diff --git a/lib/format_text/format-text.c b/lib/format_text/format-text.c
index 6bacc1d44..1fcb51875 100644
--- a/lib/format_text/format-text.c
+++ b/lib/format_text/format-text.c
@@ -1958,7 +1958,7 @@ static void _text_destroy(struct format_type *fmt)
 	free(fmt);
 }
 
-static struct metadata_area_ops _metadata_text_file_ops = {
+static const struct metadata_area_ops _metadata_text_file_ops = {
 	.vg_read = _vg_read_file,
 	.vg_read_precommit = _vg_read_precommit_file,
 	.vg_write = _vg_write_file,
@@ -1966,14 +1966,14 @@ static struct metadata_area_ops _metadata_text_file_ops = {
 	.vg_commit = _vg_commit_file
 };
 
-static struct metadata_area_ops _metadata_text_file_backup_ops = {
+static const struct metadata_area_ops _metadata_text_file_backup_ops = {
 	.vg_read = _vg_read_file,
 	.vg_write = _vg_write_file,
 	.vg_remove = _vg_remove_file,
 	.vg_commit = _vg_commit_file_backup
 };
 
-static struct metadata_area_ops _metadata_text_raw_ops = {
+static const struct metadata_area_ops _metadata_text_raw_ops = {
 	.vg_read = _vg_read_raw,
 	.vg_read_precommit = _vg_read_precommit_raw,
 	.vg_write = _vg_write_raw,
@@ -2571,7 +2571,7 @@ static struct format_instance *_text_create_text_instance(const struct format_ty
 	return fid;
 }
 
-static struct format_handler _text_handler = {
+static const struct format_handler _text_handler = {
 	.pv_initialise = _text_pv_initialise,
 	.pv_setup = _text_pv_setup,
 	.pv_add_metadata_area = _text_pv_add_metadata_area,
@@ -2618,9 +2618,6 @@ struct format_type *create_text_format(struct cmd_context *cmd)
 	mda_lists->raw_ops = &_metadata_text_raw_ops;
 	fmt->private = (void *) mda_lists;
 
-	dm_list_init(&fmt->mda_ops);
-	dm_list_add(&fmt->mda_ops, &_metadata_text_raw_ops.list);
-
 	if (!(fmt->labeller = text_labeller_create(fmt))) {
 		log_error("Couldn't create text label handler.");
 		goto bad;
diff --git a/lib/format_text/layout.h b/lib/format_text/layout.h
index df7ed3a78..d3b4e6119 100644
--- a/lib/format_text/layout.h
+++ b/lib/format_text/layout.h
@@ -85,8 +85,8 @@ struct mda_header *raw_read_mda_header(const struct format_type *fmt,
 				       uint32_t *bad_fields);
 
 struct mda_lists {
-	struct metadata_area_ops *file_ops;
-	struct metadata_area_ops *raw_ops;
+	const struct metadata_area_ops *file_ops;
+	const struct metadata_area_ops *raw_ops;
 };
 
 struct mda_context {
diff --git a/lib/metadata/metadata-exported.h b/lib/metadata/metadata-exported.h
index af9c3864b..f894aca26 100644
--- a/lib/metadata/metadata-exported.h
+++ b/lib/metadata/metadata-exported.h
@@ -372,8 +372,7 @@ struct labeller;
 struct format_type {
 	struct dm_list list;
 	struct cmd_context *cmd;
-	struct format_handler *ops;
-	struct dm_list mda_ops; /* List of permissible mda ops. */
+	const struct format_handler *ops;
 	struct labeller *labeller;
 	const char *name;
 	const char *alias;
diff --git a/lib/metadata/metadata.h b/lib/metadata/metadata.h
index 3d470207f..f93cd263d 100644
--- a/lib/metadata/metadata.h
+++ b/lib/metadata/metadata.h
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ struct cached_vg_fmtdata;
 
 /* Per-format per-metadata area operations */
 struct metadata_area_ops {
-	struct dm_list list;
 	struct volume_group *(*vg_read) (struct cmd_context *cmd,
 					 struct format_instance * fi,
 					 const char *vg_name,
@@ -183,7 +182,7 @@ struct metadata_area_ops {
 
 struct metadata_area {
 	struct dm_list list;
-	struct metadata_area_ops *ops;
+	const struct metadata_area_ops *ops;
 	void *metadata_locn;
 	uint32_t status;
 	uint64_t header_start; /* mda_header.start */