diff --git a/common/serial.c b/common/serial.c
index 03bbb19754a9bfa2604a6b01dc6e267337e0d8fa..75cc1bb71c2aa3bafe570614c8caa3afe3b98ba5 100644
--- a/common/serial.c
+++ b/common/serial.c
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ void serial_stdio_init(void)
 	}
 }
 
-int serial_assign(char *name)
+int serial_assign(const char *name)
 {
 	struct serial_device *s;
 
diff --git a/include/serial.h b/include/serial.h
index 9d623cacb28f192debf3b2ed8582155522e941c5..fbc10365f1ac9071f3565e29b16b59c02144f78a 100644
--- a/include/serial.h
+++ b/include/serial.h
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ extern struct serial_device bfin_serial3_device;
 extern void serial_register(struct serial_device *);
 extern void serial_initialize(void);
 extern void serial_stdio_init(void);
-extern int serial_assign(char *name);
+extern int serial_assign(const char *name);
 extern void serial_reinit_all(void);
 
 /* For usbtty */