diff --git a/src/includes/rc-misc.h b/src/includes/rc-misc.h
index fa370e49..89d6336b 100644
--- a/src/includes/rc-misc.h
+++ b/src/includes/rc-misc.h
@@ -74,8 +74,8 @@ int is_writable(const char *);
 #define service_stop(service)  exec_service(service, "stop");
 
 int parse_mode(mode_t *, char *);
-char *detect_prefix(void);
-char *get_systype(void);
-char *detect_container(void);
-char *detect_vm(void);
+const char *detect_prefix(void);
+const char *get_systype(void);
+const char *detect_container(void);
+const char *detect_vm(void);
 #endif
diff --git a/src/rc/_usage.c b/src/rc/_usage.c
index b5f664a7..e190eb40 100644
--- a/src/rc/_usage.c
+++ b/src/rc/_usage.c
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ static void set_quiet_options(void)
 _noreturn static void
 show_version(void)
 {
-	char *systype = NULL;
+	const char *systype = NULL;
 
 	printf("%s (OpenRC", applet);
 	systype = detect_container();
diff --git a/src/rc/rc-misc.c b/src/rc/rc-misc.c
index dbdac685..f2f4d9f0 100644
--- a/src/rc/rc-misc.c
+++ b/src/rc/rc-misc.c
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ env_config(void)
 	char *np;
 	char *npp;
 	char *tok;
-	char *sys = NULL;
+	const char *sys = NULL;
 	char buffer[PATH_MAX];
 
 	/* Ensure our PATH is prefixed with the system locations first
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ found:
 	return retval;
 }
 
-char *detect_prefix(void)
+const char *detect_prefix(void)
 {
 #ifdef PREFIX
 	return RC_SYS_PREFIX;
@@ -385,7 +385,7 @@ char *detect_prefix(void)
 #endif
 }
 
-char *get_systype(void)
+const char *get_systype(void)
 {
 	char *systype = rc_conf_value("rc_sys");
 	if (systype) {
@@ -400,9 +400,9 @@ char *get_systype(void)
 	return systype;
 }
 
-char *detect_container(void)
+const char *detect_container(void)
 {
-	char *systype = get_systype();
+	const char *systype = get_systype();
 
 #ifdef __FreeBSD__
 	if (systype && strcmp(systype, RC_SYS_JAIL) == 0)
@@ -455,9 +455,9 @@ char *detect_container(void)
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-char *detect_vm(void)
+const char *detect_vm(void)
 {
-	char *systype = get_systype();
+	const char *systype = get_systype();
 
 #ifdef __NetBSD__
 	if (systype) {
diff --git a/src/rc/rc.c b/src/rc/rc.c
index 64541e07..a0b18865 100644
--- a/src/rc/rc.c
+++ b/src/rc/rc.c
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ open_shell(void)
 	struct passwd *pw;
 
 #ifdef __linux__
-	char *sys = NULL;
+	const char *sys = NULL;
 	
 	sys = detect_container();
 	if (!sys)
@@ -450,7 +450,7 @@ static void
 do_sysinit()
 {
 	struct utsname uts;
-	char *sys;
+	const char *sys;
 
 	/* exec init-early.sh if it exists
 	 * This should just setup the console to use the correct
@@ -749,7 +749,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
 	const char *bootlevel = NULL;
 	char *newlevel = NULL;
-	char *systype = NULL;
+	const char *systype = NULL;
 	static RC_STRINGLIST *hotplugged_services;
 	static RC_STRINGLIST *stop_services;
 	static RC_STRINGLIST *start_services;