diff --git a/ares/ares_version.c b/ares/ares_version.c
index 04b269e2850d7fd4539f3a90fab343e6cf529a11..2dbbc07e2f46e49d36d0856d2c3b9cd5b3994f4c 100644
--- a/ares/ares_version.c
+++ b/ares/ares_version.c
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 #include "ares_version.h"
 
-char *ares_version(int *version)
+const char *ares_version(int *version)
 {
   if(version)
     *version = ARES_VERSION;
diff --git a/ares/ares_version.h b/ares/ares_version.h
index b99fa1b25f17ca2761e4e95737d94bb10491c74c..0850f9ad406dd0501bfa395cfcd2508f55143e28 100644
--- a/ares/ares_version.h
+++ b/ares/ares_version.h
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
                        (ARES_VERSION_PATCH))
 #define ARES_VERSION_STR "1.0.0"
 
-char *ares_version(int *version);
+const char *ares_version(int *version);
 
 #endif