diff --git a/src/std/dev/devAiSoftRaw.c b/src/std/dev/devAiSoftRaw.c
index e7b767e50..f2cfd5df5 100644
--- a/src/std/dev/devAiSoftRaw.c
+++ b/src/std/dev/devAiSoftRaw.c
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ static long readLocked(struct link *pinp, void *dummy)
         prec->tse == epicsTimeEventDeviceTime)
         dbGetTimeStamp(pinp, &prec->time);
 
-    return 0;
+    return status;
 }
 
 static long read_ai(aiRecord *prec)
diff --git a/src/std/dev/devBiSoft.c b/src/std/dev/devBiSoft.c
index f0f305b8c..12640ad0c 100644
--- a/src/std/dev/devBiSoft.c
+++ b/src/std/dev/devBiSoft.c
@@ -55,13 +55,15 @@ static long init_record(biRecord *prec)
 static long readLocked(struct link *pinp, void *dummy)
 {
     biRecord *prec = (biRecord *) pinp->precord;
+    long status = dbGetLink(pinp, DBR_USHORT, &prec->val, 0, 0);
+
+    if (status) return status;
+
+    prec->udf = FALSE;
+    if (dbLinkIsConstant(&prec->tsel) &&
+        prec->tse == epicsTimeEventDeviceTime)
+        dbGetTimeStamp(pinp, &prec->time);
 
-    if (!dbGetLink(pinp, DBR_USHORT, &prec->val, 0, 0)) {
-        prec->udf = FALSE;
-        if (dbLinkIsConstant(&prec->tsel) &&
-            prec->tse == epicsTimeEventDeviceTime)
-            dbGetTimeStamp(pinp, &prec->time);
-    }
     return 2;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/std/dev/devBiSoftRaw.c b/src/std/dev/devBiSoftRaw.c
index 3cb6b6ffe..a71bf89cb 100644
--- a/src/std/dev/devBiSoftRaw.c
+++ b/src/std/dev/devBiSoftRaw.c
@@ -48,19 +48,22 @@ epicsExportAddress(dset, devBiSoftRaw);
 static long init_record(biRecord *prec)
 {
     recGblInitConstantLink(&prec->inp, DBF_ULONG, &prec->rval);
+
     return 0;
 }
 
 static long readLocked(struct link *pinp, void *dummy)
 {
     biRecord *prec = (biRecord *) pinp->precord;
+    long status = dbGetLink(pinp, DBR_ULONG, &prec->rval, 0, 0);
 
-    if (!dbGetLink(pinp, DBR_ULONG, &prec->rval, 0, 0) &&
-        dbLinkIsConstant(&prec->tsel) &&
+    if (status) return status;
+
+    if (dbLinkIsConstant(&prec->tsel) &&
         prec->tse == epicsTimeEventDeviceTime)
         dbGetTimeStamp(pinp, &prec->time);
 
-    return 0;
+    return status;
 }
 
 static long read_bi(biRecord *prec)
diff --git a/src/std/dev/devLiSoft.c b/src/std/dev/devLiSoft.c
index 30f981b59..6d7b7fda1 100644
--- a/src/std/dev/devLiSoft.c
+++ b/src/std/dev/devLiSoft.c
@@ -58,10 +58,12 @@ static long readLocked(struct link *pinp, void *dummy)
     longinRecord *prec = (longinRecord *) pinp->precord;
     long status = dbGetLink(pinp, DBR_LONG, &prec->val, 0, 0);
 
-    if (!status &&
-        dbLinkIsConstant(&prec->tsel) &&
+    if (status) return status;
+
+    if (dbLinkIsConstant(&prec->tsel) &&
         prec->tse == epicsTimeEventDeviceTime)
         dbGetTimeStamp(pinp, &prec->time);
+
     return status;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/std/dev/devLsiSoft.c b/src/std/dev/devLsiSoft.c
index 8ec5ea2fa..3076c9900 100644
--- a/src/std/dev/devLsiSoft.c
+++ b/src/std/dev/devLsiSoft.c
@@ -29,8 +29,9 @@ static long readLocked(struct link *pinp, void *dummy)
     lsiRecord *prec = (lsiRecord *) pinp->precord;
     long status = dbGetLinkLS(pinp, prec->val, prec->sizv, &prec->len);
 
-    if (!status &&
-        dbLinkIsConstant(&prec->tsel) &&
+    if (status) return status;
+
+    if (dbLinkIsConstant(&prec->tsel) &&
         prec->tse == epicsTimeEventDeviceTime)
         dbGetTimeStamp(pinp, &prec->time);
 
diff --git a/src/std/dev/devMbbiDirectSoft.c b/src/std/dev/devMbbiDirectSoft.c
index c63d0de1a..9c929b2b6 100644
--- a/src/std/dev/devMbbiDirectSoft.c
+++ b/src/std/dev/devMbbiDirectSoft.c
@@ -56,13 +56,15 @@ static long init_record(mbbiDirectRecord *prec)
 static long readLocked(struct link *pinp, void *dummy)
 {
     mbbiDirectRecord *prec = (mbbiDirectRecord *) pinp->precord;
+    long status = dbGetLink(pinp, DBR_USHORT, &prec->val, 0, 0);
+
+    if (status) return status;
+
+    prec->udf = FALSE;
+    if (dbLinkIsConstant(&prec->tsel) &&
+        prec->tse == epicsTimeEventDeviceTime)
+        dbGetTimeStamp(pinp, &prec->time);
 
-    if (!dbGetLink(pinp, DBR_USHORT, &prec->val, 0, 0)) {
-        prec->udf = FALSE;
-        if (dbLinkIsConstant(&prec->tsel) &&
-            prec->tse == epicsTimeEventDeviceTime)
-            dbGetTimeStamp(pinp, &prec->time);
-    }
     return 2;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/std/dev/devMbbiSoft.c b/src/std/dev/devMbbiSoft.c
index 670e2f615..b0b57144f 100644
--- a/src/std/dev/devMbbiSoft.c
+++ b/src/std/dev/devMbbiSoft.c
@@ -56,14 +56,15 @@ static long init_record(mbbiRecord *prec)
 static long readLocked(struct link *pinp, void *dummy)
 {
     mbbiRecord *prec = (mbbiRecord *) pinp->precord;
+    long status = dbGetLink(pinp, DBR_USHORT, &prec->val, 0, 0);
 
-    if (!dbGetLink(pinp, DBR_USHORT, &prec->val, 0, 0)) {
-        prec->udf = FALSE;
+    if (status) return status;
+
+    prec->udf = FALSE;
+    if (dbLinkIsConstant(&prec->tsel) &&
+        prec->tse == epicsTimeEventDeviceTime)
+        dbGetTimeStamp(pinp, &prec->time);
 
-        if (dbLinkIsConstant(&prec->tsel) &&
-            prec->tse == epicsTimeEventDeviceTime)
-            dbGetTimeStamp(pinp, &prec->time);
-    }
     return 2;
 }