diff --git a/src/iio-buffer-utils.c b/src/iio-buffer-utils.c
index b825a84..048a2f0 100644
--- a/src/iio-buffer-utils.c
+++ b/src/iio-buffer-utils.c
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ size_from_channelarray (iio_channel_info **channels,
 void
 process_scan_1 (char              *data,
     BufferDrvData        *buffer_data,
-		char              *ch_name,
+		const char        *ch_name,
 		int               *ch_val,
 		gdouble           *ch_scale,
 		gboolean          *ch_present)
diff --git a/src/iio-buffer-utils.h b/src/iio-buffer-utils.h
index cc09178..8e12e6f 100644
--- a/src/iio-buffer-utils.h
+++ b/src/iio-buffer-utils.h
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ typedef struct {
 
 void process_scan_1                    (char              *data,
 				        BufferDrvData     *buffer_data,
-				        char              *ch_name,
+				        const char        *ch_name,
 				        int               *ch_val,
 				        gdouble           *ch_scale,
 				        gboolean          *ch_present);