diff --git a/sys/arm/arm/identcpu-v6.c b/sys/arm/arm/identcpu-v6.c
--- a/sys/arm/arm/identcpu-v6.c
+++ b/sys/arm/arm/identcpu-v6.c
@@ -49,10 +49,10 @@
 #include <machine/cpu.h>
 #include <machine/md_var.h>
 
-char machine[] = "arm";
+const char machine[] = "arm";
 
-SYSCTL_STRING(_hw, HW_MACHINE, machine, CTLFLAG_RD | CTLFLAG_CAPRD,
-	machine, 0, "Machine class");
+SYSCTL_CONST_STRING(_hw, HW_MACHINE, machine, CTLFLAG_RD | CTLFLAG_CAPRD,
+    machine, "Machine class");
 
 static char cpu_model[64];
 SYSCTL_STRING(_hw, HW_MODEL, model, CTLFLAG_RD | CTLFLAG_CAPRD,
diff --git a/sys/arm64/arm64/identcpu.c b/sys/arm64/arm64/identcpu.c
--- a/sys/arm64/arm64/identcpu.c
+++ b/sys/arm64/arm64/identcpu.c
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
 static u_long parse_cpu_features_hwcap32(void);
 #endif
 
-char machine[] = "arm64";
+const char machine[] = "arm64";
 
 #ifdef SCTL_MASK32
 extern int adaptive_machine_arch;
diff --git a/sys/conf/newvers.sh b/sys/conf/newvers.sh
--- a/sys/conf/newvers.sh
+++ b/sys/conf/newvers.sh
@@ -312,13 +312,13 @@
 #define VERSTR "${VERSTR}"
 #define RELSTR "${RELEASE}"
 
-char sccs[sizeof(SCCSSTR) > 128 ? sizeof(SCCSSTR) : 128] = SCCSSTR;
-char version[sizeof(VERSTR) > 256 ? sizeof(VERSTR) : 256] = VERSTR;
-char compiler_version[] = "${compiler_v}";
-char ostype[] = "${TYPE}";
-char osrelease[sizeof(RELSTR) > 32 ? sizeof(RELSTR) : 32] = RELSTR;
-int osreldate = ${RELDATE};
-char kern_ident[] = "${i}";
+const char sccs[sizeof(SCCSSTR) > 128 ? sizeof(SCCSSTR) : 128] = SCCSSTR;
+const char version[sizeof(VERSTR) > 256 ? sizeof(VERSTR) : 256] = VERSTR;
+const char compiler_version[] = "${compiler_v}";
+const char ostype[] = "${TYPE}";
+const char osrelease[sizeof(RELSTR) > 32 ? sizeof(RELSTR) : 32] = RELSTR;
+const int osreldate = ${RELDATE};
+const char kern_ident[] = "${i}";
 EOF
 )
 vers_content_old=$(cat vers.c 2>/dev/null || true)
diff --git a/sys/kern/init_main.c b/sys/kern/init_main.c
--- a/sys/kern/init_main.c
+++ b/sys/kern/init_main.c
@@ -365,36 +365,36 @@
 	printf("%s\n", compiler_version);
 }
 
-SYSINIT(announce, SI_SUB_COPYRIGHT, SI_ORDER_FIRST, print_caddr_t,
+C_SYSINIT(announce, SI_SUB_COPYRIGHT, SI_ORDER_FIRST, print_caddr_t,
     copyright);
-SYSINIT(trademark, SI_SUB_COPYRIGHT, SI_ORDER_SECOND, print_caddr_t,
+C_SYSINIT(trademark, SI_SUB_COPYRIGHT, SI_ORDER_SECOND, print_caddr_t,
     trademark);
-SYSINIT(version, SI_SUB_COPYRIGHT, SI_ORDER_THIRD, print_version, NULL);
+C_SYSINIT(version, SI_SUB_COPYRIGHT, SI_ORDER_THIRD, print_version, NULL);
 
 #ifdef WITNESS
-static char wit_warn[] =
+static const char wit_warn[] =
      "WARNING: WITNESS option enabled, expect reduced performance.\n";
-SYSINIT(witwarn, SI_SUB_COPYRIGHT, SI_ORDER_FOURTH,
+C_SYSINIT(witwarn, SI_SUB_COPYRIGHT, SI_ORDER_FOURTH,
    print_caddr_t, wit_warn);
-SYSINIT(witwarn2, SI_SUB_LAST, SI_ORDER_FOURTH,
+C_SYSINIT(witwarn2, SI_SUB_LAST, SI_ORDER_FOURTH,
    print_caddr_t, wit_warn);
 #endif
 
 #ifdef DIAGNOSTIC
-static char diag_warn[] =
+static const char diag_warn[] =
      "WARNING: DIAGNOSTIC option enabled, expect reduced performance.\n";
-SYSINIT(diagwarn, SI_SUB_COPYRIGHT, SI_ORDER_FIFTH,
+C_SYSINIT(diagwarn, SI_SUB_COPYRIGHT, SI_ORDER_FIFTH,
     print_caddr_t, diag_warn);
-SYSINIT(diagwarn2, SI_SUB_LAST, SI_ORDER_FIFTH,
+C_SYSINIT(diagwarn2, SI_SUB_LAST, SI_ORDER_FIFTH,
     print_caddr_t, diag_warn);
 #endif
 
