diff --git src/ioc/db/dbLink.c src/ioc/db/dbLink.c
index 822daf7..af135cf 100644
--- src/ioc/db/dbLink.c
+++ src/ioc/db/dbLink.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "cvtFast.h"
 #include "dbDefs.h"
 #include "ellLib.h"
+#include "epicsStdlib.h"
 #include "epicsThread.h"
 #include "epicsTime.h"
 #include "errlog.h"
@@ -96,6 +97,103 @@ static const char * link_field_name(const struct link *plink)
 
 /***************************** Constant Links *****************************/
 
+/* Convert functions */
+
+/* The difference between these and dbFastConvert is that constants
+ * may contain hex numbers, whereas database conversions can't.
+ */
+
+/* Copy to STRING */
+static long cvt_st_st(const char *from, void *pfield, const dbAddr *paddr)
+{
+    char *to = pfield;
+    size_t size;
+
+    if (paddr && paddr->field_size < MAX_STRING_SIZE) {
+        size = paddr->field_size - 1;
+    } else {
+        size = MAX_STRING_SIZE - 1;
+    }
+    strncpy(to, from, size);
+    to[size] = 0;
+    return 0;
+}
+
+/* Most integer conversions are identical */
+#define cvt_st_int(TYPE) static long \
+cvt_st_ ## TYPE(const char *from, void *pfield, const dbAddr *paddr) { \
+    epics##TYPE *to = pfield; \
+    char *end; \
+\
+    if (*from == 0) { \
+        *to = 0; \
+        return 0; \
+    } \
+    return epicsParse##TYPE(from, to, 0, &end); \
+}
+
+/* Instanciate for CHAR, UCHAR, SHORT, USHORT and LONG */
+cvt_st_int(Int8)
+cvt_st_int(UInt8)
+cvt_st_int(Int16)
+cvt_st_int(UInt16)
+cvt_st_int(Int32)
+
+/* Conversion for ULONG is different... */
+static long cvt_st_UInt32(const char *from, void *pfield, const dbAddr *paddr)
+{
+    epicsUInt32 *to = pfield;
+    char *end;
+    long status;
+
+    if (*from == 0) {
+       *to = 0;
+       return 0;
+    }
+    status = epicsParseUInt32(from, to, 0, &end);
+    if (status == S_stdlib_noConversion ||
+        (!status && (*end == '.' || *end == 'e' || *end == 'E'))) {
+        /*
+         * Convert via double so numbers like 1.0e3 convert properly.
+         * db_access pretends ULONG fields are DOUBLE.
+         */
+        double dval;
+
+        status = epicsParseFloat64(from, &dval, &end);
+        if (!status &&
+            dval >=0 &&
+            dval <= ULONG_MAX)
+            *to = dval;
+    }
+    return status;
+}
+
+/* Float conversions are identical */
+#define cvt_st_float(TYPE) static long \
+cvt_st_ ## TYPE(const char *from, void *pfield, const dbAddr *paddr) { \
+    epics##TYPE *to = pfield; \
+    char *end; \
+\
+    if (*from == 0) { \
+        *to = 0; \
+        return 0; \
+    } \
+    return epicsParse##TYPE(from, to, &end); \
+}
+
+/* Instanciate for FLOAT32 and FLOAT64 */
+cvt_st_float(Float32)
+cvt_st_float(Float64)
+
+
+static long (*convert[DBF_DOUBLE+1])(const char *, void *, const dbAddr *) = {
+    cvt_st_st,
+    cvt_st_Int8,    cvt_st_UInt8,
+    cvt_st_Int16,   cvt_st_UInt16,
+    cvt_st_Int32,   cvt_st_UInt32,
+    cvt_st_Float32, cvt_st_Float64
+};
+
 static long dbConstLoadLink(struct link *plink, short dbrType, void *pbuffer)
 {
     if (!plink->value.constantStr)
@@ -105,8 +203,7 @@ static long dbConstLoadLink(struct link *plink, short dbrType, void *pbuffer)
     if (dbrType== DBF_MENU || dbrType == DBF_ENUM || dbrType == DBF_DEVICE)
         dbrType = DBF_USHORT;
 
-    return dbFastPutConvertRoutine[DBR_STRING][dbrType]
-            (plink->value.constantStr, pbuffer, NULL);
+    return convert[dbrType](plink->value.constantStr, pbuffer, NULL);
 }
 
 static long dbConstGetNelements(const struct link *plink, long *nelements)