diff --git a/include/xtables.h b/include/xtables.h
index 72e6ae2..3ac561f 100644
--- a/include/xtables.h
+++ b/include/xtables.h
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@
 extern void exit_printhelp() __attribute__((noreturn));
 extern void exit_tryhelp(int) __attribute__((noreturn));
 int check_inverse(const char option[], int *invert, int *optind, int argc);
-void exit_error(enum exittype, char *, ...)__attribute__((noreturn,
+void exit_error(enum exittype, const char *, ...)__attribute__((noreturn,
 							  format(printf,2,3)));
 extern const char *program_name, *program_version;
 
diff --git a/ip6tables.c b/ip6tables.c
index 0f96981..aeebed4 100644
--- a/ip6tables.c
+++ b/ip6tables.c
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@
 }
 
 void
-exit_error(enum exittype status, char *msg, ...)
+exit_error(enum exittype status, const char *msg, ...)
 {
 	va_list args;
 
diff --git a/iptables-xml.c b/iptables-xml.c
index 71d5288..1bb2e20 100644
--- a/iptables-xml.c
+++ b/iptables-xml.c
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 
 #ifndef IPTABLES_MULTI
 int line = 0;
-void exit_error(enum exittype status, char *msg, ...)
+void exit_error(enum exittype status, const char *msg, ...)
 {
 	va_list args;
 
diff --git a/iptables.c b/iptables.c
index 78ac13c..f77a6f0 100644
--- a/iptables.c
+++ b/iptables.c
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@
 }
 
 void
-exit_error(enum exittype status, char *msg, ...)
+exit_error(enum exittype status, const char *msg, ...)
 {
 	va_list args;