diff --git a/src/ioc/db/dbLink.c b/src/ioc/db/dbLink.c
index 870183136..72929f878 100644
--- a/src/ioc/db/dbLink.c
+++ b/src/ioc/db/dbLink.c
@@ -76,6 +76,19 @@ static void inherit_severity(const struct pv_link *ppv_link, dbCommon *pdest,
 
 /***************************** Constant Links *****************************/
 
+static long dbConstLoadLink(struct link *plink, short dbrType, void *pbuffer)
+{
+    if (!plink->value.constantStr)
+        return S_db_badField;
+
+    /* Constant strings are always numeric */
+    if (dbrType== DBF_MENU || dbrType == DBF_ENUM || dbrType == DBF_DEVICE)
+        dbrType = DBF_USHORT;
+
+    return dbFastPutConvertRoutine[DBR_STRING][dbrType]
+            (plink->value.constantStr, pbuffer, NULL);
+}
+
 static long dbConstGetNelements(const struct link *plink, long *nelements)
 {
     *nelements = 0;
@@ -358,7 +371,7 @@ static void dbDbScanFwdLink(struct link *plink)
     dbScanPassive(precord, paddr->precord);
 }
 
-lset dbDb_lset = { dbDbInitLink, dbDbAddLink, dbDbRemoveLink,
+lset dbDb_lset = { dbDbInitLink, dbDbAddLink, NULL, dbDbRemoveLink,
         dbDbIsLinkConnected, dbDbGetDBFtype, dbDbGetElements, dbDbGetValue,
         dbDbGetControlLimits, dbDbGetGraphicLimits, dbDbGetAlarmLimits,
         dbDbGetPrecision, dbDbGetUnits, dbDbGetAlarm, dbDbGetTimeStamp,
@@ -404,7 +417,7 @@ void dbAddLink(struct dbCommon *precord, struct link *plink, short dbfType)
         recGblTSELwasModified(plink);
 
     if (!(plink->value.pv_link.pvlMask & (pvlOptCA | pvlOptCP | pvlOptCPP))) {
-        /* Make it a DB link if possible */
+        /* Can we make it a DB link? */
         if (!dbDbAddLink(plink, dbfType))
             return;
     }
@@ -422,6 +435,15 @@ void dbAddLink(struct dbCommon *precord, struct link *plink, short dbfType)
     }
 }
 
+long dbLoadLink(struct link *plink, short dbrType, void *pbuffer)
+{
+    switch (plink->type) {
+    case CONSTANT:
+        return dbConstLoadLink(plink, dbrType, pbuffer);
+    }
+    return S_db_notFound;
+}
+
 void dbRemoveLink(struct link *plink)
 {
     switch (plink->type) {
@@ -497,7 +519,8 @@ long dbGetLinkValue(struct link *plink, short dbrType, void *pbuffer,
         status = dbCaGetLink(plink, dbrType, pbuffer, &stat, &sevr, pnRequest);
         break;
     default:
-        cantProceed("dbGetLinkValue: Illegal link type");
+        cantProceed("dbGetLinkValue: Illegal link type %d\n", plink->type);
+        status = -1;
     }
     if (status) {
         recGblSetSevr(precord, LINK_ALARM, INVALID_ALARM);
@@ -599,7 +622,8 @@ long dbPutLinkValue(struct link *plink, short dbrType, const void *pbuffer,
         status = dbCaPutLink(plink, dbrType, pbuffer, nRequest);
         break;
     default:
-        cantProceed("dbPutLinkValue: Illegal link type %d", plink->type);
+        cantProceed("dbPutLinkValue: Illegal link type %d\n", plink->type);
+        status = -1;
     }
     if (status) {
         struct dbCommon *precord = plink->value.pv_link.precord;
diff --git a/src/ioc/db/dbLink.h b/src/ioc/db/dbLink.h
index 0f2e14da8..55aa0098f 100644
--- a/src/ioc/db/dbLink.h
+++ b/src/ioc/db/dbLink.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 typedef struct lset {
     long (*initLink)(struct link *plink, short dbfType);
     long (*addLink)(struct link *plink, short dbfType);
+    long (*loadLink)(struct link *plink, short dbrType, void *pbuffer);
     void (*removeLink)(struct link *plink);
     int (*isLinkConnected)(const struct link *plink);
     int (*getDBFtype)(const struct link *plink);
@@ -58,8 +59,12 @@ typedef struct lset {
 #define dbGetSevr(PLINK, PSEVERITY) \
     dbGetAlarm((PLINK), NULL, (PSEVERITY));
 
