diff --git a/src/ioc/db/dbConstLink.c b/src/ioc/db/dbConstLink.c
index 1c1f89c3a..90f5d8d6b 100644
--- a/src/ioc/db/dbConstLink.c
+++ b/src/ioc/db/dbConstLink.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include "dbAccessDefs.h"
 #include "dbAddr.h"
 #include "dbCommon.h"
+#include "dbConstLink.h"
 #include "dbConvertFast.h"
 #include "dbConvertJSON.h"
 #include "dbFldTypes.h"
diff --git a/src/ioc/db/dbConstLink.h b/src/ioc/db/dbConstLink.h
index fb598ab9f..c187f9fc5 100644
--- a/src/ioc/db/dbConstLink.h
+++ b/src/ioc/db/dbConstLink.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ extern "C" {
 
 struct link;
 
-epicsShareFunc long dbConstInitLink(struct link *plink);
+epicsShareFunc void dbConstInitLink(struct link *plink);
 epicsShareFunc void dbConstAddLink(struct link *plink);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
diff --git a/src/ioc/db/dbConvertJSON.c b/src/ioc/db/dbConvertJSON.c
index d877fe043..cd7b7ca44 100644
--- a/src/ioc/db/dbConvertJSON.c
+++ b/src/ioc/db/dbConvertJSON.c
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ static int dbcj_integer(void *ctx, long num) {
 
     if (parser->elems > 0) {
         conv(&val32, parser->pdest, NULL);
-	parser->pdest += parser->dbrSize;
-	parser->elems--;
+        parser->pdest += parser->dbrSize;
+        parser->elems--;
     }
     return 1;
 }
@@ -54,8 +54,8 @@ static int dbcj_double(void *ctx, double num) {
 
     if (parser->elems > 0) {
         conv(&num, parser->pdest, NULL);
-	parser->pdest += parser->dbrSize;
-	parser->elems--;
+        parser->pdest += parser->dbrSize;
+        parser->elems--;
     }
     return 1;
 }
@@ -71,10 +71,12 @@ static int dbcj_string(void *ctx, const unsigned char *val, unsigned int len) {
         return 0; /* Illegal */
 
     if (parser->elems > 0) {
-        if (len > MAX_STRING_SIZE - 1)
-            len = MAX_STRING_SIZE - 1;
+        if (len > parser->dbrSize - 1)
+            len = parser->dbrSize - 1;
         strncpy(pdest, (const char *) val, len);
-	pdest[len] = 0;
+        pdest[len] = 0;
+        parser->pdest += parser->dbrSize;
+        parser->elems--;
     }
     return 1;
 }
@@ -147,7 +149,7 @@ long dbPutConvertJSON(const char *json, short dbrType,
         break;
 
     case yajl_status_error: {
-	unsigned char *err = yajl_get_error(yh, 1,
+        unsigned char *err = yajl_get_error(yh, 1,
             (const unsigned char *) json, (unsigned int) jlen);
         fprintf(stderr, "dbPutConvertJSON: %s\n", err);
         yajl_free_error(yh, err);
diff --git a/src/ioc/db/dbLink.c b/src/ioc/db/dbLink.c
index 111175276..a07d35caf 100644
--- a/src/ioc/db/dbLink.c
+++ b/src/ioc/db/dbLink.c
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ long dbLoadLink(struct link *plink, short dbrType, void *pbuffer)
     lset *plset = plink->lset;
 
 
-    if (plset->loadScalar)
+    if (plset && plset->loadScalar)
         return plset->loadScalar(plink, dbrType, pbuffer);
 
     return S_db_notFound;
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ long dbLoadLinkArray(struct link *plink, short dbrType, void *pbuffer,
 {
     lset *plset = plink->lset;
 
-    if (plset->loadArray)
+    if (plset && plset->loadArray)
         return plset->loadArray(plink, dbrType, pbuffer, pnRequest);
 
     return S_db_notFound;
diff --git a/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticLib.c b/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticLib.c
index c718dacab..9ef89e802 100644
--- a/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticLib.c
+++ b/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticLib.c
@@ -2331,7 +2331,8 @@ long dbParseLink(const char *str, short ftype, dbLinkInfo *pinfo)
     }
 
     /* Link may be an array constant */
-    if (pstr[0] == '[' && pstr[len-1] == ']' && strchr(pstr, ',')) {
+    if (pstr[0] == '[' && pstr[len-1] == ']' &&
+        (strchr(pstr, ',') || strchr(pstr, '"'))) {
         pinfo->ltype = CONSTANT;
         return 0;
     }
diff --git a/src/std/dev/devAaiSoft.c b/src/std/dev/devAaiSoft.c
index 768ddb00e..31626bacb 100644
--- a/src/std/dev/devAaiSoft.c
+++ b/src/std/dev/devAaiSoft.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include "alarm.h"
 #include "dbDefs.h"
 #include "dbAccess.h"
+#include "dbConstLink.h"
 #include "recGbl.h"
 #include "devSup.h"
 #include "cantProceed.h"
@@ -52,11 +53,24 @@ epicsExportAddress(dset,devAaiSoft);
 
 static long init_record(aaiRecord *prec)
 {
-    long nRequest = prec->nelm;
-
     if (prec->inp.type == CONSTANT) {
-        dbLoadLinkArray(&prec->inp, prec->ftvl, prec->bptr, &nRequest);
-        prec->nord = (nRequest > 0) ? nRequest : 0;
+        long nRequest = prec->nelm;
+        long status;
+
+        /* Allocate a buffer, record support hasn't done that yet */
+        if (!prec->bptr) {
+            prec->bptr = callocMustSucceed(nRequest, dbValueSize(prec->ftvl),
+                "devAaiSoft: buffer calloc failed");
+        }
+
+        /* This is pass 0 so link hasn't been initialized either */
+        dbConstInitLink(&prec->inp);
+
+        status = dbLoadLinkArray(&prec->inp, prec->ftvl, prec->bptr, &nRequest);
+        if (!status && nRequest > 0) {
+            prec->nord = nRequest;
+            prec->udf = FALSE;
+        }
     }
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/std/dev/devWfSoft.c b/src/std/dev/devWfSoft.c
index 4128ed47a..e5aef8195 100644
--- a/src/std/dev/devWfSoft.c
+++ b/src/std/dev/devWfSoft.c
@@ -52,7 +52,10 @@ static long init_record(waveformRecord *prec)
     long nelm = prec->nelm;
     long status = dbLoadLinkArray(&prec->inp, prec->ftvl, prec->bptr, &nelm);
 
-    prec->nord = !status && (nelm > 0) ? nelm : 0;
+    if (!status && nelm > 0) {
+        prec->nord = nelm;
+        prec->udf = FALSE;
+    }
     return status;
 }