diff --git a/.appveyor.yml b/.appveyor.yml
index 2b42845..1720729 100644
--- a/.appveyor.yml
+++ b/.appveyor.yml
@@ -11,9 +11,15 @@ cache:
 #---------------------------------#
 
 install:
-# for the sequencer
-  - cinst re2c
-  - cmd: git submodule update --init --recursive
+
+  - powershell -Command "Invoke-WebRequest https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.10.9/python-3.10.9-amd64.exe -OutFile python-install.exe"
+  - start /wait python-install.exe /quiet InstallAllUsers=1 PrependPath=1 Include_test=0
+  - refreshenv
+  - python -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools
+
+  # For the sequencer
+  - choco install re2c -y
+  - git submodule update --init --recursive
 
 #---------------------------------#
 #       repository cloning        #
diff --git a/pdbApp/pvif.cpp b/pdbApp/pvif.cpp
index 6f26d9c..047be11 100644
--- a/pdbApp/pvif.cpp
+++ b/pdbApp/pvif.cpp
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@
 
 #include <epicsExport.h>
 
+#ifdef HAVE_UTAG
+#define CUSTOM_ALARM_MSG
+#endif
+
 #ifdef EPICS_VERSION_INT
 #  if EPICS_VERSION_INT>=VERSION_INT(3,16,1,0)
 #    define USE_INT64
@@ -344,18 +348,32 @@ void attachAll(PVX& pvm, const pvd::PVStructurePtr& pv)
 }
 
 template<typename Meta>
+#ifdef CUSTOM_ALARM_MSG
+void mapStatus(const Meta& meta, pvd::PVInt* status, pvd::PVString* message, dbChannel *chan)
+#else
 void mapStatus(const Meta& meta, pvd::PVInt* status, pvd::PVString* message)
+#endif
 {
+#ifdef CUSTOM_ALARM_MSG
+    pdbRecordIterator info(chan);
+    const char *userMsg = info.info("Q:alarm:msg");
+#endif
 #ifdef HAVE_UTAG
     if(meta.amsg[0]!='\0') {
         message->put(meta.amsg);
     } else
 #endif
+#ifdef CUSTOM_ALARM_MSG
+    if(userMsg != NULL && meta.status > NO_ALARM) {
+        message->put(userMsg);
+    } else 
+#endif    
+    {
     if(meta.status<ALARM_NSTATUS)
         message->put(epicsAlarmConditionStrings[meta.status]);
     else
         message->put("???");
-
+    }
     // Arbitrary mapping from DB status codes
     unsigned out;
     switch(meta.status) {
@@ -425,7 +443,11 @@ void putTime(const pvTimeAlarm& pv, unsigned dbe, db_field_log *pfl)
 
     putMetaImpl(pv, meta);
     if(dbe&DBE_ALARM) {
+        #ifdef CUSTOM_ALARM_MSG
+        mapStatus(meta, pv.status.get(), pv.message.get(), pv.chan);
+        #else
         mapStatus(meta, pv.status.get(), pv.message.get());
+        #endif
         pv.severity->put(meta.severity);
     }
 }
@@ -571,7 +593,11 @@ void putMeta(const pvCommon& pv, unsigned dbe, db_field_log *pfl)
     putMetaImpl(pv, meta);
 #define FMAP(MNAME, FNAME) pv.MNAME->put(meta.FNAME)
     if(dbe&DBE_ALARM) {
+        #ifdef CUSTOM_ALARM_MSG
+        mapStatus(meta, pv.status.get(), pv.message.get(), pv.chan);
+        #else
         mapStatus(meta, pv.status.get(), pv.message.get());
+        #endif
         FMAP(severity, severity);
     }
     if(dbe&DBE_PROPERTY) {
diff --git a/testApp/test_custom_alarm.db b/testApp/test_custom_alarm.db
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9ca8751
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testApp/test_custom_alarm.db
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+record(ai, "custom:ai") {
+    field(DESC, "Custom Analog Input for Alarm Test")
+    field(DTYP, "Soft Channel")
+    field(SCAN, "Passive")
+    field(HIHI, "50.0")
+    field(HIGH, "40.0")
+    field(HHSV, "MAJOR")
+    field(HSV, "MINOR")
+    info(Q:alarm:msg, "Custom Msg Alarm AI!")
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/testApp/testpvif.cpp b/testApp/testpvif.cpp
index df0b609..5b3799f 100644
--- a/testApp/testpvif.cpp
+++ b/testApp/testpvif.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@
 #include "pvif.h"
 #include "utilities.h"
 
