diff --git a/compat.h b/compat.h
index a91172c9..76ef70df 100644
--- a/compat.h
+++ b/compat.h
@@ -466,11 +466,11 @@ int		 utf8proc_wctomb(char *, wchar_t);
 #endif
 
 /* getopt.c */
-extern int	BSDopterr;
-extern int	BSDoptind;
-extern int	BSDoptopt;
-extern int	BSDoptreset;
-extern const char *BSDoptarg;
+extern int	 BSDopterr;
+extern int	 BSDoptind;
+extern int	 BSDoptopt;
+extern int	 BSDoptreset;
+extern char	*BSDoptarg;
 int	BSDgetopt(int, char *const *, const char *);
 #define getopt(ac, av, o)  BSDgetopt(ac, av, o)
 #define opterr             BSDopterr
diff --git a/compat/getopt_long.c b/compat/getopt_long.c
index cd00e7e0..3d4df3fc 100644
--- a/compat/getopt_long.c
+++ b/compat/getopt_long.c
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ int	opterr = 1;		/* if error message should be printed */
 int	optind = 1;		/* index into parent argv vector */
 int	optopt = '?';		/* character checked for validity */
 int	optreset;		/* reset getopt */
-const char *optarg;		/* argument associated with option */
+char    *optarg;		/* argument associated with option */
 
 #define PRINT_ERROR	((opterr) && (*options != ':'))
 
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ const char *optarg;		/* argument associated with option */
 #define	BADARG		((*options == ':') ? (int)':' : (int)'?')
 #define	INORDER		(int)1
 
-#define	EMSG		""
+#define	EMSG		(char *)""
 
 static int getopt_internal(int, char * const *, const char *,
 			   const struct option *, int *, int);
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ static int parse_long_options(char * const *, const char *,
 static int gcd(int, int);
 static void permute_args(int, int, int, char * const *);
 
-static const char *place = EMSG; /* option letter processing */
+static char *place = EMSG; /* option letter processing */
 
 /* XXX: set optreset to 1 rather than these two */
 static int nonopt_start = -1; /* first non option argument (for permute) */
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ static int
 parse_long_options(char * const *nargv, const char *options,
 	const struct option *long_options, int *idx, int short_too)
 {
-	const char *current_argv, *has_equal;
+	char *current_argv, *has_equal;
 	size_t current_argv_len;
 	int i, match;