-epicsShareFunc void dbInitLink(struct dbCommon *precord, struct link *plink, short dbfType);
-epicsShareFunc void dbAddLink(struct dbCommon *precord, struct link *plink, short dbfType);
+epicsShareFunc void dbInitLink(struct dbCommon *precord, struct link *plink,
+        short dbfType);
+epicsShareFunc void dbAddLink(struct dbCommon *precord, struct link *plink,
+        short dbfType);
+epicsShareFunc long dbLoadLink(struct link *plink, short dbrType,
+        void *pbuffer);
 epicsShareFunc void dbRemoveLink(struct link *plink);
 epicsShareFunc long dbGetNelements(const struct link *plink, long *nelements);
 epicsShareFunc int dbIsLinkConnected(const struct link *plink);
diff --git a/src/ioc/db/recGbl.c b/src/ioc/db/recGbl.c
index 828126e63..2ccac3a07 100644
--- a/src/ioc/db/recGbl.c
+++ b/src/ioc/db/recGbl.c
@@ -167,60 +167,17 @@ void epicsShareAPI recGblGetControlDouble(
 
     return;
 }
-
+
 int  epicsShareAPI recGblInitConstantLink(
     struct link *plink,short dbftype,void *pdest)
 {
-    if(plink->type != CONSTANT) return(FALSE);
-    if(!plink->value.constantStr) return(FALSE);
-    switch(dbftype) {
-    case DBF_STRING:
-	strcpy((char *)pdest,plink->value.constantStr);
-	break;
-    case DBF_CHAR : {
-	epicsInt16 value;
-	epicsInt8 *pvalue = (epicsInt8 *)pdest;
+    long status = dbLoadLink(plink, dbftype, pdest);
 
-	sscanf(plink->value.constantStr,"%hi",&value);
-	*pvalue = value;
-	}
-	break;
-    case DBF_UCHAR : {
-	epicsUInt16 value;
-	epicsUInt8 *pvalue = (epicsUInt8 *)pdest;
-
-	sscanf(plink->value.constantStr,"%hu",&value);
-	*pvalue = value;
-	}
-	break;
-    case DBF_SHORT : 
-	sscanf(plink->value.constantStr,"%hi",(epicsInt16 *)pdest);
-	break;
-    case DBF_USHORT : 
-    case DBF_ENUM : 
-    case DBF_MENU : 
-    case DBF_DEVICE : 
-	sscanf(plink->value.constantStr,"%hu",(epicsUInt16 *)pdest);
-	break;
-    case DBF_LONG : 
-	*(epicsInt32 *)pdest = strtol(plink->value.constantStr, NULL, 0);
-	break;
-    case DBF_ULONG : 
-	*(epicsUInt32 *)pdest = strtoul(plink->value.constantStr, NULL, 10);
-	break;
-    case DBF_FLOAT : 
-	epicsScanFloat(plink->value.constantStr, (epicsFloat32 *)pdest);
-	break;
-    case DBF_DOUBLE : 
-	epicsScanDouble(plink->value.constantStr, (epicsFloat64 *)pdest);
-	break;
-    default:
-	epicsPrintf("Error in recGblInitConstantLink: Illegal DBF type\n");
-	return(FALSE);
-    }
-    return(TRUE);
+    if (status)
+        return FALSE;
+    return TRUE;
 }
-
+
 unsigned short epicsShareAPI recGblResetAlarms(void *precord)
 {
     dbCommon *pdbc = precord;