diff --git a/src/ioc/db/dbAccess.c b/src/ioc/db/dbAccess.c
index 7fbfcc458..1d224f976 100644
--- a/src/ioc/db/dbAccess.c
+++ b/src/ioc/db/dbAccess.c
@@ -315,28 +315,36 @@ static void get_alarm(DBADDR *paddr, char **ppbuffer,
 	return;
 }
 
+/*
+ * This code relies on *poriginal being aligned and all increments done by the
+ * blocks only changing the buffer pointer in a way that does not break alignment.
+ */
 static void getOptions(DBADDR *paddr, char **poriginal, long *options,
         void *pflin)
 {
 	db_field_log	*pfl= (db_field_log *)pflin;
 	struct rset	*prset;
-	short		field_type=paddr->field_type;
+        short		field_type;
 	dbCommon	*pcommon;
 	char		*pbuffer = *poriginal;
 
+        if (!pfl || pfl->type == dbfl_type_rec)
+            field_type = paddr->field_type;
+        else
+            field_type = pfl->field_type;
 	prset=dbGetRset(paddr);
 	/* Process options */
 	pcommon = paddr->precord;
 	if( (*options) & DBR_STATUS ) {
 	    unsigned short *pushort = (unsigned short *)pbuffer;
 
-	    if(pfl!=NULL) {
-                *pushort++ = pfl->u.v.stat;
-                *pushort++ = pfl->u.v.sevr;
-	    } else {
+            if (!pfl || pfl->type == dbfl_type_rec) {
                 *pushort++ = pcommon->stat;
                 *pushort++ = pcommon->sevr;
-	    }
+            } else {
+                *pushort++ = pfl->stat;
+                *pushort++ = pfl->sevr;
+            }
 	    *pushort++ = pcommon->acks;
 	    *pushort++ = pcommon->ackt;
 	    pbuffer = (char *)pushort;
@@ -364,12 +372,12 @@ static void getOptions(DBADDR *paddr, char **poriginal, long *options,
 	if( (*options) & DBR_TIME ) {
 	    epicsUInt32 *ptime = (epicsUInt32 *)pbuffer;
 
-	    if(pfl!=NULL) {
-                *ptime++ = pfl->u.v.time.secPastEpoch;
-                *ptime++ = pfl->u.v.time.nsec;
-	    } else {
-		*ptime++ = pcommon->time.secPastEpoch;
-		*ptime++ = pcommon->time.nsec;
+            if (!pfl || pfl->type == dbfl_type_rec) {
+                *ptime++ = pcommon->time.secPastEpoch;
+                *ptime++ = pcommon->time.nsec;
+            } else {
+                *ptime++ = pfl->time.secPastEpoch;
+                *ptime++ = pfl->time.nsec;
 	    }
 	    pbuffer = (char *)ptime;
 	}
@@ -778,8 +786,8 @@ long epicsShareAPI dbGet(DBADDR *paddr, short dbrType,
 {
     char *pbuf = pbuffer;
     db_field_log *pfl = (db_field_log *)pflin;
-    short field_type  = paddr->field_type;
-    long no_elements  = paddr->no_elements;
+    short field_type;
+    long no_elements;
     long offset;
     struct rset *prset;
     long status = 0;
@@ -789,6 +797,14 @@ long epicsShareAPI dbGet(DBADDR *paddr, short dbrType,
     if (nRequest && *nRequest == 0)
         return 0;
 
+    if (!pfl || pfl->type == dbfl_type_rec) {
+        field_type  = paddr->field_type;
+        no_elements = paddr->no_elements;
+    } else {
+        field_type  = pfl->field_type;
+        no_elements = pfl->no_elements;
+    }
+
     if (field_type >= DBF_INLINK && field_type <= DBF_FWDLINK)
         return getLinkValue(paddr, dbrType, pbuf, nRequest);
 
