diff --git a/src/db/dbPutNotifyBlocker.cpp b/src/db/dbPutNotifyBlocker.cpp
index ff037bb67..4bcaac5cf 100644
--- a/src/db/dbPutNotifyBlocker.cpp
+++ b/src/db/dbPutNotifyBlocker.cpp
@@ -34,9 +34,6 @@
 #include "dbChannelIOIL.h"
 #include "dbNotifyBlockerIL.h"
 
-#define S_db_Blocked 	(M_dbAccess|39)
-#define S_db_Pending 	(M_dbAccess|37)
-
 #if defined ( _MSC_VER )
 #   pragma warning ( push )
 #   pragma warning ( disable: 4660 )
@@ -80,8 +77,8 @@ extern "C" void putNotifyCompletion ( putNotify *ppn )
 {
     dbPutNotifyBlocker *pBlocker = static_cast < dbPutNotifyBlocker * > ( ppn->usrPvt );
     if ( pBlocker->pNotify ) {
-        if ( pBlocker->pn.status ) {
-            if ( pBlocker->pn.status == S_db_Blocked ) {
+        if ( pBlocker->pn.status != putNotifyOK) {
+            if ( pBlocker->pn.status == putNotifyBlocked ) {
                 pBlocker->pNotify->exception ( 
                     ECA_PUTCBINPROG, "put notify blocked",
                     static_cast <unsigned> (pBlocker->pn.dbrType), 
@@ -156,18 +153,7 @@ void dbPutNotifyBlocker::initiatePutNotify ( epicsAutoMutex & locker, cacWriteNo
     this->pn.userCallback = putNotifyCompletion;
     this->pn.usrPvt = this;
 
-    status = ::dbPutNotify ( &this->pn );
-    if ( status && status != S_db_Pending ) {
-        memset ( &this->pn, '\0', sizeof ( this->pn ) );
-        this->pNotify = 0;
-        {
-            epicsAutoMutexRelease autoRelease ( locker );
-            notify.exception (
-                ECA_PUTFAIL, "dbPutNotify() returned failure",
-                static_cast <unsigned> (this->pn.dbrType), 
-                static_cast <unsigned> (this->pn.nRequest) );
-        }
-    }
+    ::dbPutNotify ( &this->pn );
 }
 
 void dbPutNotifyBlocker::show ( unsigned level ) const
diff --git a/src/db/db_test.c b/src/db/db_test.c
index 4668a16e8..fdc443a9d 100644
--- a/src/db/db_test.c
+++ b/src/db/db_test.c
@@ -657,7 +657,7 @@ static void print_returned(type,pbuffer,count)
 static void tpnCallback(putNotify *ppn)
 {
     struct dbAddr	*pdbaddr = (struct dbAddr *)ppn->paddr;
-    long	status = ppn->status;
+    putNotifyStatus     status = ppn->status;
     char	*pname;
 
     /*This is really cheating. It only works because first field is name*/
@@ -665,7 +665,7 @@ static void tpnCallback(putNotify *ppn)
     if(status==0)
 	printf("tpnCallback: success record=%s\n",pname);
     else
-        errPrintf(status,__FILE__,__LINE__,"%s tpnCallback\n",pname);
+        errlogPrintf("%s tpnCallback status = %d\n",status);
     free((void *)pdbaddr);
     free(ppn);
 }
@@ -707,9 +707,6 @@ int epicsShareAPI tpn(char	*pname,char *pvalue)
 	return(-1);
     }
     ppn->userCallback = tpnCallback;
-    status = dbPutNotify(ppn);
-    if(status) {
-    	errMessage(status, "tpn");
-    }
+    dbPutNotify(ppn);
     return(0);
 }
diff --git a/src/rsrv/camessage.c b/src/rsrv/camessage.c
index 8be9dfa05..9a57091a1 100644
--- a/src/rsrv/camessage.c
+++ b/src/rsrv/camessage.c
@@ -1442,8 +1442,8 @@ void write_notify_reply(void *pArg)
          * the channel id field is being abused to carry 
          * status here
          */
-        if(ppnb->dbPutNotify.status){
-            if(ppnb->dbPutNotify.status == S_db_Blocked){
+        if(ppnb->dbPutNotify.status != putNotifyOK){
+            if(ppnb->dbPutNotify.status == putNotifyBlocked){
                 status = ECA_PUTCBINPROG;
             }
             else{
@@ -1600,16 +1600,7 @@ LOCAL int write_notify_action ( caHdrLargeArray *mp, void *pPayload,
         return RSRV_OK;
     }
 
-    status = dbPutNotify(&pciu->pPutNotify->dbPutNotify);
-    if(status && status != S_db_Pending){
-        /*
-         * let the call back take care of failure
-         * even if it is immediate
-         */
-        pciu->pPutNotify->dbPutNotify.status = status;
-        (*pciu->pPutNotify->dbPutNotify.userCallback)
-                    (&pciu->pPutNotify->dbPutNotify);
-    }
+    dbPutNotify(&pciu->pPutNotify->dbPutNotify);
     return RSRV_OK;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/rsrv/server.h b/src/rsrv/server.h
index cee4a5a2c..c2da22717 100644
--- a/src/rsrv/server.h
+++ b/src/rsrv/server.h
@@ -226,14 +226,4 @@ int cas_copy_in_header (
 void cas_set_header_cid ( struct client *pClient, ca_uint32_t );
 void cas_commit_msg ( struct client *pClient, ca_uint32_t size );
 
-/*
- * !!KLUDGE!!
- *
- * this was extracted from dbAccess.h because we are unable
- * to include both dbAccess.h and db_access.h at the
- * same time.
- */
-#define S_db_Blocked    (M_dbAccess|39) /*Request is Blocked*/
-#define S_db_Pending    (M_dbAccess|37) /*Request is pending*/
-
 #endif /*INCLserverh*/