diff --git a/src/db/db_access.c b/src/db/db_access.c
index ad738ce14..390716e54 100644
--- a/src/db/db_access.c
+++ b/src/db/db_access.c
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@
 
 #include        "dbDefs.h"
 #include        "errlog.h"
+#include        "dbStaticLib.h"
 #include        "dbAccess.h"
 #include        "dbCommon.h"
 #include        "errMdef.h"
@@ -62,6 +63,8 @@
 
 #include	"alarm.h"
 
+extern struct dbBase *pdbbase;
+
 #ifndef NULL
 #define NULL 0
 #endif
@@ -120,6 +123,7 @@
 #define oldDBR_PUT_ACKT		oldDBR_CTRL_DOUBLE + 1
 #define oldDBR_PUT_ACKS		oldDBR_PUT_ACKT + 1
 #define oldDBR_STSACK_STRING	oldDBR_PUT_ACKS + 1
+#define oldDBR_CLASS_NAME	oldDBR_STSACK_STRING + 1
 
 /*Following is defined in db_access.h*/
 extern unsigned short dbDBRnewToDBRold[DBR_ENUM+1];
@@ -1407,7 +1411,29 @@ void		*pfl
 		for(i=nRequest; i<no_elements; i++) pvalue[i][0] = 0;
 	}
 	break;
+    case(oldDBR_CLASS_NAME):
+	{
+	    DBENTRY dbEntry;
+	    char    *name = 0;
+	    char    *pto = (char *)pbuffer;
 
+	    if(!pdbbase) {
+		status = S_db_notFound;
+		break;
+	    }
+	    dbInitEntry(pdbbase,&dbEntry);
+	    status = dbFindRecord(&dbEntry,paddr->precord->name);
+	    if(!status) name = dbGetRecordTypeName(&dbEntry);
+	    dbFinishEntry(&dbEntry);
+	    if(status) break;
+	    if(!name) {
+		status = S_dbLib_recordTypeNotFound;
+		break;
+	    }
+	    pto[MAX_STRING_SIZE-1] = 0;
+	    strncpy(pto,name,MAX_STRING_SIZE-1);
+	}
+	break;
     default:
 	return(-1);
     }
diff --git a/src/db/db_access.h b/src/db/db_access.h
index e63ef1a71..aae3eda1f 100644
--- a/src/db/db_access.h
+++ b/src/db/db_access.h
@@ -181,7 +181,8 @@ typedef epicsUInt16	dbr_put_acks_t;
 #define DBR_PUT_ACKT	DBR_CTRL_DOUBLE + 1
 #define DBR_PUT_ACKS    DBR_PUT_ACKT + 1
 #define DBR_STSACK_STRING DBR_PUT_ACKS + 1
-#define	LAST_BUFFER_TYPE	DBR_STSACK_STRING
+#define DBR_CLASS_NAME DBR_STSACK_STRING + 1
+#define	LAST_BUFFER_TYPE	DBR_CLASS_NAME
 #define	VALID_DB_REQ(x)	((x >= 0) && (x <= LAST_BUFFER_TYPE))
 #define	INVALID_DB_REQ(x)	((x < 0) || (x > LAST_BUFFER_TYPE))
 
@@ -305,6 +306,7 @@ epicsShareDef READONLY epicsType DBR_XXXXToEpicsType [LAST_BUFFER_TYPE+1] = {
 
 			epicsUInt16T,
 			epicsUInt16T,
+			epicsOldStringT,
 			epicsOldStringT
 };
 #else
@@ -751,6 +753,7 @@ epicsShareDef READONLY unsigned short dbr_size[LAST_BUFFER_TYPE+1] = {
 	sizeof(dbr_put_ackt_t),		/* put ackt			*/
 	sizeof(dbr_put_acks_t),		/* put acks			*/
 	sizeof(struct dbr_stsack_string),/* string field with status/ack*/
+	sizeof(dbr_string_t),		/* string max size		*/
 };
 #endif
 
@@ -797,6 +800,7 @@ epicsShareDef READONLY unsigned short dbr_value_size[LAST_BUFFER_TYPE+1] = {
 	sizeof(dbr_ushort_t), 	/* put_ackt			*/
 	sizeof(dbr_ushort_t), 	/* put_acks			*/
 	sizeof(dbr_string_t),	/* string max size		*/
+	sizeof(dbr_string_t),	/* string max size		*/
 };
 #endif
 
@@ -853,6 +857,7 @@ epicsShareDef READONLY enum dbr_value_class dbr_value_class[LAST_BUFFER_TYPE+1]
 	dbr_class_int,
 	dbr_class_int,
 	dbr_class_string,
+	dbr_class_string,	/* string max size		*/
 };
 #endif
 
@@ -917,6 +922,7 @@ epicsShareDef READONLY unsigned short dbr_value_offset[LAST_BUFFER_TYPE+1] = {
 	0,					/* put ackt			*/
 	0,					/* put acks			*/
 	BYTE_OS(struct dbr_stsack_string,value[0]),/* string field	with status	*/
+	0,					/* string			*/
 };
 #endif
 
@@ -961,6 +967,7 @@ union db_access_val{
 	dbr_put_ackt_t		putackt;	/* item number		      */
 	dbr_put_acks_t		putacks;	/* item number		      */
 	struct dbr_sts_string	sastrval;	/* string field	with status   */
+	dbr_string_t		classname;	/* string max size	      */
 };
 
 /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -1148,9 +1155,10 @@ union db_access_val{
 	"DBR_PUT_ACKT",
 	"DBR_PUT_ACKS",
 	"DBR_STSACK_STRING",
+	"DBR_CLASS_NAME",
     };
     epicsShareDef READONLY char * dbr_text_invalid = "DBR_invalid";
-    epicsShareDef READONLY short   dbr_text_dim = (sizeof dbr_text)/(sizeof (char *));
+    epicsShareDef READONLY short   dbr_text_dim = (sizeof dbr_text)/(sizeof (char *)) + 1;
 #endif
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus