diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index 222d9cf3a7..bd181c6e78 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ extern const char **get_pathspec(const char *prefix, const char **pathspec);
 extern void setup_work_tree(void);
 extern const char *setup_git_directory_gently(int *);
 extern const char *setup_git_directory(void);
-extern const char *prefix_path(const char *prefix, int len, const char *path);
+extern char *prefix_path(const char *prefix, int len, const char *path);
 extern const char *prefix_filename(const char *prefix, int len, const char *path);
 extern int check_filename(const char *prefix, const char *name);
 extern void verify_filename(const char *prefix, const char *name);
diff --git a/setup.c b/setup.c
index 833db12bc4..f930dc0963 100644
--- a/setup.c
+++ b/setup.c
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 static int inside_git_dir = -1;
 static int inside_work_tree = -1;
 
-const char *prefix_path(const char *prefix, int len, const char *path)
+char *prefix_path(const char *prefix, int len, const char *path)
 {
 	const char *orig = path;
 	char *sanitized = xmalloc(len + strlen(path) + 1);