diff --git a/src/ioc/db/dbAccess.c b/src/ioc/db/dbAccess.c
index ff94a5b53..a4ba42b89 100644
--- a/src/ioc/db/dbAccess.c
+++ b/src/ioc/db/dbAccess.c
@@ -657,7 +657,7 @@ long dbNameToAddr(const char *pname, DBADDR *paddr)
             paddr->dbr_field_type = DBR_CHAR;
         } else if (dbfType >= DBF_INLINK && dbfType <= DBF_FWDLINK) {
             /* Clients see a char array, but keep original dbfType */
-            paddr->no_elements = PVNAME_STRINGSZ + 12;
+            paddr->no_elements = PVLINK_STRINGSZ;
             paddr->field_size = 1;
             paddr->dbr_field_type = DBR_CHAR;
         } else {
diff --git a/src/ioc/db/dbChannel.c b/src/ioc/db/dbChannel.c
index 6e08f3c19..bf2b3d438 100644
--- a/src/ioc/db/dbChannel.c
+++ b/src/ioc/db/dbChannel.c
@@ -531,7 +531,7 @@ dbChannel * dbChannelCreate(const char *name)
                 paddr->dbr_field_type = DBR_CHAR;
             } else if (dbfType >= DBF_INLINK && dbfType <= DBF_FWDLINK) {
                 /* Clients see a char array, but keep original dbfType */
-                paddr->no_elements = PVNAME_STRINGSZ + 12;
+                paddr->no_elements = PVLINK_STRINGSZ;
                 paddr->field_size = 1;
                 paddr->dbr_field_type = DBR_CHAR;
             } else {
diff --git a/src/libCom/misc/dbDefs.h b/src/libCom/misc/dbDefs.h
index 069d55c1a..e8c2bb265 100644
--- a/src/libCom/misc/dbDefs.h
+++ b/src/libCom/misc/dbDefs.h
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@
 #define PVNAME_STRINGSZ 61
 #define PVNAME_SZ (PVNAME_STRINGSZ - 1)
 
+/* Buffer size for the string representation of a DBF_*LINK field */
+#define PVLINK_STRINGSZ 1024
+
+/* dbAccess enums/menus can have up to this many choices */
 #define DB_MAX_CHOICES 30
 
 #endif /* INC_dbDefs_H */