diff --git a/gdbstub/user.c b/gdbstub/user.c
index 2e14ded3f0..e233c59816 100644
--- a/gdbstub/user.c
+++ b/gdbstub/user.c
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ static bool gdb_accept_socket(int gdb_fd)
 static int gdbserver_open_socket(const char *path, Error **errp)
 {
     g_autoptr(GString) buf = g_string_new("");
-    char *pid_placeholder;
+    const char *pid_placeholder;
 
     pid_placeholder = strstr(path, "%d");
     if (pid_placeholder != NULL) {
diff --git a/hw/i386/x86-common.c b/hw/i386/x86-common.c
index c844749900..f77e2e6304 100644
--- a/hw/i386/x86-common.c
+++ b/hw/i386/x86-common.c
@@ -654,7 +654,7 @@ void x86_load_linux(X86MachineState *x86ms,
     uint8_t header[8192], *setup, *kernel;
     hwaddr real_addr, prot_addr, cmdline_addr, initrd_addr = 0;
     FILE *f;
-    char *vmode;
+    const char *vmode;
     MachineState *machine = MACHINE(x86ms);
     struct setup_data *setup_data;
     const char *kernel_filename = machine->kernel_filename;
diff --git a/monitor/hmp.c b/monitor/hmp.c
index 34e2b8f748..a3ee02e52c 100644
--- a/monitor/hmp.c
+++ b/monitor/hmp.c
@@ -577,10 +577,11 @@ static const char *get_command_name(const char *cmdline,
  * Read key of 'type' into 'key' and return the current
  * 'type' pointer.
  */
-static char *key_get_info(const char *type, char **key)
+static const char *key_get_info(const char *type, char **key)
 {
     size_t len;
-    char *p, *str;
+    const char *p;
+    char *str;
 
     if (*type == ',') {
         type++;
diff --git a/tests/vhost-user-bridge.c b/tests/vhost-user-bridge.c
index a5c711b1de..ce4c3426d3 100644
--- a/tests/vhost-user-bridge.c
+++ b/tests/vhost-user-bridge.c
@@ -746,14 +746,12 @@ vubr_run(VubrDev *dev)
 static int
 vubr_parse_host_port(const char **host, const char **port, const char *buf)
 {
-    char *p = strchr(buf, ':');
-
-    if (!p) {
+    g_auto(GStrv) tokens = g_strsplit(buf, ":", 2);
+    if (!tokens[0] || !tokens[1]) {
         return -1;
     }
-    *p = '\0';
-    *host = strdup(buf);
-    *port = strdup(p + 1);
+    *host = g_steal_pointer(&tokens[0]);
+    *port = g_steal_pointer(&tokens[1]);
     return 0;
 }