@@ -815,15 +831,18 @@ long epicsShareAPI dbGet(DBADDR *paddr, short dbrType,
 
     if (offset == 0 && (!nRequest || no_elements == 1)) {
         if (nRequest) *nRequest = 1;
-        if (pfl != NULL) {
-            DBADDR localAddr = *paddr; /* Structure copy */
-
-            localAddr.pfield = (char *)&pfl->u.v.field;
-            status = dbFastGetConvertRoutine[field_type][dbrType]
-                (localAddr.pfield, pbuffer, &localAddr);
-        } else {
+        if (!pfl || pfl->type == dbfl_type_rec) {
             status = dbFastGetConvertRoutine[field_type][dbrType]
                 (paddr->pfield, pbuffer, paddr);
+        } else {
+            DBADDR localAddr = *paddr; /* Structure copy */
+
+            if (pfl->type == dbfl_type_val)
+                localAddr.pfield = (char *) &pfl->u.v.field;
+            else
+                localAddr.pfield = (char *)  pfl->u.r.field;
+            status = dbFastGetConvertRoutine[field_type][dbrType]
+                (localAddr.pfield, pbuffer, &localAddr);
         }
     } else {
         long n;
@@ -847,13 +866,16 @@ long epicsShareAPI dbGet(DBADDR *paddr, short dbrType,
         /* convert database field  and place it in the buffer */
         if (n <= 0) {
             ;/*do nothing*/
-        } else if (pfl) {
+        } else if (!pfl || pfl->type == dbfl_type_rec) {
+            status = convert(paddr, pbuffer, n, no_elements, offset);
+        } else {
             DBADDR localAddr = *paddr; /* Structure copy */
 
-            localAddr.pfield = (char *)&pfl->u.v.field;
+            if (pfl->type == dbfl_type_val)
+                localAddr.pfield = (char *) &pfl->u.v.field;
+            else
+                localAddr.pfield = (char *)  pfl->u.r.field;
             status = convert(&localAddr, pbuffer, n, no_elements, offset);
-        } else {
-            status = convert(paddr, pbuffer, n, no_elements, offset);
         }
     }
     return status;
diff --git a/src/ioc/db/dbEvent.c b/src/ioc/db/dbEvent.c
index 6bd27dc35..adea52b9f 100644
--- a/src/ioc/db/dbEvent.c
+++ b/src/ioc/db/dbEvent.c
@@ -634,10 +634,12 @@ db_field_log* db_post_single_event_first (struct evSubscrip *pevent)
         struct dbChannel *chan = pevent->chan;
         struct dbCommon  *prec = dbChannelRecord(chan);
         if (pevent->useValque) {
-            pLog->isValue = 1;
-            pLog->u.v.stat = prec->stat;
-            pLog->u.v.sevr = prec->sevr;
-            pLog->u.v.time = prec->time;
+            pLog->type = dbfl_type_val;
+            pLog->stat = prec->stat;
+            pLog->sevr = prec->sevr;
+            pLog->time = prec->time;
+            pLog->field_type  = dbChannelFieldType(chan);
+            pLog->no_elements = dbChannelElements(chan);
             /*
              * use memcpy to avoid a bus error on
              * union copy of char in the db at an odd
@@ -647,12 +649,7 @@ db_field_log* db_post_single_event_first (struct evSubscrip *pevent)
                    dbChannelField(chan),
                    dbChannelElementSize(chan));
         } else {
-            pLog->isValue = 0;
-            pLog->u.p.stat = &prec->stat;
-            pLog->u.p.sevr = &prec->sevr;
-            pLog->u.p.time = &prec->time;
-            pLog->u.p.field   = dbChannelField(chan);
-            pLog->u.p.freeFld = NULL;
+            pLog->type = dbfl_type_rec;
         }
     }
     return pLog;
@@ -677,13 +674,15 @@ void db_post_single_event_final (void *pvt, evSubscrip *pevent, db_field_log *pL
     LOCKEVQUE (ev_que)
 
     /*
-     * if we have an event on the queue and we are
-     * not saving the current value (because this is a
-     * string or an array) then ignore duplicate
-     * events (saving them without the current valuye
-     * serves no purpose)
+     * if we have an event on the queue and both the last
+     * event on the queue and the current event are emtpy
+     * (i.e. of type dbfl_type_rec), simply ignore duplicate
+     * events (saving empty events serves no purpose)
      */
-    if (!pevent->useValque && pevent->npend>0u) {
+    if (pevent->npend > 0u &&
+        (*pevent->pLastLog)->type == dbfl_type_rec &&
+        pLog->type == dbfl_type_rec) {
+        db_delete_field_log(pLog);
         UNLOCKEVQUE (ev_que)
         return;
     }
@@ -860,9 +859,6 @@ static int event_read ( struct event_que *ev_que )
          * communication. (for other types they get whatever happens
          * to be there upon wakeup)
          */
-        if ( !pevent->useValque ) {
-            pfl = NULL;
-        }
 
