diff --git a/src/dump_local.cpp b/src/dump_local.cpp
index 0041790063..4a0d4c3a2f 100644
--- a/src/dump_local.cpp
+++ b/src/dump_local.cpp
@@ -481,7 +481,7 @@ void DumpLocal::parse_fields(int narg, char **arg)
    if already in list, do not add, just return index, else add to list
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
-int DumpLocal::add_compute(char *id)
+int DumpLocal::add_compute(const char *id)
 {
   int icompute;
   for (icompute = 0; icompute < ncompute; icompute++)
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ int DumpLocal::add_compute(char *id)
    if already in list, do not add, just return index, else add to list
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
-int DumpLocal::add_fix(char *id)
+int DumpLocal::add_fix(const char *id)
 {
   int ifix;
   for (ifix = 0; ifix < nfix; ifix++)
diff --git a/src/dump_local.h b/src/dump_local.h
index 9b15082995..80f0692bb0 100644
--- a/src/dump_local.h
+++ b/src/dump_local.h
@@ -62,8 +62,8 @@ class DumpLocal : public Dump {
   virtual void write_data(int, double *);
 
   void parse_fields(int, char **);
-  int add_compute(char *);
-  int add_fix(char *);
+  int add_compute(const char *);
+  int add_fix(const char *);
 
   typedef void (DumpLocal::*FnPtrWrite)(int, double *);
   FnPtrWrite write_choice;             // ptr to write data functions