diff --git a/include/git2/index.h b/include/git2/index.h
index d34ed0a92..18ab9b858 100644
--- a/include/git2/index.h
+++ b/include/git2/index.h
@@ -98,14 +98,14 @@ typedef struct git_index_entry {
 	unsigned short flags;
 	unsigned short flags_extended;
 
-	const char *path;
+	char *path;
 } git_index_entry;
 
 /** Representation of an unmerged file entry in the index. */
 typedef struct git_index_entry_unmerged {
 	unsigned int mode[3];
 	git_oid oid[3];
-	const char *path;
+	char *path;
 } git_index_entry_unmerged;
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/index.c b/src/index.c
index 6390da3d7..bdae26c77 100644
--- a/src/index.c
+++ b/src/index.c
@@ -227,14 +227,14 @@ void git_index_clear(git_index *index)
 	for (i = 0; i < index->entries.length; ++i) {
 		git_index_entry *e;
 		e = git_vector_get(&index->entries, i);
-		free((char *)e->path);
+		free(e->path);
 		free(e);
 	}
 
 	for (i = 0; i < index->unmerged.length; ++i) {
 		git_index_entry_unmerged *e;
 		e = git_vector_get(&index->unmerged, i);
-		free((char *)e->path);
+		free(e->path);
 		free(e);
 	}
 
@@ -391,14 +391,14 @@ static int index_insert(git_index *index, const git_index_entry *source_entry, i
 
 	/* exists, replace it */
 	entry_array = (git_index_entry **) index->entries.contents;
-	free((char *)entry_array[position]->path);
+	free(entry_array[position]->path);
 	free(entry_array[position]);
 	entry_array[position] = entry;
 
 	return GIT_SUCCESS;
 
 cleanup_oom:
-	free((char *)entry->path);
+	free(entry->path);
 	free(entry);
 	return GIT_ENOMEM;;
 }
@@ -680,7 +680,7 @@ static int read_unmerged(git_index *index, const char *buffer, size_t size)
 				continue;
 			if (size < 20)
 				return git__throw(GIT_ERROR, "Failed to read unmerged entries");
-			git_oid_fromraw(&lost->oid[i], (unsigned char *) buffer);
+			git_oid_fromraw(&lost->oid[i], (const unsigned char *) buffer);
 			size -= 20;
 			buffer += 20;
 		}
@@ -715,7 +715,7 @@ static size_t read_entry(git_index_entry *dest, const void *buffer, size_t buffe
 	dest->flags = ntohs(source->flags);
 
 	if (dest->flags & GIT_IDXENTRY_EXTENDED) {
-		struct entry_long *source_l = (struct entry_long *)source;
+		const struct entry_long *source_l = (const struct entry_long *)source;
 		path_ptr = source_l->path;
 
 		flags_raw = ntohs(source_l->flags_extended);