diff --git a/src/blackmisc/stringutils.cpp b/src/blackmisc/stringutils.cpp
index 37b0fd151..b64684bc4 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/stringutils.cpp
+++ b/src/blackmisc/stringutils.cpp
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
         return caseInsensitiveStringCompare(c1, c2);
     }
 
-    const QString inApostrophes(const QString &in, bool ignoreEmpty)
+    QString inApostrophes(const QString &in, bool ignoreEmpty)
     {
         static const QString e;
         static const QString ea("''");
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
         return QStringLiteral("'") % in % QStringLiteral("'");
     }
 
-    const QString inQuotes(const QString &in, bool ignoreEmpty)
+    QString inQuotes(const QString &in, bool ignoreEmpty)
     {
         static const QString e;
         static const QString ea("\"\"");
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/stringutils.h b/src/blackmisc/stringutils.h
index 881e8ed28..50bb45527 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/stringutils.h
+++ b/src/blackmisc/stringutils.h
@@ -188,10 +188,10 @@ namespace BlackMisc
     }
 
     //! Return string in apostrophes
-    BLACKMISC_EXPORT const QString inApostrophes(const QString &in, bool ignoreEmpty = false);
+    BLACKMISC_EXPORT QString inApostrophes(const QString &in, bool ignoreEmpty = false);
 
     //! Return string in quotes
-    BLACKMISC_EXPORT const QString inQuotes(const QString &in, bool ignoreEmpty = false);
+    BLACKMISC_EXPORT QString inQuotes(const QString &in, bool ignoreEmpty = false);
 
     //! Bool to on/off
     BLACKMISC_EXPORT const QString &boolToOnOff(bool v);