+
+#ifdef HAVE_UTAG
+#define CUSTOM_ALARM_MSG
+#endif
+
 namespace pvd = epics::pvData;
 
 extern "C"
@@ -637,12 +642,70 @@ void testFilters()
     testFieldEqual<pvd::PVShortArray>(root, "dut.value", expected);
 #endif // >= 7.0
 }
+#ifdef CUSTOM_ALARM_MSG
+void testCustomAlarmMessage()
+{
+    testDiag("testCustomAlarmMessage");
+
+    TestIOC IOC;
+
+    testdbReadDatabase("p2pTestIoc.dbd", NULL, NULL);
+    p2pTestIoc_registerRecordDeviceDriver(pdbbase);
+    testdbReadDatabase("test_custom_alarm.db", NULL, NULL);
+
+    aiRecord *prec_custom_ai = (aiRecord*)testdbRecordPtr("custom:ai");
+    testTrue(prec_custom_ai != NULL);
+
+    IOC.init();
+
+    DBCH chan_ai("custom:ai");
+
+    pvd::PVStructurePtr root;
+    p2p::auto_ptr<PVIF> pvif_ai;
+    {
+        ScalarBuilder builder_ai(chan_ai);
+
+        pvd::StructureConstPtr dtype_root(pvd::getFieldCreate()->createFieldBuilder()
+                                          ->add("custom_ai", builder_ai.dtype())
+                                          ->createStructure());
 
+        root = pvd::getPVDataCreate()->createPVStructure(dtype_root);
+        pvif_ai.reset(builder_ai.attach(root, FieldName("custom_ai")));
+    }
+
+    pvd::BitSet mask;
+
+    dbScanLock((dbCommon*)prec_custom_ai);
+    prec_custom_ai->val = 55.0;
+    dbProcess((dbCommon*)prec_custom_ai);
+    dbScanUnlock((dbCommon*)prec_custom_ai);
+
+    pvif_ai->put(mask, DBE_ALARM|DBE_PROPERTY, NULL);
+
+    testFieldEqual<pvd::PVString>(root, "custom_ai.alarm.message", "Custom Msg Alarm AI!");
+    testFieldEqual<pvd::PVInt>(root, "custom_ai.alarm.severity", 2);
+    testFieldEqual<pvd::PVInt>(root, "custom_ai.alarm.status", 1);
+
+    dbScanLock((dbCommon*)prec_custom_ai);
+    prec_custom_ai->val = 25.0;
+    dbProcess((dbCommon*)prec_custom_ai);
+    dbScanUnlock((dbCommon*)prec_custom_ai);
+    pvif_ai->put(mask, DBE_ALARM|DBE_PROPERTY, NULL);
+
+    testFieldEqual<pvd::PVString>(root, "custom_ai.alarm.message", "NO_ALARM");
+    testFieldEqual<pvd::PVInt>(root, "custom_ai.alarm.severity", 0);
+    testFieldEqual<pvd::PVInt>(root, "custom_ai.alarm.status", 0);
+}
+#endif // CUSTOM_ALARM_MSG
 } // namespace
 
 MAIN(testpvif)
 {
+#ifdef CUSTOM_ALARM_MSG
+    testPlan(105);
+#else
     testPlan(98);
+#endif    
 #ifdef USE_INT64
     testDiag("Testing of 64-bit field access");
 #else
@@ -651,5 +714,8 @@ MAIN(testpvif)
     testScalar();
     testPlain();
     testFilters();
+#ifdef CUSTOM_ALARM_MSG
+    testCustomAlarmMessage();
+#endif
     return testDone();
 }