diff --git a/src/dbtools/dbLoadRecords.y b/src/dbtools/dbLoadRecords.y
index 92175f781..010fe007b 100644
--- a/src/dbtools/dbLoadRecords.y
+++ b/src/dbtools/dbLoadRecords.y
@@ -259,13 +259,22 @@ int dbLoadRecords(char* pfilename, char* pattern, char* container)
 
 	if(is_not_inited)
 	{
+#ifdef ERROR_STUFF
+		fprintf(stderr,"initing parser\n");
+#endif
 		yyin=fp;
 		is_not_inited=0;
 	}
 	else
 	{
+#ifdef ERROR_STUFF
+		fprintf(stderr,"restarting parser\n");
+#endif
 		yyrestart(fp);
 	}
+#ifdef ERROR_STUFF
+		fprintf(stderr,"before parser startup\n");
+#endif
 	yyparse();
 
 #ifndef vxWorks
diff --git a/src/dbtools/dbLoadTemplate.y b/src/dbtools/dbLoadTemplate.y
index d57eff7eb..709c9e6c3 100644
--- a/src/dbtools/dbLoadTemplate.y
+++ b/src/dbtools/dbLoadTemplate.y
@@ -105,11 +105,11 @@ subst: PATTERN pattern subs
 
 pattern: O_BRACE vars C_BRACE
 	{ 
-	/*
+#ifdef ERROR_STUFF
 		int i;
 		for(i=0;i<var_count;i++) fprintf(stderr,"variable=(%s)\n",vars[i]);
 		fprintf(stderr,"var_count=%d\n",var_count);
-	*/
+#endif
 	}
     ;
 
@@ -130,7 +130,9 @@ subs: subs sub
 sub: WORD O_BRACE vals C_BRACE
 	{
 		sub_collect[strlen(sub_collect)-1]='\0';
-		/* fprintf(stderr,"dbLoadRecords(%s)\n",sub_collect); */
+#ifdef ERROR_STUFF
+		fprintf(stderr,"dbLoadRecords(%s)\n",sub_collect);
+#endif
 #ifndef SUB_TOOL
 		if(db_file_name)
 			dbLoadRecords(db_file_name,sub_collect,$1);
@@ -147,7 +149,9 @@ sub: WORD O_BRACE vals C_BRACE
 	| O_BRACE vals C_BRACE
 	{
 		sub_collect[strlen(sub_collect)-1]='\0';
-		/* fprintf(stderr,"dbLoadRecords(%s)\n",sub_collect); */
+#ifdef ERROR_STUFF
+		fprintf(stderr,"dbLoadRecords(%s)\n",sub_collect);
+#endif
 #ifndef SUB_TOOL
 		if(db_file_name)
 			dbLoadRecords(db_file_name,sub_collect,NULL);
@@ -199,7 +203,9 @@ var_subs: var_subs var_sub
 var_sub: WORD O_BRACE sub_pats C_BRACE
 	{
 		sub_collect[strlen(sub_collect)-1]='\0';
-		/* fprintf(stderr,"dbLoadRecords(%s)\n",sub_collect); */
+#ifdef ERROR_STUFF
+		fprintf(stderr,"dbLoadRecords(%s)\n",sub_collect);
+#endif
 #ifndef SUB_TOOL
 		if(db_file_name)
 			dbLoadRecords(db_file_name,sub_collect,$1);
@@ -216,7 +222,9 @@ var_sub: WORD O_BRACE sub_pats C_BRACE
 	| O_BRACE sub_pats C_BRACE
 	{
 		sub_collect[strlen(sub_collect)-1]='\0';
-		/* fprintf(stderr,"dbLoadRecords(%s)\n",sub_collect); */
+#ifdef ERROR_STUFF
+		fprintf(stderr,"dbLoadRecords(%s)\n",sub_collect);
+#endif
 #ifndef SUB_TOOL
 		if(db_file_name)
 			dbLoadRecords(db_file_name,sub_collect,NULL);
@@ -292,7 +300,10 @@ int dbLoadTemplate(char* sub_file)
 		yyin=fp;
 		is_not_inited=0;
 	}
-	else yyrestart(fp);
+	else
+	{
+		yyrestart(fp);
+	}
 
 	yyparse();
 
