diff --git a/Common/GmshSocket.h b/Common/GmshSocket.h
index 5bf280b7d1d65103769584ba08d0d62d7cac6314..3495ebe9a81b6a2db3fefcfdaa6367dad91832ae 100644
--- a/Common/GmshSocket.h
+++ b/Common/GmshSocket.h
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ class GmshClient : public GmshSocket {
       if(_sock < 0)
 	return -1; // Error: Couldn't create socket
       // try to connect socket to host:port
-      char *port = strstr(sockname, ":");
+      const char *port = strstr(sockname, ":");
       int portno = atoi(port + 1);
       int remotelen = strlen(sockname) - strlen(port);
       char remote[256];