diff --git a/src/pv/pvaClientMultiChannel.h b/src/pv/pvaClientMultiChannel.h
index c58ad7a..09558d8 100644
--- a/src/pv/pvaClientMultiChannel.h
+++ b/src/pv/pvaClientMultiChannel.h
@@ -360,8 +360,10 @@ public:
     void connect();
     /**
      * @brief Get each channel.
+     *
+     * @param valueOnly use only value for union.
      */
-    void get();
+    void get(bool valueOnly = true);
     /**
      * @brief Get the data from the last get.
      * @return the pvaClientNTMultiData.
@@ -476,10 +478,11 @@ public:
      /**
      * @brief Poll each channel.
      *
+     * @param valueOnly use only value for union.
      * If any has new data it is used to update the double[].
      * @return (false,true) if (no, at least one) value was updated.
      */
-    bool poll();
+    bool poll(bool valueOnly = true);
     /**
      * @brief Wait until poll returns true.
      * @param secondsToWait The time to keep trying.
@@ -551,11 +554,12 @@ public:
      * @brief Set the timeStamp base for computing deltaTimes. 
      */
     void startDeltaTime();
-   
     /**
      * @brief Update NTMultiChannel fields.
+     *
+     * @param valueOnly use only value for union.
      */
-    void endDeltaTime();
+    void endDeltaTime(bool valueOnly = true);
     /**
      * @brief Get the time when the last get was made.
      * @return The timeStamp.
@@ -579,7 +583,6 @@ private:
          PvaClientMultiChannelPtr const &pvaNTMultiChannel,
          PvaClientChannelArray const &pvaClientChannelArray,
          epics::pvData::PVStructurePtr const &  pvRequest);
-    void setStructure(epics::pvData::StructureConstPtr const & structure,size_t index);
     void setPVStructure(
         epics::pvData::PVStructurePtr const &pvStructure,size_t index);
 
diff --git a/src/pvaClientNTMultiData.cpp b/src/pvaClientNTMultiData.cpp
index e367752..0606c97 100644
--- a/src/pvaClientNTMultiData.cpp
+++ b/src/pvaClientNTMultiData.cpp
@@ -44,10 +44,6 @@ PvaClientNTMultiData::PvaClientNTMultiData(
   gotTimeStamp(false)
 {
     if(PvaClient::getDebug()) cout<< "PvaClientNTMultiData::PvaClientNTMultiData()\n";
-    PVFieldPtr pvValue = pvRequest->getSubField("field.value");
-    if(!pvValue) {
-        throw std::runtime_error("pvRequest did not specify value");
-    }
     topPVStructure.resize(nchannel);
     unionValue.resize(nchannel);
     PVDataCreatePtr pvDataCreate = getPVDataCreate();
@@ -88,18 +84,6 @@ PvaClientNTMultiData::~PvaClientNTMultiData()
     if(PvaClient::getDebug()) cout<< "PvaClientNTMultiData::~PvaClientNTMultiData()\n";
 }
 
-
-void PvaClientNTMultiData::setStructure(StructureConstPtr const & structure,size_t index)
-{
-    FieldConstPtr field = structure->getField("value");
-    if(!field) {
-        string message = "channel "
-           + pvaClientChannelArray[index]->getChannel()->getChannelName()
-           + " does not have top level value field";
-        throw std::runtime_error(message);
-    }
-}
-
 void PvaClientNTMultiData::setPVStructure(
         PVStructurePtr const &pvStructure,size_t index)
 {
@@ -137,7 +121,7 @@ void PvaClientNTMultiData::startDeltaTime()
 }
 
