diff --git a/src/osdep/osdep.c b/src/osdep/osdep.c
index 029b325c..7fed4598 100644
--- a/src/osdep/osdep.c
+++ b/src/osdep/osdep.c
@@ -164,10 +164,10 @@ set_cwd(char *path)
 	if (path) while (chdir(path) && errno == EINTR);
 }
 
-char *
+const char *
 get_shell(void)
 {
-	char *shell = GETSHELL;
+	const char *shell = GETSHELL;
 
 	if (!shell || !*shell)
 		shell = DEFAULT_SHELL;
diff --git a/src/osdep/osdep.h b/src/osdep/osdep.h
index 2ec1e324..e4d1883b 100644
--- a/src/osdep/osdep.h
+++ b/src/osdep/osdep.h
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ void set_ip_tos_throughput(int socket);
 char *get_cwd(void);
 void set_cwd(char *);
 
-char *get_shell(void);
+const char *get_shell(void);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
diff --git a/src/terminal/terminal.c b/src/terminal/terminal.c
index a69fc807..f0528823 100644
--- a/src/terminal/terminal.c
+++ b/src/terminal/terminal.c
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ assert_terminal_ptr_not_dangling(const struct terminal *suspect)
 
 static void
 exec_on_master_terminal(struct terminal *term,
-			char *path, int plen,
+			const char *path, int plen,
 			const char *delete_, int dlen,
 			term_exec_T fg)
 {
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ exec_on_master_terminal(struct terminal *term,
 
 static void
 exec_on_slave_terminal( struct terminal *term,
-			char *path, int plen,
+			const char *path, int plen,
 			const char *delete_, int dlen,
 			term_exec_T fg)
 {
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ exec_on_slave_terminal( struct terminal *term,
 }
 
 void
-exec_on_terminal(struct terminal *term, char *path,
+exec_on_terminal(struct terminal *term, const char *path,
 		 const char *delete_, term_exec_T fg)
 {
 	if (path) {
@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@ exec_on_terminal(struct terminal *term, char *path,
 void
 exec_shell(struct terminal *term)
 {
-	char *sh;
+	const char *sh;
 
 	if (!can_open_os_shell(term->environment)) return;
 
diff --git a/src/terminal/terminal.h b/src/terminal/terminal.h
index 912cea50..36cb69d0 100644
--- a/src/terminal/terminal.h
+++ b/src/terminal/terminal.h
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ enum term_exec {
 
 typedef int term_exec_T;
 
-void exec_on_terminal(struct terminal *, char *, const char *, term_exec_T);
+void exec_on_terminal(struct terminal *, const char *, const char *, term_exec_T);
 void exec_shell(struct terminal *term);
 
 int set_terminal_title(struct terminal *, char *);