diff --git a/pdbApp/Makefile b/pdbApp/Makefile
index e55cb7c..04215f5 100644
--- a/pdbApp/Makefile
+++ b/pdbApp/Makefile
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ qsrv_SRCS += demo.cpp
 
 ifdef BASE_3_16
 qsrv_SRCS += pdbgroup.cpp
+qsrv_SRCS += configparse.cpp
 endif
 
 qsrv_LIBS += pvAccess pvData Com
diff --git a/pdbApp/configparse.cpp b/pdbApp/configparse.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e786b5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pdbApp/configparse.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,247 @@
+
+#include <dbAccess.h>
+
+#include <dbEvent.h>
+#include <dbLock.h>
+
+#include <pv/pvIntrospect.h>
+#include <pv/pvAccess.h>
+#include <pv/json.h>
+
+#define epicsExportSharedSymbols
+#include "pdbgroup.h"
+
+namespace {
+
+namespace pvd = epics::pvData;
+
+typedef std::map<std::string, AnyScalar> options_t;
+typedef std::map<std::string, options_t> config_t;
+
+struct context {
+    std::string msg;
+    std::string group, field, key;
+
+    GroupConfig conf;
+
+    void can_assign()
+    {
+        if(group.empty() || field.empty())
+            throw std::runtime_error("Can't assign value in this context");
+    }
+
+    void assign(const AnyScalar& value) {
+        can_assign();
+        GroupConfig::Group& grp = conf.groups[group];
+
+        if(key.empty()) {
+            if(field=="+atomic") {
+                grp.atomic = value.as<pvd::boolean>();
+                grp.atomic_set = true;
+
+            } else {
+                conf.warning += "Unknown group option ";
+                conf.warning += field;
+            }
+            field.clear();
+
+        } else {
+            GroupConfig::Field& fld = grp.fields[field];
+
+            if(key=="+type") {
+                fld.type = value.ref<std::string>();
+                if(fld.type.empty())
+                    throw std::runtime_error("+type can't be empty string");
+
+            } else if(key=="+channel") {
+                fld.channel = value.ref<std::string>();
+                if(fld.channel.empty())
+                    throw std::runtime_error("+channel can't be empty string");
+
+            } else if(key=="+trigger") {
+                fld.trigger = value.ref<std::string>();
+                if(fld.trigger.empty())
+                    throw std::runtime_error("+trigger can't be empty string");
+
+            } else if(key=="+putorder") {
+                fld.putorder = value.as<pvd::int32>();
+
+            } else {
+                conf.warning += "Unknown group field option ";
+                conf.warning += field;
+            }
+            key.clear();
+        }
+    }
+};
+
+#define TRY context *self = (context*)ctx; try
+
+#define CATCH() catch(std::exception& e) { if(self->msg.empty()) self->msg = e.what(); return 0; }
+
+int conf_null(void * ctx)
+{
+    TRY {
+        self->assign(AnyScalar());
+        return 1;
+    }CATCH()
+}
+
+
+int conf_boolean(void * ctx, int boolVal)
+{
+    TRY {
+        self->assign(AnyScalar(pvd::boolean(boolVal)));
+        return 1;
+    }CATCH()
+}
+
+int conf_integer(void * ctx, long integerVal)
+{
+    TRY {
+        self->assign(AnyScalar(pvd::int64(integerVal)));
+        return 1;
+    }CATCH()
+}
+
+int conf_double(void * ctx, double doubleVal)
+{
+    TRY {
+        self->assign(AnyScalar(doubleVal));
+        return 1;
+    }CATCH()
+}
+
+int conf_string(void * ctx, const unsigned char * stringVal,
+                    unsigned int stringLen)
+{