 
-void PvaClientNTMultiData::endDeltaTime()
+void PvaClientNTMultiData::endDeltaTime(bool valueOnly)
 {
     for(size_t i=0; i<nchannel; ++i)
     {
@@ -145,7 +129,16 @@ void PvaClientNTMultiData::endDeltaTime()
         if(!pvst) {
             unionValue[i] = PVUnionPtr();
         } else if(unionValue[i]) {
-            unionValue[i]->set(pvst->getSubField("value"));
+            if(valueOnly) {
+                PVFieldPtr pvValue = pvst->getSubField("value");
+                if(pvValue) {
+                    unionValue[i]->set(pvst->getSubField("value"));
+                } else {
+                    unionValue[i] = PVUnionPtr();
+                }
+            } else {
+                unionValue[i]->set(pvst);
+            }
             if(gotAlarm)
             {
                 PVIntPtr pvSeverity = pvst->getSubField<PVInt>("alarm.severity");
diff --git a/src/pvaClientNTMultiGet.cpp b/src/pvaClientNTMultiGet.cpp
index 6641e95..0790280 100644
--- a/src/pvaClientNTMultiGet.cpp
+++ b/src/pvaClientNTMultiGet.cpp
@@ -63,13 +63,10 @@ void PvaClientNTMultiGet::connect()
 {
     pvaClientGet.resize(nchannel);
     shared_vector<epics::pvData::boolean> isConnected = pvaClientMultiChannel->getIsConnected();
-    string request = "value";
-    if(pvRequest->getSubField("field.alarm")) request += ",alarm";
-    if(pvRequest->getSubField("field.timeStamp")) request += ",timeStamp";
     for(size_t i=0; i<nchannel; ++i)
     {
          if(isConnected[i]) {
-               pvaClientGet[i] = pvaClientChannelArray[i]->createGet(request);
+               pvaClientGet[i] = pvaClientChannelArray[i]->createGet(pvRequest);
                pvaClientGet[i]->issueConnect();
          }
     }
@@ -86,7 +83,7 @@ void PvaClientNTMultiGet::connect()
     this->isConnected = true;
 }
 
-void PvaClientNTMultiGet::get()
+void PvaClientNTMultiGet::get(bool valueOnly)
 {
     if(!isConnected) connect();
     shared_vector<epics::pvData::boolean> isConnected = pvaClientMultiChannel->getIsConnected();
@@ -114,7 +111,7 @@ void PvaClientNTMultiGet::get()
               pvaClientNTMultiData->setPVStructure(pvaClientGet[i]->getData()->getPVStructure(),i);
          }
     }
-    pvaClientNTMultiData->endDeltaTime();
+    pvaClientNTMultiData->endDeltaTime(valueOnly);
 }
 
 PvaClientNTMultiDataPtr PvaClientNTMultiGet::getData()
diff --git a/src/pvaClientNTMultiMonitor.cpp b/src/pvaClientNTMultiMonitor.cpp
index a095936..8282f16 100644
--- a/src/pvaClientNTMultiMonitor.cpp
+++ b/src/pvaClientNTMultiMonitor.cpp
@@ -67,13 +67,10 @@ void PvaClientNTMultiMonitor::connect()
 {
     pvaClientMonitor.resize(nchannel);
     shared_vector<epics::pvData::boolean> isConnected = pvaClientMultiChannel->getIsConnected();
-    string request = "value";
-    if(pvRequest->getSubField("field.alarm")) request += ",alarm";
-    if(pvRequest->getSubField("field.timeStamp")) request += ",timeStamp";
     for(size_t i=0; i<nchannel; ++i)
     {
          if(isConnected[i]) {
-               pvaClientMonitor[i] = pvaClientChannelArray[i]->createMonitor(request);
+               pvaClientMonitor[i] = pvaClientChannelArray[i]->createMonitor(pvRequest);
                pvaClientMonitor[i]->issueConnect();
          }
     }
@@ -94,7 +91,7 @@ void PvaClientNTMultiMonitor::connect()
     this->isConnected = true;
 }
 
-bool PvaClientNTMultiMonitor::poll()
+bool PvaClientNTMultiMonitor::poll(bool valueOnly)
 {
     if(!isConnected) connect();
     bool result = false;
@@ -111,7 +108,7 @@ bool PvaClientNTMultiMonitor::poll()
               }
          }
     }
-    if(result) pvaClientNTMultiData->endDeltaTime();
+    if(result) pvaClientNTMultiData->endDeltaTime(valueOnly);
     return result;
 }