         event_remove ( ev_que, ev_que->getix, EVENTQEMPTY );
         ev_que->getix = RNGINC ( ev_que->getix );
@@ -1093,7 +1089,7 @@ void epicsShareAPI db_delete_field_log (db_field_log *pfl)
 {
     if (pfl) {
         /* Free field if reference type field log and dtor is set */
-        if (!pfl->isValue && pfl->u.p.freeFld) pfl->u.p.freeFld(pfl->u.p.field);
+        if (pfl->type == dbfl_type_ref && pfl->u.r.dtor) pfl->u.r.dtor(pfl);
         /* Free the field log chunk */
         freeListFree(dbevFieldLogFreeList, pfl);
     }
diff --git a/src/ioc/db/db_field_log.h b/src/ioc/db/db_field_log.h
index 8ed545063..a01a21152 100644
--- a/src/ioc/db/db_field_log.h
+++ b/src/ioc/db/db_field_log.h
@@ -46,26 +46,38 @@ union native_value {
  *	structure to log the state of a data base field at the time
  *	an event is triggered.
  */
+struct db_field_log;
+typedef void (dbfl_freeFunc)(struct db_field_log *pfl);
+
+/* Types of db_field_log: rec = use record, val = val inside, ref = reference inside */
+typedef enum dbfl_type {
+    dbfl_type_rec = 0,
+    dbfl_type_val,
+    dbfl_type_ref
+} dbfl_type;
+
+#define dbflTypeStr(t) (t==dbfl_type_val?"val":t==dbfl_type_rec?"rec":"ref")
+
 struct dbfl_val {
-    unsigned short     stat;    /* Alarm Status */
-    unsigned short     sevr;    /* Alarm Severity */
-    epicsTimeStamp     time;    /* Time stamp */
-    union native_value field;   /* Field value */
+    union native_value field; /* Field value */
 };
 
 struct dbfl_ref {
-    unsigned short    *stat;             /* Alarm Status */
-    unsigned short    *sevr;             /* Alarm Severity */
-    epicsTimeStamp    *time;             /* Time stamp */
-    void             (*freeFld)(void*);  /* Callback to free a filter-allocated field */
-    void              *field;            /* Field value */
+    dbfl_freeFunc     *dtor;  /* Callback to free filter-allocated resources */
+    void              *pvt;   /* Private pointer */
+    void              *field; /* Field value */
 };
 
 typedef struct db_field_log {
-    char               isValue; /* is a value (*not* string/array) */
+    enum dbfl_type     type;  /* type (union) selector */
+    epicsTimeStamp     time;  /* Time stamp */
+    unsigned short     stat;  /* Alarm Status */
+    unsigned short     sevr;  /* Alarm Severity */
+    short        field_type;  /* DBF type of data */
+    long        no_elements;  /* No of array elements */
     union {
         struct dbfl_val v;
-        struct dbfl_ref p;
+        struct dbfl_ref r;
     } u;
 } db_field_log;
 
diff --git a/src/ioc/db/test/chfPluginTest.c b/src/ioc/db/test/chfPluginTest.c
index 564a81302..043da3cf8 100644
--- a/src/ioc/db/test/chfPluginTest.c
+++ b/src/ioc/db/test/chfPluginTest.c
@@ -22,12 +22,13 @@
 #define e_error         0x00000004
 #define e_ok            0x00000008
 #define e_open          0x00000010
-#define e_report        0x00000020
-#define e_close         0x00000040
+#define e_reg_pre_cb    0x00000020
+#define e_report        0x00000040
+#define e_close         0x00000080
 
 unsigned int e, c;
 
-#define e_any (e_alloc | e_free | e_error | e_ok | e_open | e_report | e_close)
+#define e_any (e_alloc | e_free | e_error | e_ok | e_open | e_reg_pre_cb| e_report | e_close)
 
 typedef struct myStruct {
     int sent1;