diff --git a/builtin/tag.c b/builtin/tag.c
index 82fcfc09824..452558ec957 100644
--- a/builtin/tag.c
+++ b/builtin/tag.c
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ static int verify_tag(const char *name, const char *ref,
 		      const struct object_id *oid, void *cb_data)
 {
 	int flags;
-	const struct ref_format *format = cb_data;
+	struct ref_format *format = cb_data;
 	flags = GPG_VERIFY_VERBOSE;
 
 	if (format->format)
diff --git a/ref-filter.c b/ref-filter.c
index 797b20ffa61..d01a0266fb8 100644
--- a/ref-filter.c
+++ b/ref-filter.c
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ static int strbuf_addf_ret(struct strbuf *sb, int ret, const char *fmt, ...)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-static int color_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
+static int color_atom_parser(struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
 			     const char *color_value, struct strbuf *err)
 {
 	if (!color_value)
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ static int refname_atom_parser_internal(struct refname_atom *atom, const char *a
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int remote_ref_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
+static int remote_ref_atom_parser(struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
 				  const char *arg, struct strbuf *err)
 {
 	struct string_list params = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP;
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ static int remote_ref_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_a
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int objecttype_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
+static int objecttype_atom_parser(struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
 				  const char *arg, struct strbuf *err)
 {
 	if (arg)
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ static int objecttype_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_a
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int objectsize_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
+static int objectsize_atom_parser(struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
 				  const char *arg, struct strbuf *err)
 {
 	if (!arg) {
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ static int objectsize_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_a
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int deltabase_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
+static int deltabase_atom_parser(struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
 				 const char *arg, struct strbuf *err)
 {
 	if (arg)
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ static int deltabase_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_at
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int body_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
+static int body_atom_parser(struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
 			    const char *arg, struct strbuf *err)
 {
 	if (arg)
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ static int body_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *a
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int subject_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
+static int subject_atom_parser(struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
 			       const char *arg, struct strbuf *err)
 {
 	if (!arg)
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ static int subject_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int trailers_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
+static int trailers_atom_parser(struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
 				const char *arg, struct strbuf *err)
 {
 	atom->u.contents.trailer_opts.no_divider = 1;
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ static int trailers_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_ato
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int contents_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
+static int contents_atom_parser(struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
 				const char *arg, struct strbuf *err)
 {
 	if (!arg)
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ static int contents_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_ato
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int raw_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
+static int raw_atom_parser(struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
 				const char *arg, struct strbuf *err)
 {
 	if (!arg)
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ static int raw_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *at
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int oid_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
+static int oid_atom_parser(struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
 			   const char *arg, struct strbuf *err)
 {
 	if (!arg)
@@ -461,7 +461,7 @@ static int oid_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *at
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int person_email_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
+static int person_email_atom_parser(struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
 				    const char *arg, struct strbuf *err)
 {
 	if (!arg)
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ static int person_email_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int refname_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
+static int refname_atom_parser(struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
 			       const char *arg, struct strbuf *err)
 {
 	return refname_atom_parser_internal(&atom->u.refname, arg, atom->name, err);
@@ -492,7 +492,7 @@ static align_type parse_align_position(const char *s)
 	return -1;
 }
 
-static int align_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
+static int align_atom_parser(struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
 			     const char *arg, struct strbuf *err)
 {
 	struct align *align = &atom->u.align;
@@ -544,7 +544,7 @@ static int align_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int if_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
+static int if_atom_parser(struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
 			  const char *arg, struct strbuf *err)
 {
 	if (!arg) {
@@ -559,7 +559,7 @@ static int if_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *ato
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int head_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
+static int head_atom_parser(struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
 			    const char *arg, struct strbuf *unused_err)
 {
 	atom->u.head = resolve_refdup("HEAD", RESOLVE_REF_READING, NULL, NULL);
@@ -570,7 +570,7 @@ static struct {
 	const char *name;
 	info_source source;
 	cmp_type cmp_type;
-	int (*parser)(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
+	int (*parser)(struct ref_format *format, struct used_atom *atom,
 		      const char *arg, struct strbuf *err);
 } valid_atom[] = {
 	[ATOM_REFNAME] = { "refname", SOURCE_NONE, FIELD_STR, refname_atom_parser },
@@ -649,7 +649,7 @@ struct atom_value {
 /*
  * Used to parse format string and sort specifiers
  */
-static int parse_ref_filter_atom(const struct ref_format *format,
+static int parse_ref_filter_atom(struct ref_format *format,
 				 const char *atom, const char *ep,
 				 struct strbuf *err)
 {
@@ -2553,9 +2553,9 @@ static void append_literal(const char *cp, const char *ep, struct ref_formatting
 }
 
 int format_ref_array_item(struct ref_array_item *info,
-			   const struct ref_format *format,
-			   struct strbuf *final_buf,
-			   struct strbuf *error_buf)
+			  struct ref_format *format,
+			  struct strbuf *final_buf,
+			  struct strbuf *error_buf)
 {
 	const char *cp, *sp, *ep;
 	struct ref_formatting_state state = REF_FORMATTING_STATE_INIT;
@@ -2600,7 +2600,7 @@ int format_ref_array_item(struct ref_array_item *info,
 }
 
 void pretty_print_ref(const char *name, const struct object_id *oid,
-		      const struct ref_format *format)
+		      struct ref_format *format)
 {
 	struct ref_array_item *ref_item;
 	struct strbuf output = STRBUF_INIT;
diff --git a/ref-filter.h b/ref-filter.h
index baf72a71896..74fb423fc89 100644
--- a/ref-filter.h
+++ b/ref-filter.h
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ void ref_array_sort(struct ref_sorting *sort, struct ref_array *array);
 void ref_sorting_set_sort_flags_all(struct ref_sorting *sorting, unsigned int mask, int on);
 /*  Based on the given format and quote_style, fill the strbuf */
 int format_ref_array_item(struct ref_array_item *info,
-			  const struct ref_format *format,
+			  struct ref_format *format,
 			  struct strbuf *final_buf,
 			  struct strbuf *error_buf);
 /*  Parse a single sort specifier and add it to the list */
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ void setup_ref_filter_porcelain_msg(void);
  * name must be a fully qualified refname.
  */
 void pretty_print_ref(const char *name, const struct object_id *oid,
-		      const struct ref_format *format);
+		      struct ref_format *format);
 
 /*
  * Push a single ref onto the array; this can be used to construct your own
