diff --git a/src/config/kbdbind.c b/src/config/kbdbind.c
index cea0db33e..1fd783416 100644
--- a/src/config/kbdbind.c
+++ b/src/config/kbdbind.c
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ kbd_nm_lookup(enum keymap_id keymap_id, unsigned char *name)
 }
 
 static struct keybinding *
-kbd_stroke_lookup(enum keymap_id keymap_id, unsigned char *keystroke_str)
+kbd_stroke_lookup(enum keymap_id keymap_id, const unsigned char *keystroke_str)
 {
 	struct term_event_keyboard kbd;
 
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ static struct keymap keymap_table[] = {
 
 static struct action *
 get_action_from_keystroke(enum keymap_id keymap_id,
-                          unsigned char *keystroke_str)
+                          const unsigned char *keystroke_str)
 {
 	struct keybinding *keybinding = kbd_stroke_lookup(keymap_id,
 	                                                  keystroke_str);
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ get_action_from_keystroke(enum keymap_id keymap_id,
 
 unsigned char *
 get_action_name_from_keystroke(enum keymap_id keymap_id,
-                               unsigned char *keystroke_str)
+                               const unsigned char *keystroke_str)
 {
 	struct action *action = get_action_from_keystroke(keymap_id,
 	                                                  keystroke_str);
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ static struct key key_table[] = {
 };
 
 term_event_key_T
-read_key(unsigned char *key_str)
+read_key(const unsigned char *key_str)
 {
 	struct key *key;
 
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ read_key(unsigned char *key_str)
 }
 
 int
-parse_keystroke(unsigned char *s, struct term_event_keyboard *kbd)
+parse_keystroke(const unsigned char *s, struct term_event_keyboard *kbd)
 {
 	unsigned char ctrlbuf[2];
 
@@ -550,7 +550,7 @@ free_keymaps(struct module *xxx)
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_SCRIPTING
 static unsigned char *
-bind_key_to_event(unsigned char *ckmap, unsigned char *ckey, int event)
+bind_key_to_event(unsigned char *ckmap, const unsigned char *ckey, int event)
 {
 	struct term_event_keyboard kbd;
 	action_id_T action_id;
@@ -572,7 +572,7 @@ bind_key_to_event(unsigned char *ckmap, unsigned char *ckey, int event)
 }
 
 int
-bind_key_to_event_name(unsigned char *ckmap, unsigned char *ckey,
+bind_key_to_event_name(unsigned char *ckmap, const unsigned char *ckey,
 		       unsigned char *event_name, unsigned char **err)
 {
 	int event_id;
@@ -867,7 +867,7 @@ get_aliased_action(enum keymap_id keymap_id, unsigned char *action_str)
 
 /* Return 0 when ok, something strange otherwise. */
 int
-bind_do(unsigned char *keymap_str, unsigned char *keystroke_str,
+bind_do(unsigned char *keymap_str, const unsigned char *keystroke_str,
 	unsigned char *action_str, int is_system_conf)
 {
 	enum keymap_id keymap_id;
@@ -891,7 +891,7 @@ bind_do(unsigned char *keymap_str, unsigned char *keystroke_str,
 }
 
 unsigned char *
-bind_act(unsigned char *keymap_str, unsigned char *keystroke_str)
+bind_act(unsigned char *keymap_str, const unsigned char *keystroke_str)
 {
 	enum keymap_id keymap_id;
 	unsigned char *action;
diff --git a/src/config/kbdbind.h b/src/config/kbdbind.h
index d4bea25c2..9f42847a0 100644
--- a/src/config/kbdbind.h
+++ b/src/config/kbdbind.h
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ struct action *get_action(enum keymap_id keymap_id, action_id_T action_id);
 unsigned char *get_action_name(enum keymap_id keymap_id, action_id_T action_id);
 action_id_T get_action_from_string(enum keymap_id keymap_id, unsigned char *str);
 unsigned char *get_action_name_from_keystroke(enum keymap_id keymap_id,
-                                              unsigned char *keystroke_str);
+                                              const unsigned char *keystroke_str);
 
 static inline unsigned int
 action_is_anonymous_safe(enum keymap_id keymap_id, action_id_T action_id)
@@ -173,10 +173,10 @@ action_requires_form(enum keymap_id keymap_id, action_id_T action_id)
 	return action && (action->flags & ACTION_REQUIRE_FORM);
 }
 
-term_event_key_T read_key(unsigned char *);
+term_event_key_T read_key(const unsigned char *);
 unsigned char *get_keymap_name(enum keymap_id);
 
-int parse_keystroke(unsigned char *, struct term_event_keyboard *);
+int parse_keystroke(const unsigned char *, struct term_event_keyboard *);
 void add_keystroke_to_string(struct string *str, struct term_event_keyboard *kbd, int escape);
 
 /* void add_accesskey_to_string(struct string *str, unicode_val_T accesskey); */
@@ -195,12 +195,12 @@ action_id_T kbd_action(enum keymap_id, struct term_event *, int *);
 struct keybinding *kbd_ev_lookup(enum keymap_id, struct term_event_keyboard *kbd, int *);
 struct keybinding *kbd_nm_lookup(enum keymap_id, unsigned char *);
 
-int bind_do(unsigned char *, unsigned char *, unsigned char *, int);
-unsigned char *bind_act(unsigned char *, unsigned char *);
+int bind_do(unsigned char *, const unsigned char *, unsigned char *, int);
+unsigned char *bind_act(unsigned char *, const unsigned char *);
 void bind_config_string(struct string *);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_SCRIPTING
-int bind_key_to_event_name(unsigned char *, unsigned char *, unsigned char *,
+int bind_key_to_event_name(unsigned char *, const unsigned char *, unsigned char *,
 			   unsigned char **);
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/scripting/lua/core.c b/src/scripting/lua/core.c
index 94671f645..432581ecb 100644
--- a/src/scripting/lua/core.c
+++ b/src/scripting/lua/core.c
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ l_bind_key(LS)
 	add_format_to_string(&event_name, "lua-run-func %i", ref);
 
 	event_id = bind_key_to_event_name((unsigned char *) lua_tostring(S, 1),
-					  (unsigned char *) lua_tostring(S, 2),
+					  (const unsigned char *) lua_tostring(S, 2),
 					  event_name.source, &err);
 	done_string(&event_name);
 
diff --git a/src/scripting/smjs/keybinding.c b/src/scripting/smjs/keybinding.c
index aa05ac694..96721fd99 100644
--- a/src/scripting/smjs/keybinding.c
+++ b/src/scripting/smjs/keybinding.c
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ static JSBool
 keymap_get_property(JSContext *ctx, JSObject *obj, jsval id, jsval *vp)
 {
 	unsigned char *action_str;
-	unsigned char *keystroke_str;
+	const unsigned char *keystroke_str;
 	int *data = JS_GetPrivate(ctx, obj);
 	enum keymap_id keymap_id = *data;
 
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ keymap_set_property(JSContext *ctx, JSObject *obj, jsval id, jsval *vp)
 	int *data = JS_GetPrivate(ctx, obj);
 	enum keymap_id keymap_id = *data;
 	unsigned char *keymap_str;
-	unsigned char *keystroke_str;
+	const unsigned char *keystroke_str;
 
 	/* Ugly fact: we need to get the string from the id to give to bind_do,
 	 * which will of course then convert the string back to an id... */