diff --git a/glfw/cocoa_window.m b/glfw/cocoa_window.m
index 94a06d1b8..a3fa49b1b 100644
--- a/glfw/cocoa_window.m
+++ b/glfw/cocoa_window.m
@@ -1560,7 +1560,7 @@ void _glfwPlatformUpdateIMEState(_GLFWwindow *w, const GLFWIMEUpdateEvent *ev) {
 {
     NSString *text = nil;
     if (_glfw.callbacks.get_current_selection) {
-        const char *s = _glfw.callbacks.get_current_selection();
+        char *s = _glfw.callbacks.get_current_selection();
         if (s) {
             text = [NSString stringWithUTF8String:s];
             free(s);
diff --git a/glfw/glfw3.h b/glfw/glfw3.h
index 513c47bc7..bd4794bd0 100644
--- a/glfw/glfw3.h
+++ b/glfw/glfw3.h
@@ -1716,7 +1716,7 @@ typedef void (* GLFWjoystickfun)(int,int);
 typedef void (* GLFWuserdatafun)(unsigned long long, void*);
 typedef void (* GLFWtickcallback)(void*);
 typedef bool (* GLFWdrawtextfun)(GLFWwindow *window, const char *text, uint32_t fg, uint32_t bg, uint8_t *output_buf, size_t width, size_t height, float x_offset, float y_offset, size_t right_margin);
-typedef const char* (* GLFWcurrentselectionfun)(void);
+typedef char* (* GLFWcurrentselectionfun)(void);
 
 /*! @brief Video mode type.
  *
diff --git a/kitty/glfw-wrapper.h b/kitty/glfw-wrapper.h
index 152e7d1bf..0b69d81f5 100644
--- a/kitty/glfw-wrapper.h
+++ b/kitty/glfw-wrapper.h
@@ -1454,7 +1454,7 @@ typedef void (* GLFWjoystickfun)(int,int);
 typedef void (* GLFWuserdatafun)(unsigned long long, void*);
 typedef void (* GLFWtickcallback)(void*);
 typedef bool (* GLFWdrawtextfun)(GLFWwindow *window, const char *text, uint32_t fg, uint32_t bg, uint8_t *output_buf, size_t width, size_t height, float x_offset, float y_offset, size_t right_margin);
-typedef const char* (* GLFWcurrentselectionfun)(void);
+typedef char* (* GLFWcurrentselectionfun)(void);
 
 /*! @brief Video mode type.
  *
diff --git a/kitty/glfw.c b/kitty/glfw.c
index d083da7b1..221a10b9e 100644
--- a/kitty/glfw.c
+++ b/kitty/glfw.c
@@ -464,12 +464,12 @@ application_close_requested_callback(int flags) {
     }
 }
 
-const char*
+static char*
 get_current_selection(void) {
     if (!global_state.boss) return NULL;
     PyObject *ret = PyObject_CallMethod(global_state.boss, "get_active_selection", NULL);
     if (!ret) { PyErr_Print(); return NULL; }
-    const char* ans = NULL;
+    char* ans = NULL;
     if (PyUnicode_Check(ret)) ans = strdup(PyUnicode_AsUTF8(ret));
     Py_DECREF(ret);
     return ans;