diff --git a/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLex.l b/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLex.l
index c06a99242..681cb1f24 100644
--- a/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLex.l
+++ b/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLex.l
@@ -73,15 +73,20 @@ static int yyreset(void)
 {whitespace}	;
 
 {doublequote}({stringchar}|{escape})*{newline} { /* bad string */
-	yyerror("Newline in string, closing quote missing");
+	yyerrorAbort("Newline in string, closing quote missing");
 }
 
 .	{
 	char message[40];
 	YY_BUFFER_STATE *dummy=0;
 
-	sprintf(message,"Invalid character '%c'",yytext[0]);
-	yyerror(message);
+	if (isprint((int) yytext[0])) {
+	    sprintf(message, "Invalid character '%c'", yytext[0]);
+	}
+	else {
+	    sprintf(message, "Invalid character 0x%2.2x", yytext[0]);
+	}
+	yyerrorAbort(message);
 	/*The following suppresses compiler warning messages*/
 	if(FALSE) yyunput('c',(unsigned char *) message);
 	if(FALSE) yy_switch_to_buffer(*dummy);
diff --git a/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLexRoutines.c b/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLexRoutines.c
index 39124289e..f5ead7a7b 100644
--- a/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLexRoutines.c
+++ b/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbLexRoutines.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 
 /*The routines in this module are serially reusable NOT reentrant*/
 
+#include <ctype.h>
 #include <epicsStdlib.h>
 #include <stddef.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
diff --git a/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticLib.c b/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticLib.c
index e6b8d3098..d9b02b670 100644
--- a/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticLib.c
+++ b/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticLib.c
@@ -604,7 +604,10 @@ DBENTRY * dbAllocEntry(dbBase *pdbbase)
 
 void dbFreeEntry(DBENTRY *pdbentry)
 {
-    if(pdbentry->message) free((void *)pdbentry->message);
+    if (!pdbentry)
+        return;
+    if (pdbentry->message)
+        free((void *)pdbentry->message);
     dbmfFree(pdbentry);
 }