diff --git a/bind.c b/bind.c
index 3fac657..32781c8 100644
--- a/bind.c
+++ b/bind.c
@@ -459,24 +459,17 @@ unsigned int getckey(int mflag)
 /*
  * execute the startup file
  *
- * char *sfname;    name of startup file (null if default)
+ * char *fname;    name of startup file (null if default)
  */
-int startup(char *sfname)
-{
-    char *fname;        /* resulting file name to execute */
+int startup( const char *fname) {
+    if( !fname || *fname == 0)		/* use default if empty parameter */
+    	fname = rcfname ;
 
-    /* look up the startup file */
-    if (*sfname != 0)
-        fname = flook(sfname, TRUE);
-    else
-        fname = flook( rcfname, TRUE);
+	fname = flook( fname, TRUE) ;	/* look up the startup file */
+    if( fname == NULL)    			/* if it isn't around, don't sweat it */
+        return TRUE ;
 
-    /* if it isn't around, don't sweat it */
-    if (fname == NULL)
-        return TRUE;
-
-    /* otherwise, execute the sucker */
-    return dofile(fname);
+    return dofile( fname) ;			/* otherwise, execute the sucker */
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/bind.h b/bind.h
index 3e4c569..09d7af9 100644
--- a/bind.h
+++ b/bind.h
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ int unbindchar( int c) ;
 int desbind( int f, int n) ;
 int buildlist( int type, char *mstring) ;
 unsigned int getckey( int mflag) ;
-int startup( char *sfname) ;
+int startup( const char *fname) ;
 void cmdstr( int c, char *seq) ;
 fn_t getbind( int c) ;
 fn_t fncmatch( char *) ;
diff --git a/exec.c b/exec.c
index e2be224..b0744b9 100644
--- a/exec.c
+++ b/exec.c
@@ -924,8 +924,7 @@ int execfile(int f, int n)
  *
  * char *fname;     file name to execute
  */
-int dofile(char *fname)
-{
+int dofile( const char *fname) {
     struct buffer *bp;  /* buffer to place file to exeute */
     struct buffer *cb;  /* temp to hold current buf while we read */
     int status; /* results of various calls */
diff --git a/exec.h b/exec.h
index d7cba76..a64c786 100644
--- a/exec.h
+++ b/exec.h
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ int nextarg( const char *prompt, char *buffer, int size, int terminator) ;
 int storemac( int f, int n) ;
 int execbuf( int f, int n) ;
 int execfile( int f, int n) ;
-int dofile( char *fname) ;
+int dofile( const char *fname) ;
 
 int cbuf1( int f, int n) ;
 int cbuf2( int f, int n) ;