diff --git a/devsupApp/src/Makefile b/devsupApp/src/Makefile
index b7993ed..9478944 100644
--- a/devsupApp/src/Makefile
+++ b/devsupApp/src/Makefile
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ setup_CPPFLAGS += -DXEPICS_BASE=\"$(EPICS_BASE)\"
 setup_CPPFLAGS += -DPYDIR=\"python$(PY_VER)\"
 
 pyDevSup$(PY_LD_VER)_SRCS += setup.c
+pyDevSup$(PY_LD_VER)_SRCS += dbbase.c
 pyDevSup$(PY_LD_VER)_SRCS += dbrec.c
 pyDevSup$(PY_LD_VER)_SRCS += dbfield.c
 pyDevSup$(PY_LD_VER)_SRCS += dbdset.c
diff --git a/devsupApp/src/dbbase.c b/devsupApp/src/dbbase.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c129486
--- /dev/null
+++ b/devsupApp/src/dbbase.c
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+
+/* python has its own ideas about which version to support */
+#undef _POSIX_C_SOURCE
+#undef _XOPEN_SOURCE
+
+#include <Python.h>
+
+#include <epicsVersion.h>
+#include <dbCommon.h>
+#include <dbStaticLib.h>
+#include <dbAccess.h>
+#include <initHooks.h>
+#include <iocsh.h>
+#include <iocInit.h>
+
+#include "pydevsup.h"
+
+static
+PyObject *py_iocsh(PyObject *unused, PyObject *args, PyObject *kws)
+{
+    int ret;
+    static char* names[] = {"script", "cmd", NULL};
+    char *script=NULL, *cmd=NULL;
+
+    if(!PyArg_ParseTupleAndKeywords(args, kws, "|ss", names, &script, &cmd))
+        return NULL;
+
+    if(!(!script ^ !cmd)) {
+        PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "iocsh requires a script file name or command string");
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS {
+        if(script)
+            ret = iocsh(script);
+        else
+            ret = iocshCmd(cmd);
+    } Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
+
+    return PyInt_FromLong(ret);
+}
+
+static
+PyObject *py_dbReadDatabase(PyObject *unused, PyObject *args, PyObject *kws)
+{
+    long status;
+    static char* names[] = {"name", "fp", "path", "sub", NULL};
+    char *fname=NULL, *path=NULL, *sub=NULL;
+    int fd=-1;
+
+    if(!PyArg_ParseTupleAndKeywords(args, kws, "|siss", names, &fname, &fd, &path, &sub))
+        return NULL;
+
+    if(!((!fname) ^ (fd<0))) {
+        PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "dbReadDatabase requires a file name or descriptor");
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS {
+        if(fname)
+            status = dbReadDatabase(&pdbbase, fname, path, sub);
+        else {
+            FILE *ff = fdopen(fd, "r");
+            status = dbReadDatabaseFP(&pdbbase, ff, path, sub);
+            fclose(ff);
+        }
+    } Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
+
+    if(status) {
+        char buf[30];
+        errSymLookup(status, buf, sizeof(buf));
+        PyErr_SetString(PyExc_RuntimeError, buf);
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    Py_RETURN_NONE;
+}
+
+static
+PyObject *py_iocInit(PyObject *unused)
+{
+    Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS {
+        iocInit();
+    } Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
+
+    Py_RETURN_NONE;
+}
+
+static struct PyMethodDef dbbasemethods[] = {
+    {"iocsh", (PyCFunction)py_iocsh, METH_VARARGS|METH_KEYWORDS,
+     "Execute IOC shell script or command"},
+    {"dbReadDatabase", (PyCFunction)py_dbReadDatabase, METH_VARARGS|METH_KEYWORDS,
+     "Load EPICS database file"},
+    {"iocInit", (PyCFunction)py_iocInit, METH_NOARGS,
+     "Initialize IOC"},
+    {NULL}
+};
+
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+static struct PyModuleDef dbbasemodule = {
+  PyModuleDef_HEAD_INIT,
+    "_dbbase",
+    NULL,
+    -1,
+    &dbbasemethods
+};
+#endif
+
+/* initialize "magic" builtin module */
+PyMODINIT_FUNC init_dbbase(void)
+{
+    PyObject *mod = NULL, *obj = NULL;
+
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+    mod = PyModule_Create(&dbbasemodule);
+#else
+    mod = Py_InitModule("_dbbase", dbbasemethods);
+#endif
+    if(!mod)
+        goto fail;
+
+    obj = PyCapsule_New(pdbbase, "pdbbase", NULL);
+    if(!obj)
+        goto fail;
+    PyModule_AddObject(mod, "pdbbase", obj);
+
+    MODINIT_RET(mod);
+fail:
+    Py_XDECREF(obj);
+    Py_XDECREF(mod);
+    fprintf(stderr, "Failed to initialize builtin _dbbase module!\n");
+    MODINIT_RET(NULL);
+}
diff --git a/devsupApp/src/pydevsup.h b/devsupApp/src/pydevsup.h
index e85f6d7..9b7cbf8 100644
--- a/devsupApp/src/pydevsup.h
+++ b/devsupApp/src/pydevsup.h
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #define PYDEVSUP_H
 
 #include <epicsThread.h>
+#include <initHooks.h>
 
 #if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
 #define PyInt_FromLong PyLong_FromLong
@@ -13,6 +14,11 @@
 #define MODINIT_RET(VAL) return
 
 #endif
+
+initHookState pyInitLastState;
+
+PyMODINIT_FUNC init_dbbase(void);
+
 void pyDBD_cleanup(void);
 
 int pyField_prepare(PyObject *module);
diff --git a/devsupApp/src/setup.c b/devsupApp/src/setup.c
index 5b99c1c..34b3734 100644
--- a/devsupApp/src/setup.c
+++ b/devsupApp/src/setup.c
@@ -102,6 +102,8 @@ void pyfile(const char* file)
     PyGILState_Release(state);
 }
 
+initHookState pyInitLastState = (initHookState)-1;
+
 static void pyhook(initHookState state)
 {
     static int madenoise = 0;
@@ -114,6 +116,8 @@ static void pyhook(initHookState state)
 
     gilstate = PyGILState_Ensure();
 
+    pyInitLastState = state;
+
     mod = PyImport_ImportModule("devsup.hooks");
     if(!mod) {
         if(!madenoise)
@@ -302,6 +306,7 @@ static void setupPyInit(void)
 {
     PyImport_AppendInittab("_dbapi", init_dbapi);
     PyImport_AppendInittab("_dbconstants", init_dbconstants);
+    PyImport_AppendInittab("_dbbase", init_dbbase);
 
     Py_Initialize();
     PyEval_InitThreads();