diff --git a/src/ioc/db/dbChannel.c b/src/ioc/db/dbChannel.c
index b6ed43efa..d5fb0508a 100644
--- a/src/ioc/db/dbChannel.c
+++ b/src/ioc/db/dbChannel.c
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ static void *dbChannelFreeList;
 static void *chFilterFreeList;
 static void *dbchStringFreeList;
 
-static void dbChannelExit(void* junk)
+void dbChannelExit(void)
 {
     freeListCleanup(dbChannelFreeList);
     freeListCleanup(chFilterFreeList);
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@ void dbChannelInit (void)
     freeListInitPvt(&dbChannelFreeList,  sizeof(dbChannel), 128);
     freeListInitPvt(&chFilterFreeList,  sizeof(chFilter), 64);
     freeListInitPvt(&dbchStringFreeList, sizeof(epicsOldString), 128);
-    epicsAtExit(dbChannelExit, NULL);
 }
 
 static void chf_value(parseContext *parser, parse_result *presult)
diff --git a/src/ioc/db/dbChannel.h b/src/ioc/db/dbChannel.h
index a8a2f4908..9f21887db 100644
--- a/src/ioc/db/dbChannel.h
+++ b/src/ioc/db/dbChannel.h
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ struct dbCommon;
 struct dbFldDes;
 
 epicsShareFunc void dbChannelInit (void);
+epicsShareFunc void dbChannelExit(void);
 epicsShareFunc long dbChannelTest(const char *name);
 epicsShareFunc dbChannel * dbChannelCreate(const char *name);
 epicsShareFunc long dbChannelOpen(dbChannel *chan);
diff --git a/src/ioc/misc/iocInit.c b/src/ioc/misc/iocInit.c
index 0e553efd6..6b317915f 100644
--- a/src/ioc/misc/iocInit.c
+++ b/src/ioc/misc/iocInit.c
@@ -683,6 +683,7 @@ int iocShutdown(void)
         iterateRecords(doFreeRecord, NULL);
         dbLockCleanupRecords(pdbbase);
         asShutdown();
+        dbChannelExit();
         iocshFree();
     }
     iocState = iocStopped;