diff --git a/src/pvaClientData.cpp b/src/pvaClientData.cpp
index 7f14e5a..8cb06e7 100644
--- a/src/pvaClientData.cpp
+++ b/src/pvaClientData.cpp
@@ -290,19 +290,16 @@ shared_vector<const double> PvaClientData::getDoubleArray()
 shared_vector<const string> PvaClientData::getStringArray()
 {
     if(PvaClient::getDebug()) cout << "PvaClientData::getStringArray\n";
-    PVStringArrayPtr pvStringArray;
+    PVScalarArrayPtr pvScalarArray;
     PVStructurePtr pvStructure = getPVStructure();
     PVFieldPtr pvValue  = pvStructure->getSubField("value");
     if(pvValue) {
        Type type = pvValue->getField()->getType();
         if(type==scalarArray) {
-             PVScalarArrayPtr pvScalarArray = static_pointer_cast<PVScalarArray>(pvValue);
-             if(pvScalarArray->getScalarArray()->getElementType()==pvString) {
-                 pvStringArray = static_pointer_cast<PVStringArray>(pvValue);
-             }
+             pvScalarArray = static_pointer_cast<PVScalarArray>(pvValue);
         }
     }
-    if(!pvStringArray) {
+    if(!pvScalarArray) {
         while(true) {
              const PVFieldPtrArray fieldPtrArray(pvStructure->getPVFields());
              if(fieldPtrArray.size()!=1) {
@@ -314,7 +311,7 @@ shared_vector<const string> PvaClientData::getStringArray()
              if(type==scalarArray) {
                  PVScalarArrayPtr pvScalarArray = static_pointer_cast<PVScalarArray>(pvField);
                  if(pvScalarArray->getScalarArray()->getElementType()==pvString) {
-                     pvStringArray = static_pointer_cast<PVStringArray>(pvField);
+                     pvScalarArray = static_pointer_cast<PVScalarArray>(pvField);
                      break;
                  }
              }
@@ -322,14 +319,15 @@ shared_vector<const string> PvaClientData::getStringArray()
              pvStructure = static_pointer_cast<PVStructure>(pvField);
         }
     }
-    if(!pvStringArray) {
+    if(!pvScalarArray) {
         throw std::logic_error(
             "PvaClientData::getStringArray() did not find a scalarArray field");
     }
-    return pvStringArray->view();
+    shared_vector<const string> retValue;
+    pvScalarArray->getAs<const string>(retValue);
+    return retValue;
 }
 
-
 Alarm PvaClientData::getAlarm()
 {
    if(PvaClient::getDebug()) cout << "PvaClientData::getAlarm\n";
diff --git a/src/pvaClientPutData.cpp b/src/pvaClientPutData.cpp
index 8698622..e1fe8ce 100644
--- a/src/pvaClientPutData.cpp
+++ b/src/pvaClientPutData.cpp
@@ -194,31 +194,28 @@ void PvaClientPutData::putDoubleArray(shared_vector<const double> const & value)
 void PvaClientPutData::putStringArray(shared_vector<const std::string> const & value)
 {
     if(PvaClient::getDebug()) cout << "PvaClientPutData::putStringArray\n";
-    PVStringArrayPtr pvStringArray;
+    PVScalarArrayPtr pvScalarArray;
     PVStructurePtr pvStructure = getPVStructure();
     PVFieldPtr pvValue  = pvStructure->getSubField("value");
     if(pvValue) {
        Type type = pvValue->getField()->getType();
         if(type==scalarArray) {
-             PVScalarArrayPtr pvScalarArray = static_pointer_cast<PVScalarArray>(pvValue);
-             if(pvScalarArray->getScalarArray()->getElementType()==pvString) {
-                 pvStringArray = static_pointer_cast<PVStringArray>(pvValue);
-             }
+             pvScalarArray = static_pointer_cast<PVScalarArray>(pvValue);
         }
     }
-    if(!pvStringArray) {
+    if(!pvScalarArray) {
         while(true) {
              const PVFieldPtrArray fieldPtrArray(pvStructure->getPVFields());
              if(fieldPtrArray.size()!=1) {
                   throw std::logic_error(
-                      "PvaClientData::getStringArray() pvRequest for multiple fields");
+                      "PvaClientData::putStringArray() pvRequest for multiple fields");
              }
              PVFieldPtr pvField(fieldPtrArray[0]);
              Type type = pvField->getField()->getType();
              if(type==scalarArray) {
                  PVScalarArrayPtr pvScalarArray = static_pointer_cast<PVScalarArray>(pvField);
                  if(pvScalarArray->getScalarArray()->getElementType()==pvString) {
-                     pvStringArray = static_pointer_cast<PVStringArray>(pvField);
+                     pvScalarArray = static_pointer_cast<PVScalarArray>(pvField);
                      break;
                  }
              }
@@ -226,45 +223,21 @@ void PvaClientPutData::putStringArray(shared_vector<const std::string> const & v
              pvStructure = static_pointer_cast<PVStructure>(pvField);
         }
     }
-    if(!pvStringArray) {
+    if(!pvScalarArray) {
         throw std::logic_error(
-            "PvaClientData::getStringArray() did not find a scalarArray field");
+            "PvaClientData::putStringArray() did not find a scalarArray field");
     }
-    pvStringArray->replace(value);
+    pvScalarArray->putFrom<const string>(value);
+    return;
 }
 
-void PvaClientPutData::putStringArray(std::vector<std::string> const & value)
+void PvaClientPutData::putStringArray(std::vector<string> const & value)
 {
-    if(PvaClient::getDebug()) cout << "PvaClientPutData::putStringArray\n";
-    PVScalarArrayPtr pvScalarArray;
-    PVStructurePtr pvStructure = getPVStructure();
-    PVFieldPtr pvValue  = pvStructure->getSubField("value");
-    if(pvValue) {
-       Type type = pvValue->getField()->getType();
-        if(type==scalarArray) pvScalarArray = static_pointer_cast<PVScalarArray>(pvValue);
-    }
-    if(!pvScalarArray) {
-        while(true) {
-             const PVFieldPtrArray fieldPtrArray(pvStructure->getPVFields());
-             if(fieldPtrArray.size()!=1) {
-                  throw std::logic_error(
-                      "PvaClientData::getStringArray() pvRequest for multiple fields");
-             }
-             PVFieldPtr pvField(fieldPtrArray[0]);
-             Type type = pvField->getField()->getType();
-             if(type==scalarArray) {
-                 pvScalarArray = static_pointer_cast<PVScalarArray>(pvField);
-                 break;
-             }
-             if(pvField->getField()->getType()!=epics::pvData::structure) break;
-             pvStructure = static_pointer_cast<PVStructure>(pvField);
-        }
-    }
-    if(!pvScalarArray) {
-        throw std::logic_error(
-            "PvaClientData::getStringArray() did not find a scalarArray field");
-    }
-    convert->fromStringArray(pvScalarArray,0,value.size(),value,0);
+    size_t length = value.size();
+    shared_vector<string> val(length);
+    for(size_t i=0; i < length; ++i) val[i] = value[i];
+    putStringArray(freeze(val));
+    return;
 }
 
 void PvaClientPutData::postPut(size_t fieldNumber)