diff --git a/src/util/virhostdev.c b/src/util/virhostdev.c
index 6633b48805..475796aae5 100644
--- a/src/util/virhostdev.c
+++ b/src/util/virhostdev.c
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ virHostdevNetDevice(virDomainHostdevDefPtr hostdev,
 
 
 static bool
-virHostdevIsPCINetDevice(virDomainHostdevDefPtr hostdev)
+virHostdevIsPCINetDevice(const virDomainHostdevDef *hostdev)
 {
     return hostdev->mode == VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_MODE_SUBSYS &&
         hostdev->source.subsys.type == VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_SUBSYS_TYPE_PCI &&
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ virHostdevIsPCINetDevice(virDomainHostdevDefPtr hostdev)
  * Returns true if @hostdev is a SCSI device, false otherwise.
  */
 bool
-virHostdevIsSCSIDevice(virDomainHostdevDefPtr hostdev)
+virHostdevIsSCSIDevice(const virDomainHostdevDef *hostdev)
 {
     return hostdev->mode == VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_MODE_SUBSYS &&
         hostdev->source.subsys.type == VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_SUBSYS_TYPE_SCSI;
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ virHostdevIsSCSIDevice(virDomainHostdevDefPtr hostdev)
  * Returns true if @hostdev is a Mediated device, false otherwise.
  */
 bool
-virHostdevIsMdevDevice(virDomainHostdevDefPtr hostdev)
+virHostdevIsMdevDevice(const virDomainHostdevDef *hostdev)
 {
     return hostdev->mode == VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_MODE_SUBSYS &&
         hostdev->source.subsys.type == VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_SUBSYS_TYPE_MDEV;
diff --git a/src/util/virhostdev.h b/src/util/virhostdev.h
index b19a9c3f45..b8269c57bd 100644
--- a/src/util/virhostdev.h
+++ b/src/util/virhostdev.h
@@ -188,10 +188,10 @@ virHostdevReAttachDomainDevices(virHostdevManagerPtr mgr,
                                 const char *oldStateDir)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(2) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(3);
 bool
-virHostdevIsSCSIDevice(virDomainHostdevDefPtr hostdev)
+virHostdevIsSCSIDevice(const virDomainHostdevDef *hostdev)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1);
 bool
-virHostdevIsMdevDevice(virDomainHostdevDefPtr hostdev)
+virHostdevIsMdevDevice(const virDomainHostdevDef *hostdev)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1);
 
 /* functions used by NodeDevDetach/Reattach/Reset */