diff --git a/libsmartcols/src/libsmartcols.h.in b/libsmartcols/src/libsmartcols.h.in
index 55eef4ef6..03b97e4be 100644
--- a/libsmartcols/src/libsmartcols.h.in
+++ b/libsmartcols/src/libsmartcols.h.in
@@ -226,8 +226,8 @@ extern int scols_table_remove_column(struct libscols_table *tb, struct libscols_
 extern int scols_table_remove_columns(struct libscols_table *tb);
 extern struct libscols_column *scols_table_new_column(struct libscols_table *tb, const char *name, double whint, int flags);
 extern int scols_table_next_column(struct libscols_table *tb, struct libscols_iter *itr, struct libscols_column **cl);
-extern char *scols_table_get_column_separator(struct libscols_table *tb);
-extern char *scols_table_get_line_separator(struct libscols_table *tb);
+extern const char *scols_table_get_column_separator(struct libscols_table *tb);
+extern const char *scols_table_get_line_separator(struct libscols_table *tb);
 extern size_t scols_table_get_ncols(struct libscols_table *tb);
 extern size_t scols_table_get_nlines(struct libscols_table *tb);
 extern struct libscols_column *scols_table_get_column(struct libscols_table *tb, size_t n);
diff --git a/libsmartcols/src/table.c b/libsmartcols/src/table.c
index 9aae75c95..0ca0f0a1b 100644
--- a/libsmartcols/src/table.c
+++ b/libsmartcols/src/table.c
@@ -1047,7 +1047,7 @@ int scols_table_set_line_separator(struct libscols_table *tb, const char *sep)
  *
  * Returns: @tb column separator, NULL in case of an error
  */
-char *scols_table_get_column_separator(struct libscols_table *tb)
+const char *scols_table_get_column_separator(struct libscols_table *tb)
 {
 	return tb->colsep;
 }
@@ -1058,10 +1058,9 @@ char *scols_table_get_column_separator(struct libscols_table *tb)
  *
  * Returns: @tb line separator, NULL in case of an error
  */
-char *scols_table_get_line_separator(struct libscols_table *tb)
+const char *scols_table_get_line_separator(struct libscols_table *tb)
 {
 	return tb->linesep;
-
 }
 
 static int cells_cmp_wrapper(struct list_head *a, struct list_head *b, void *data)