+    TRY {
+        std::string val((const char*)stringVal, stringLen);
+        self->assign(AnyScalar(val));
+        return 1;
+    }CATCH()
+}
+
+int conf_start_map(void * ctx)
+{
+    TRY {
+        if(!self->group.empty() && !self->field.empty() && !self->key.empty())
+            throw std::runtime_error("Too deep");
+        return 1;
+    }CATCH()
+}
+
+int conf_map_key(void * ctx, const unsigned char * key,
+                     unsigned int stringLen)
+{
+    TRY {
+        if(stringLen==0)
+            throw std::runtime_error("empty key");
+
+        std::string name((const char*)key, stringLen);
+
+        if(self->group.empty())
+            self->group.swap(name);
+        else if(self->field.empty())
+            self->field.swap(name);
+        else if(self->key.empty())
+            self->key.swap(name);
+        else
+            throw std::logic_error("Too deep!!");
+
+        return 1;
+    }CATCH()
+}
+
+int conf_end_map(void * ctx)
+{
+    TRY {
+        assert(self->key.empty()); // cleared in assign()
+
+        if(!self->field.empty())
+            self->field.clear();
+        else if(!self->group.empty())
+            self->group.clear();
+
+        return 1;
+    }CATCH()
+}
+
+yajl_callbacks conf_cbs = {
+    &conf_null,
+    &conf_boolean,
+    &conf_integer,
+    &conf_double,
+    NULL, // number
+    &conf_string,
+    &conf_start_map,
+    &conf_map_key,
+    &conf_end_map,
+    NULL, // start_array,
+    NULL, // end_array,
+};
+
+struct handler {
+    yajl_handle handle;
+    handler(yajl_handle handle) :handle(handle)
+    {
+        if(!handle)
+            throw std::runtime_error("Failed to allocate yajl handle");
+    }
+    ~handler() {
+        yajl_free(handle);
+    }
+    operator yajl_handle() { return handle; }
+};
+
+}// namespace
+
+void GroupConfig::parse(const char *txt,
+                        GroupConfig& result)
+{
+    yajl_parser_config conf;
+    memset(&conf, 0, sizeof(conf));
+    conf.allowComments = 1;
+    conf.checkUTF8 = 1;
+
+    context ctxt;
+
+    handler handle(yajl_alloc(&conf_cbs, &conf, NULL, &ctxt));
+
+    yajl_status sts = yajl_parse(handle, (const unsigned char*)txt, strlen(txt));
+
+    if(sts==yajl_status_insufficient_data)
+        sts = yajl_parse_complete(handle);
+
+    switch(sts) {
+    case yajl_status_ok: {
+        size_t consumed = yajl_get_bytes_consumed(handle);
+        if(consumed<strlen(txt)) {
+            std::string leftovers(txt+consumed);
+            if(leftovers.find_first_not_of(" \t\n\r")!=leftovers.npos)
+                throw std::runtime_error("Trailing junk after json");
+        }
+        break;
+    }
+    case yajl_status_client_canceled:
+        throw std::runtime_error(ctxt.msg);
+
+    case yajl_status_insufficient_data:
+        throw std::runtime_error("Unexpected end of input");
+
+    case yajl_status_error:
+    {
+        unsigned char *raw = yajl_get_error(handle, 1, (const unsigned char*)txt, strlen(txt));
+        try {
+            std::string msg((char*)raw);
+            yajl_free_error(handle, raw);
+            throw std::runtime_error(msg);
+        } catch(...){
+            yajl_free_error(handle, raw);
+            throw;
+        }
+    }
+    }
+
+    ctxt.conf.swap(result);
+}
diff --git a/pdbApp/pdbgroup.h b/pdbApp/pdbgroup.h
index ab58377..55671c5 100644
--- a/pdbApp/pdbgroup.h
+++ b/pdbApp/pdbgroup.h
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 #ifndef PDBGROUP_H
 #define PDBGROUP_H
 
