diff --git a/src/dbStatic/dbToMenuH.c b/src/dbStatic/dbToMenuH.c
index 8acac08de..8b74f70ca 100644
--- a/src/dbStatic/dbToMenuH.c
+++ b/src/dbStatic/dbToMenuH.c
@@ -97,11 +97,6 @@ int main(int argc,char **argv)
     outFilename = dbCalloc(1,strlen(argv[2])+1);
     strcpy(outFilename,argv[2]);
     }
-    outFile = fopen(outFilename,"w");
-    if(!outFile) {
-	errPrintf(0,__FILE__,__LINE__,"Error opening %s\n",outFilename);
-	exit(-1);
-    }
     pdbbase = dbAllocBase();
     pdbbase->ignoreMissingMenus = TRUE;
     status = dbReadDatabase(&pdbbase,argv[1],path,sub);
@@ -109,6 +104,11 @@ int main(int argc,char **argv)
 	fprintf(stderr,"Terminal error For input file %s\n",argv[1]);
 	exit(-1);
     }
+    outFile = fopen(outFilename,"w");
+    if(!outFile) {
+	errPrintf(0,__FILE__,__LINE__,"Error opening %s\n",outFilename);
+	exit(-1);
+    }
     pdbMenu = (dbMenu *)ellFirst(&pdbbase->menuList);
     while(pdbMenu) {
 	fprintf(outFile,"#ifndef INC%sH\n",pdbMenu->name);
diff --git a/src/dbStatic/dbToRecordtypeH.c b/src/dbStatic/dbToRecordtypeH.c
index 126418f4a..246a5c58b 100644
--- a/src/dbStatic/dbToRecordtypeH.c
+++ b/src/dbStatic/dbToRecordtypeH.c
@@ -109,11 +109,6 @@ int main(int argc,char **argv)
 	isdbCommonRecord = TRUE;
     }
     }
-    outFile = fopen(outFilename,"w");
-    if(!outFile) {
-	errPrintf(0,__FILE__,__LINE__,"Error opening %s\n",outFilename);
-	exit(-1);
-    }
     pdbbase = dbAllocBase();
     pdbbase->ignoreMissingMenus = TRUE;
     pdbbase->loadCdefs = TRUE;
@@ -122,6 +117,11 @@ int main(int argc,char **argv)
 	fprintf(stderr,"Terminal error For input file %s\n",argv[1]);
 	exit(-1);
     }
+    outFile = fopen(outFilename,"w");
+    if(!outFile) {
+	errPrintf(0,__FILE__,__LINE__,"Error opening %s\n",outFilename);
+	exit(-1);
+    }
     fprintf(outFile,"#include \"ellLib.h\"\n");
     fprintf(outFile,"#include \"epicsMutex.h\"\n");
     fprintf(outFile,"#include \"link.h\"\n");