diff --git a/src/security/security_selinux.c b/src/security/security_selinux.c
index 1f72f61cac..92e85c92e0 100644
--- a/src/security/security_selinux.c
+++ b/src/security/security_selinux.c
@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@ static char *
 virSecuritySELinuxContextAddRange(char *src,
                                   char *dst)
 {
-    char *str = NULL;
+    const char *str = NULL;
     char *ret = NULL;
     context_t srccon = NULL;
     context_t dstcon = NULL;
@@ -567,7 +567,7 @@ virSecuritySELinuxGenNewContext(const char *basecontext,
 {
     context_t context = NULL;
     char *ret = NULL;
-    char *str;
+    const char *str;
     char *ourSecContext = NULL;
     context_t ourContext = NULL;