diff --git a/src/H5Gobj.c b/src/H5Gobj.c
index b7075ec57c..8cb384dedf 100644
--- a/src/H5Gobj.c
+++ b/src/H5Gobj.c
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ H5G_obj_ent_decode(H5F_t *f, const uint8_t **pp, H5O_loc_t *oloc)
  *-------------------------------------------------------------------------
  */
 herr_t
-H5G_obj_ent_encode(H5F_t *f, uint8_t **pp, const H5O_loc_t *oloc)
+H5G_obj_ent_encode(const H5F_t *f, uint8_t **pp, const H5O_loc_t *oloc)
 {
     uint8_t		*p_ret = *pp + H5G_SIZEOF_ENTRY(f);
 
diff --git a/src/H5Gprivate.h b/src/H5Gprivate.h
index 2b444cfc74..304dd89187 100644
--- a/src/H5Gprivate.h
+++ b/src/H5Gprivate.h
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ H5_DLL herr_t H5G_node_debug(H5F_t *f, hid_t dxpl_id, haddr_t addr, FILE *stream
  */
 H5_DLL herr_t H5G_obj_ent_decode(H5F_t *f, const uint8_t **pp,
     struct H5O_loc_t *oloc);
-H5_DLL herr_t H5G_obj_ent_encode(H5F_t *f, uint8_t **pp,
+H5_DLL herr_t H5G_obj_ent_encode(const H5F_t *f, uint8_t **pp,
     const struct H5O_loc_t *oloc);
 
 /*