diff --git a/builtin/checkout.c b/builtin/checkout.c
index c5a56f9b64..cc97dbc30f 100644
--- a/builtin/checkout.c
+++ b/builtin/checkout.c
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ static void show_local_changes(struct object *head, struct diff_options *opts)
 	run_diff_index(&rev, 0);
 }
 
-static void describe_detached_head(char *msg, struct commit *commit)
+static void describe_detached_head(const char *msg, struct commit *commit)
 {
 	struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct pretty_print_context ctx = {0};
diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index 49243683e4..5cc2f896dc 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@ extern void fill_stat_cache_info(struct cache_entry *ce, struct stat *st);
 #define REFRESH_IGNORE_MISSING	0x0008	/* ignore non-existent */
 #define REFRESH_IGNORE_SUBMODULES	0x0010	/* ignore submodules */
 #define REFRESH_IN_PORCELAIN	0x0020	/* user friendly output, not "needs update" */
-extern int refresh_index(struct index_state *, unsigned int flags, const char **pathspec, char *seen, char *header_msg);
+extern int refresh_index(struct index_state *, unsigned int flags, const char **pathspec, char *seen, const char *header_msg);
 
 struct lock_file {
 	struct lock_file *next;
diff --git a/read-cache.c b/read-cache.c
index 4a0b4907d3..98d526bd48 100644
--- a/read-cache.c
+++ b/read-cache.c
@@ -1083,7 +1083,7 @@ static struct cache_entry *refresh_cache_ent(struct index_state *istate,
 }
 
 static void show_file(const char * fmt, const char * name, int in_porcelain,
-		      int * first, char *header_msg)
+		      int * first, const char *header_msg)
 {
 	if (in_porcelain && *first && header_msg) {
 		printf("%s\n", header_msg);
@@ -1093,7 +1093,7 @@ static void show_file(const char * fmt, const char * name, int in_porcelain,
 }
 
 int refresh_index(struct index_state *istate, unsigned int flags, const char **pathspec,
-		  char *seen, char *header_msg)
+		  char *seen, const char *header_msg)
 {
 	int i;
 	int has_errors = 0;