@@ -328,8 +339,18 @@ int sub_it()
 {
 	FILE* fp;
 	char var_buff[500];
+
+#ifdef ERROR_STUFF
+	fprintf(stderr,"In sub_it()\n");
+#endif
+
 	if( *sub_collect )
+	{
+#ifdef ERROR_STUFF
+	fprintf(stderr," dbInitSubst() calling\n");
+#endif
 		dbInitSubst(sub_collect);
+	}
 	else
 	{
 		fprintf(stderr,"No valid substitutions found in table\n");
@@ -345,10 +366,16 @@ int sub_it()
 	/* do the work here */
 	while( fgets(var_buff,200,fp)!=(char*)NULL )
 	{
+#ifdef ERROR_STUFF
+		fprintf(stderr," calling dbDoSubst()\n");
+#endif
 		dbDoSubst(var_buff,500,NULL);
 		fputs(var_buff,stdout);
 	}
 
+#ifdef ERROR_STUFF
+	fprintf(stderr," calling dbFreeSubst()\n");
+#endif
 	dbFreeSubst();
 	fclose(fp);
 	return 0;
diff --git a/src/dbtools/dbVarSub.c b/src/dbtools/dbVarSub.c
index 8593efb3f..82b7b00fb 100644
--- a/src/dbtools/dbVarSub.c
+++ b/src/dbtools/dbVarSub.c
@@ -191,13 +191,19 @@ long dbInitSubst(char* parm_pattern)
 			/* find vars and subs */
 			switch(*pp)
 			{
-			case '\\': pp++; break;
+			case '\\': pp++; break; /* skip the next character */
 			case '=': subst_total++; break;
-			case '\"': for(++pp;*pp!='\"';pp++) if(*pp=='\\') pp++; pp++; break;
+			case '\"':
+				for(++pp;*pp && *pp!='\"';pp++);
+				if(*pp=='\\') pp++;
+				pp++;
+				break;
 			default: break;
 			}
 		}
-		/* fprintf(stderr,"total = %d\n",subst_total); */
+#ifdef ERROR_STUFF
+		fprintf(stderr,"total = %d\n",subst_total);
+#endif
  
 		/* allocate the substitution table */
 		subst = (struct var_sub*)malloc( sizeof(struct var_sub)*subst_total );
@@ -235,12 +241,12 @@ long dbInitSubst(char* parm_pattern)
 		}
 
 		/* debug code */
-		/*
+#ifdef ERROR_STUFF
 		for(pi=0;pi<subst_total;pi++)
 		{
-			printf("table[%d]=(%s,%s)\n",pi,subst[pi].var,subst[pi].sub);
+			fprintf(stderr,"table[%d]=(%s,%s)\n",pi,subst[pi].var,subst[pi].sub);
 		}
-		*/
+#endif
 
 		/* resolve the multiple substitutions now */
 		for(pi=0;pi<subst_total;pi++)
@@ -253,12 +259,12 @@ long dbInitSubst(char* parm_pattern)
 		}
 
 		/* more debug code */
-		/*
+#ifdef ERROR_STUFF
 		for(pi=0;pi<subst_total;pi++)
 		{
-			printf("table[%d]=(%s,%s)\n",pi,subst[pi].var,subst[pi].sub);
+			fprintf(stderr,"table[%d]=(%s,%s)\n",pi,subst[pi].var,subst[pi].sub);
 		}
-		*/
+#endif
 	}
 	else
 	{
@@ -276,7 +282,9 @@ static char* get_var(char** to, char* from)
 	pp = strpbrk(from," \t=");
 	*pp = '\0';
 	pp++;
-	/* fprintf(stderr,"get_var: (%s)\n",from); */
+#ifdef ERROR_STUFF
+	fprintf(stderr,"get_var: (%s)\n",from);
+#endif
 	*to=from;
 	return pp;
 }
@@ -297,7 +305,9 @@ static char* get_sub(char* to, char* from)
 			else *cp++ = *pp;
 		}
 		*cp='\0';
-		/* fprintf(stderr,"get_sub: quote (%s)\n",to); */
+#ifdef ERROR_STUFF
+		fprintf(stderr,"get_sub: quote (%s)\n",to);
+#endif
 		pp++;
 	}
 	else
@@ -307,7 +317,9 @@ static char* get_sub(char* to, char* from)
 		{
 			*hold = '\0';
 			hold++;
-			/* fprintf(stderr,"get_sub: regular (%s)\n",pp); */
+#ifdef ERROR_STUFF
+			fprintf(stderr,"get_sub: regular (%s)\n",pp);
+#endif
 		}
 
 		strcpy(to,pp);