+#include <istream>
+#include <map>
+#include <limits>
+
 #include <dbAccess.h>
 
 #include <dbEvent.h>
@@ -15,6 +19,49 @@
 
 #include <shareLib.h>
 
+struct epicsShareClass GroupConfig
+{
+    struct epicsShareClass Field {
+        std::string type, channel, trigger;
+        int putorder;
+
+        Field() :putorder(std::numeric_limits<int>::min()) {}
+
+        void swap(Field& o) {
+            std::swap(type, o.type);
+            std::swap(channel, o.channel);
+            std::swap(trigger, o.trigger);
+            std::swap(putorder, o.putorder);
+        }
+    };
+
+    struct epicsShareClass Group {
+        typedef std::map<std::string, Field> fields_t;
+        fields_t fields;
+        bool atomic, atomic_set;
+
+        Group() :atomic(true), atomic_set(false) {}
+
+        void swap(Group& o) {
+            std::swap(fields, o.fields);
+            std::swap(atomic, o.atomic);
+            std::swap(atomic_set, o.atomic_set);
+        }
+    };
+
+    typedef std::map<std::string, Group> groups_t;
+    groups_t groups;
+    std::string warning;
+
+    void swap(GroupConfig& o) {
+        std::swap(groups, o.groups);
+        std::swap(warning, o.warning);
+    }
+
+    static void parse(const char *txt,
+                      GroupConfig& result);
+};
+
 struct PDBGroupMonitor;
 
 void pdb_group_event(void *user_arg, struct dbChannel *chan,
diff --git a/testApp/Makefile b/testApp/Makefile
index 8076fbb..3a23f11 100644
--- a/testApp/Makefile
+++ b/testApp/Makefile
@@ -67,6 +67,12 @@ testpvalink_SRCS += p2pTestIoc_registerRecordDeviceDriver.cpp
 testpvalink_LIBS += testutils qsrv pvAccess pvData $(EPICS_BASE_IOC_LIBS)
 #TESTS += testpvalink
 
+ifdef BASE_3_16
+TESTPROD_HOST += testgroupconfig
+testgroupconfig_SRCS += testgroupconfig
+testgroupconfig_LIBS += qsrv pvAccess pvData $(EPICS_BASE_IOC_LIBS)
+endif
+
 TESTSCRIPTS_HOST += $(TESTS:%=%.t)
 
 
diff --git a/testApp/testgroupconfig.cpp b/testApp/testgroupconfig.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c5d455b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testApp/testgroupconfig.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+#include <iostream>
+
+#include <pv/pvUnitTest.h>
+#include <testMain.h>
+
+#include "pdbgroup.h"
+
+namespace pvd = epics::pvData;
+
+namespace {
+
+void test_parse()
+{
+    testDiag("test_parse()");
+
+    const char txt[] =
+    "{\"grpa\":{\n"
+    "  \"+atomic\":false,\n"
+    "  \"fld\":{\n"
+    "    \"+type\": \"simple\","
+    "    \"+putorder\": -4"
+    "  }\n"
+    " },\n"
+    " \"fld2\":{\n"
+    " }\n"
+    "}";
+
+    GroupConfig conf;
+    GroupConfig::parse(txt, conf);
+
+    testOk(conf.warning.empty(), "Warnings: %s", conf.warning.c_str());
+
+    testOk1(!conf.groups["grpa"].atomic);
+    testOk1(conf.groups["grpa"].atomic_set);
+
+    testEqual(conf.groups["grpa"].fields["fld"].type, "simple");
+    testEqual(conf.groups["grpa"].fields["fld"].channel, "");
+    testEqual(conf.groups["grpa"].fields["fld"].putorder, -4);
+}
+
+void test_fail()
+{
+    testDiag("test_fail()");
+
+    {
+        GroupConfig conf;
+        testThrows(std::runtime_error, GroupConfig::parse("{\"G\":{\"F\":{\"K\":{}}}}", conf));
+    }
+    {
+        GroupConfig conf;
+        testThrows(std::runtime_error, GroupConfig::parse("{\"G\":5}", conf));
+    }
+}
+
+} // namespace
+
+MAIN(testanyscalar)
+{
+    testPlan(8);
+    try {
+        test_parse();
+        test_fail();
+    }catch(std::exception& e){
+        testAbort("Unexpected exception: %s", e.what());
+    }
+    return testDone();
+}