diff --git a/iocBoot/iocsimple/config.xml b/iocBoot/iocsimple/config.xml
index d9e82ca..4c939d7 100644
--- a/iocBoot/iocsimple/config.xml
+++ b/iocBoot/iocsimple/config.xml
@@ -2,5 +2,10 @@
 <ioc_config xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude">
 <config_part>
 <ioc_desc>ISIS IBEX Basic IOC providing some PVs for some simple data types</ioc_desc>
+<macros>
+<macro name="MACRO1" pattern="^[0-9]+$" description="A macro without a default" hasDefault="No"/>
+<macro name="MACRO2" pattern="^[0-9]+$" description="A macro with a default of 5" hasDefault="YES" defaultValue="5"/>
+<macro name="MACRO3" pattern="^[0-9]+$" description="A macro with a default of ''" hasDefault="YES" defaultValue=""/>
+</macros>
 </config_part>
 </ioc_config>
diff --git a/iocBoot/iocsimple/st.cmd b/iocBoot/iocsimple/st.cmd
index 1d1a4d9..19c0043 100644
--- a/iocBoot/iocsimple/st.cmd
+++ b/iocBoot/iocsimple/st.cmd
@@ -20,6 +20,12 @@ simple_registerRecordDeviceDriver pdbbase
 dbLoadRecords("db/simple.db","P=$(MYPVPREFIX)SIMPLE:")
 dbLoadRecords("db/channel_access_test.db","P=$(MYPVPREFIX)SIMPLE:")
 
+## db's to test macro defaults, dbload failures on these can be freely ignored.
+dbLoadRecords("db/simple_macrotest1.db","P=$(MYPVPREFIX)SIMPLE:,MACRO1=$(MACRO1)")
+dbLoadRecords("db/simple_macrotest2.db","P=$(MYPVPREFIX)SIMPLE:,MACRO2=$(MACRO2)")
+dbLoadRecords("db/simple_macrotest3.db","P=$(MYPVPREFIX)SIMPLE:,MACRO3=$(MACRO3)")
+
+
 < $(IOCSTARTUP)/preiocinit.cmd
 
 cd ${TOP}/iocBoot/${IOC}
diff --git a/simpleApp/Db/Makefile b/simpleApp/Db/Makefile
index e5bb2fd..03a4152 100644
--- a/simpleApp/Db/Makefile
+++ b/simpleApp/Db/Makefile
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ include $(TOP)/configure/CONFIG
 # Create and install (or just install) into <top>/db
 # databases, templates, substitutions like this
 DB += simple.db channel_access_test.db
+DB += simple_macrotest1.db
+DB += simple_macrotest2.db
+DB += simple_macrotest3.db
 
 #----------------------------------------------------
 # If <anyname>.db template is not named <anyname>*.template add
diff --git a/simpleApp/Db/simple_macrotest1.db b/simpleApp/Db/simple_macrotest1.db
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9ba8b8d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/simpleApp/Db/simple_macrotest1.db
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+record(stringout, $(P)MACROTEST1)
+{
+    field(DESC, "Macro for a value")
+    field(VAL, "$(MACRO1)")
+}
diff --git a/simpleApp/Db/simple_macrotest2.db b/simpleApp/Db/simple_macrotest2.db
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0e71020
--- /dev/null
+++ b/simpleApp/Db/simple_macrotest2.db
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+record(stringout, $(P)MACROTEST2)
+{
+    field(DESC, "Macro default of 5 for a value")
+    field(VAL, "$(MACRO2)")
+}
diff --git a/simpleApp/Db/simple_macrotest3.db b/simpleApp/Db/simple_macrotest3.db
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1a1d9ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/simpleApp/Db/simple_macrotest3.db
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+record(stringout, $(P)MACROTEST3)
+{
+    field(DESC, "Macro default of '' for a value")
+    field(VAL, "$(MACRO3)")
+}