--- src/extension/script/inkscape_py_wrap.cpp
+++ src/extension/script/inkscape_py_wrap.cpp
@@ -802,7 +802,7 @@
     obj = pyobj;
     if (PyCFunction_Check(obj)) {
       /* here we get the method pointer for callbacks */
-      char *doc = (((PyCFunctionObject *)obj) -> m_ml -> ml_doc);
+      const char *doc = (((PyCFunctionObject *)obj) -> m_ml -> ml_doc);
       c = doc ? strstr(doc, "swig_ptr: ") : 0;
       if (c) {
 	c += 10;
@@ -977,11 +977,11 @@
 		       swig_type_info **types_initial) {
   int i;
   for (i = 0; methods[i].ml_name; ++i) {
-    char *c = methods[i].ml_doc;
+    const char *c = methods[i].ml_doc;
     if (c && (c = strstr(c, "swig_ptr: "))) {
       int j;
       swig_const_info *ci = 0;
-      char *name = c + 10;
+      const char *name = c + 10;
       for (j = 0; const_table[j].type; j++) {
 	if (strncmp(const_table[j].name, name, 
 		    strlen(const_table[j].name)) == 0) {