diff --git a/src/db/dbAccess.c b/src/db/dbAccess.c
index d6d6c0324..069036d12 100644
--- a/src/db/dbAccess.c
+++ b/src/db/dbAccess.c
@@ -772,16 +772,14 @@ long epicsShareAPI dbBufferSize(
     if(options & DBR_AL_DOUBLE) nbytes += dbr_alDouble_size;
     return(nbytes);
 }
-int epicsShareAPI dbLoadDatabase(char *filename,char *path,char *substitutions)
+int epicsShareAPI dbLoadDatabase(const char *file, const char *path, const char *subs)
 {
-    int status;
-    status = dbReadDatabase(&pdbbase,filename,path,substitutions);
-    return(status);
+    return dbReadDatabase(&pdbbase, file, path, subs);
 }
 
-int epicsShareAPI dbLoadRecords(char* pfilename, char* substitutions)
+int epicsShareAPI dbLoadRecords(const char* file, const char* subs)
 {
-    return(dbReadDatabase(&pdbbase,pfilename,0,substitutions));
+    return dbReadDatabase(&pdbbase, file, 0, subs);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/db/dbAccessDefs.h b/src/db/dbAccessDefs.h
index 6e4a2f2d6..2d6c59304 100644
--- a/src/db/dbAccessDefs.h
+++ b/src/db/dbAccessDefs.h
@@ -269,10 +269,10 @@ epicsShareFunc long epicsShareAPI dbBufferSize(
 epicsShareFunc long epicsShareAPI dbValueSize(short dbrType);
 
 epicsShareFunc int epicsShareAPI  dbLoadDatabase(
-    char *filename,char *path,char *substitutions);
+    const char *filename, const char *path, const char *substitutions);
 
 epicsShareFunc int epicsShareAPI dbLoadRecords(
-    char* pfilename, char* substitutions);
+    const char* filename, const char* substitutions);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }