 
         epicsGuard < epicsMutex > & guard, nciu & chan );
-    void subscriptionUpdateIfRequired (
-        epicsGuard < epicsMutex > &, nciu & );
 protected:
     netSubscription ( 
         class privateInterfaceForIO &, unsigned type, 
@@ -105,7 +105,6 @@ private:
     cacStateNotify & notify;
     const unsigned type;
     const unsigned mask;
-    bool updateWhileDisconnected;
     bool subscribed;
     class netSubscription * isSubscription ();
     void * operator new ( size_t );
@@ -128,6 +127,8 @@ private:
         epicsGuard < epicsMutex > &, cacRecycle &,
         int status, const char * pContext, unsigned type, 
         arrayElementCount count );
+    void forceSubscriptionUpdate (
+        epicsGuard < epicsMutex > & guard, nciu & chan );
     netSubscription ( const netSubscription & );
     netSubscription & operator = ( const netSubscription & );
 };
@@ -169,6 +170,8 @@ private:
         int status, const char * pContext, 
         unsigned type, arrayElementCount count );
     class netSubscription * isSubscription ();
+    void forceSubscriptionUpdate (
+        epicsGuard < epicsMutex > & guard, nciu & chan );
     netReadNotifyIO ( const netReadNotifyIO & );
     netReadNotifyIO & operator = ( const netReadNotifyIO & );
 };
@@ -210,6 +213,8 @@ private:
         epicsGuard < epicsMutex > &, cacRecycle &,
         int status, const char * pContext, unsigned type, 
         arrayElementCount count );
+    void forceSubscriptionUpdate (
+        epicsGuard < epicsMutex > & guard, nciu & chan );
     netWriteNotifyIO ( const netWriteNotifyIO & );
     netWriteNotifyIO & operator = ( const netWriteNotifyIO & );
 };
diff --git a/src/ca/netReadNotifyIO.cpp b/src/ca/netReadNotifyIO.cpp
index 3da905f8b..08c0e2655 100644
--- a/src/ca/netReadNotifyIO.cpp
+++ b/src/ca/netReadNotifyIO.cpp
@@ -113,6 +113,11 @@ class netSubscription * netReadNotifyIO::isSubscription ()
     return 0;
 }
 
+void netReadNotifyIO::forceSubscriptionUpdate (
+    epicsGuard < epicsMutex > &, nciu & )
+{
+}
+
 void * netReadNotifyIO::operator new ( size_t ) // X aCC 361
 {
     // The HPUX compiler seems to require this even though no code
diff --git a/src/ca/netSubscription.cpp b/src/ca/netSubscription.cpp
index dd902477f..a9275d95e 100644
--- a/src/ca/netSubscription.cpp
+++ b/src/ca/netSubscription.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ netSubscription::netSubscription (
         unsigned maskIn, cacStateNotify & notifyIn ) :
     count ( countIn ), privateChanForIO ( chanIn ),
     notify ( notifyIn ), type ( typeIn ), mask ( maskIn ),
-    updateWhileDisconnected ( false ), subscribed ( false )
+    subscribed ( false )
 {
     if ( ! dbr_type_is_valid ( typeIn ) ) {
         throw cacChannel::badType ();
@@ -80,12 +80,6 @@ void netSubscription::show (
 void netSubscription::completion ( 
     epicsGuard < epicsMutex > & guard, cacRecycle & )
 {
-    if ( this->privateChanForIO.connected ( guard )  ) {
-        this->updateWhileDisconnected = false;
-    }
-    else {
-        this->updateWhileDisconnected = true;
-    }
     errlogPrintf ( "subscription update w/o data ?\n" );
 }
 
@@ -106,13 +100,9 @@ void netSubscription::exception (
     else {
         // guard.assertIdenticalMutex ( this->mutex );
         if ( this->privateChanForIO.connected ( guard )  ) {
-            this->updateWhileDisconnected = false;
             this->notify.exception ( 
                 guard, status, pContext, UINT_MAX, 0 );
         }
-        else {
-            this->updateWhileDisconnected = true;
-        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -134,13 +124,9 @@ void netSubscription::exception (
     else {
         //guard.assertIdenticalMutex ( this->mutex );
         if ( this->privateChanForIO.connected ( guard ) ) {
-            this->updateWhileDisconnected = false;
             this->notify.exception ( 
                 guard, status, pContext, typeIn, countIn );
         }
-        else {
-            this->updateWhileDisconnected = true;
-        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -151,13 +137,9 @@ void netSubscription::completion (
 {
     // guard.assertIdenticalMutex ( this->mutex );
     if ( this->privateChanForIO.connected ( guard )  ) {
-        this->updateWhileDisconnected = false;
         this->notify.current ( 
             guard, typeIn, countIn, pDataIn );
     }
-    else {
-        this->updateWhileDisconnected = true;
-    }
 }
 
 void netSubscription::subscribeIfRequired (
@@ -180,14 +162,11 @@ void netSubscription::unsubscribeIfRequired (
     }
 }
 
-void netSubscription::subscriptionUpdateIfRequired (
+void netSubscription::forceSubscriptionUpdate (
     epicsGuard < epicsMutex > & guard, nciu & chan )
 {
-    if ( this->updateWhileDisconnected ) {
-        chan.getPIIU(guard)->subscriptionUpdateRequest ( 
-            guard, chan, *this );
-        this->updateWhileDisconnected = false;
-    }
+    chan.getPIIU(guard)->subscriptionUpdateRequest ( 
+        guard, chan, *this );
 }
 
 void * netSubscription::operator new ( size_t ) // X aCC 361
diff --git a/src/ca/netWriteNotifyIO.cpp b/src/ca/netWriteNotifyIO.cpp
index fe4986d5d..566d40a5f 100644
--- a/src/ca/netWriteNotifyIO.cpp
+++ b/src/ca/netWriteNotifyIO.cpp
@@ -111,6 +111,11 @@ class netSubscription * netWriteNotifyIO::isSubscription ()
     return 0;
 }
 
+void netWriteNotifyIO::forceSubscriptionUpdate (
+    epicsGuard < epicsMutex > &, nciu & )
+{
+}
+
 void * netWriteNotifyIO::operator new ( size_t ) // X aCC 361
 {
     // The HPUX compiler seems to require this even though no code