diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_hostdev.c b/src/qemu/qemu_hostdev.c
index c83b95de09..9d62f5f2a3 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_hostdev.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_hostdev.c
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ qemuDomainReAttachHostdevDevices(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
                                  int nhostdevs)
 {
     virQEMUDriverConfigPtr cfg = virQEMUDriverGetConfig(driver);
-    char *oldStateDir = cfg->stateDir;
+    const char *oldStateDir = cfg->stateDir;
     virHostdevManagerPtr hostdev_mgr = driver->hostdevMgr;
 
     virHostdevReAttachPCIDevices(hostdev_mgr, QEMU_DRIVER_NAME, name,
diff --git a/src/util/virhostdev.c b/src/util/virhostdev.c
index 06fbf96b4b..36869b084b 100644
--- a/src/util/virhostdev.c
+++ b/src/util/virhostdev.c
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ virHostdevNetConfigVirtPortProfile(const char *linkdev, int vf,
 static int
 virHostdevNetConfigReplace(virDomainHostdevDefPtr hostdev,
                            const unsigned char *uuid,
-                           char *stateDir)
+                           const char *stateDir)
 {
     char *linkdev = NULL;
     virNetDevVlanPtr vlan;
@@ -403,8 +403,8 @@ cleanup:
  */
 static int
 virHostdevNetConfigRestore(virDomainHostdevDefPtr hostdev,
-                           char *stateDir,
-                           char *oldStateDir)
+                           const char *stateDir,
+                           const char *oldStateDir)
 {
     char *linkdev = NULL;
     virNetDevVPortProfilePtr virtPort;
@@ -694,7 +694,7 @@ virHostdevReAttachPCIDevices(virHostdevManagerPtr hostdev_mgr,
                              const char *dom_name,
                              virDomainHostdevDefPtr *hostdevs,
                              int nhostdevs,
-                             char *oldStateDir)
+                             const char *oldStateDir)
 {
     virPCIDeviceListPtr pcidevs;
     size_t i;
diff --git a/src/util/virhostdev.h b/src/util/virhostdev.h
index d28fb151b7..e0b4e23eb4 100644
--- a/src/util/virhostdev.h
+++ b/src/util/virhostdev.h
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ virHostdevReAttachPCIDevices(virHostdevManagerPtr hostdev_mgr,
                              const char *dom_name,
                              virDomainHostdevDefPtr *hostdevs,
                              int nhostdevs,
-                             char *oldStateDir);
+                             const char *oldStateDir);
 void
 virHostdevReAttachUsbHostdevs(virHostdevManagerPtr hostdev_mgr,
                               const char *drv_name,
diff --git a/src/util/virnetdev.c b/src/util/virnetdev.c
index 6a1ee1ebba..9d8b7cfe48 100644
--- a/src/util/virnetdev.c
+++ b/src/util/virnetdev.c
@@ -1758,9 +1758,9 @@ cleanup:
  *
  */
 int
-virNetDevReplaceNetConfig(char *linkdev, int vf,
+virNetDevReplaceNetConfig(const char *linkdev, int vf,
                           const virMacAddr *macaddress, int vlanid,
-                          char *stateDir)
+                          const char *stateDir)
 {
     if (vf == -1)
         return virNetDevReplaceMacAddress(linkdev, macaddress, stateDir);
@@ -1779,7 +1779,7 @@ virNetDevReplaceNetConfig(char *linkdev, int vf,
  *
  */
 int
-virNetDevRestoreNetConfig(char *linkdev, int vf, char *stateDir)
+virNetDevRestoreNetConfig(const char *linkdev, int vf, const char *stateDir)
 {
     if (vf == -1)
         return virNetDevRestoreMacAddress(linkdev, stateDir);
diff --git a/src/util/virnetdev.h b/src/util/virnetdev.h
index 0aa5dc706d..00c82e0d5f 100644
--- a/src/util/virnetdev.h
+++ b/src/util/virnetdev.h
@@ -133,12 +133,12 @@ int virNetDevLinkDump(const char *ifname, int ifindex,
                       uint32_t src_pid, uint32_t dst_pid)
     ATTRIBUTE_RETURN_CHECK;
 
-int virNetDevReplaceNetConfig(char *linkdev, int vf,
+int virNetDevReplaceNetConfig(const char *linkdev, int vf,
                               const virMacAddr *macaddress, int vlanid,
-                              char *stateDir)
+                              const char *stateDir)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(3) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(5);
 
-int virNetDevRestoreNetConfig(char *linkdev, int vf, char *stateDir)
+int virNetDevRestoreNetConfig(const char *linkdev, int vf, const char *stateDir)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(3);
 
 int virNetDevGetVirtualFunctionInfo(const char *vfname, char **pfname,