 #if __SIZEOF_LONG__ == 4
-static char ilp32_warn[] =
+static const char ilp32_warn[] =
     "WARNING: 32-bit kernels are deprecated and may be removed in FreeBSD 15.0.\n";
-SYSINIT(ilp32warn, SI_SUB_COPYRIGHT, SI_ORDER_FIFTH,
+C_SYSINIT(ilp32warn, SI_SUB_COPYRIGHT, SI_ORDER_FIFTH,
     print_caddr_t, ilp32_warn);
-SYSINIT(ilp32warn2, SI_SUB_LAST, SI_ORDER_FIFTH,
+C_SYSINIT(ilp32warn2, SI_SUB_LAST, SI_ORDER_FIFTH,
     print_caddr_t, ilp32_warn);
 #endif
 
diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_mib.c b/sys/kern/kern_mib.c
--- a/sys/kern/kern_mib.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_mib.c
@@ -94,20 +94,20 @@
     "Regression test MIB");
 #endif
 
-SYSCTL_STRING(_kern, OID_AUTO, ident, CTLFLAG_RD,
-    kern_ident, 0, "Kernel identifier");
+SYSCTL_CONST_STRING(_kern, OID_AUTO, ident, CTLFLAG_RD,
+    kern_ident, "Kernel identifier");
 
 SYSCTL_INT(_kern, KERN_OSREV, osrevision, CTLFLAG_RD | CTLFLAG_CAPRD,
     SYSCTL_NULL_INT_PTR, BSD, "Operating system revision");
 
-SYSCTL_STRING(_kern, KERN_VERSION, version, CTLFLAG_RD,
-    version, 0, "Kernel version");
+SYSCTL_CONST_STRING(_kern, KERN_VERSION, version, CTLFLAG_RD,
+    version, "Kernel version");
 
-SYSCTL_STRING(_kern, OID_AUTO, compiler_version, CTLFLAG_RD,
-    compiler_version, 0, "Version of compiler used to compile kernel");
+SYSCTL_CONST_STRING(_kern, OID_AUTO, compiler_version, CTLFLAG_RD,
+    compiler_version, "Version of compiler used to compile kernel");
 
-SYSCTL_STRING(_kern, KERN_OSTYPE, ostype, CTLFLAG_RD | CTLFLAG_CAPRD,
-    ostype, 0, "Operating system type");
+SYSCTL_CONST_STRING(_kern, KERN_OSTYPE, ostype, CTLFLAG_RD | CTLFLAG_CAPRD,
+    ostype, "Operating system type");
 
 SYSCTL_INT(_kern, KERN_MAXPROC, maxproc, CTLFLAG_RDTUN | CTLFLAG_NOFETCH,
     &maxproc, 0, "Maximum number of processes");
diff --git a/sys/powerpc/powerpc/machdep.c b/sys/powerpc/powerpc/machdep.c
--- a/sys/powerpc/powerpc/machdep.c
+++ b/sys/powerpc/powerpc/machdep.c
@@ -152,8 +152,9 @@
 
 static struct trapframe frame0;
 
-char		machine[] = "powerpc";
-SYSCTL_STRING(_hw, HW_MACHINE, machine, CTLFLAG_RD | CTLFLAG_CAPRD, machine, 0, "");
+const char	machine[] = "powerpc";
+SYSCTL_CONST_STRING(_hw, HW_MACHINE, machine, CTLFLAG_RD | CTLFLAG_CAPRD,
+    machine, "Machine class");
 
 static void	cpu_startup(void *);
 SYSINIT(cpu, SI_SUB_CPU, SI_ORDER_FIRST, cpu_startup, NULL);
diff --git a/sys/riscv/riscv/identcpu.c b/sys/riscv/riscv/identcpu.c
--- a/sys/riscv/riscv/identcpu.c
+++ b/sys/riscv/riscv/identcpu.c
@@ -59,10 +59,10 @@
 #include <dev/ofw/ofw_bus_subr.h>
 #endif
 
-char machine[] = "riscv";
+const char machine[] = "riscv";
 
-SYSCTL_STRING(_hw, HW_MACHINE, machine, CTLFLAG_RD | CTLFLAG_CAPRD, machine, 0,
-    "Machine class");
+SYSCTL_CONST_STRING(_hw, HW_MACHINE, machine, CTLFLAG_RD | CTLFLAG_CAPRD,
+    machine, "Machine class");
 
 /* Hardware implementation info. These values may be empty. */
 register_t mvendorid;	/* The CPU's JEDEC vendor ID */
diff --git a/sys/sys/copyright.h b/sys/sys/copyright.h
--- a/sys/sys/copyright.h
+++ b/sys/sys/copyright.h
@@ -45,5 +45,5 @@
 #define COPYRIGHT_UCB \
 	"Copyright (c) 1979, 1980, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994\n\tThe Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.\n"
 
-char copyright[] = COPYRIGHT_Vendor COPYRIGHT_FreeBSD COPYRIGHT_UCB;
-char trademark[] = TRADEMARK_Foundation;
+const char copyright[] = COPYRIGHT_Vendor COPYRIGHT_FreeBSD COPYRIGHT_UCB;
+const char trademark[] = TRADEMARK_Foundation;
diff --git a/sys/sys/sysctl.h b/sys/sys/sysctl.h
--- a/sys/sys/sysctl.h
+++ b/sys/sys/sysctl.h
@@ -1153,10 +1153,10 @@
 SYSCTL_DECL(_security);
 SYSCTL_DECL(_security_bsd);
 
-extern char	machine[];
-extern char	osrelease[];
-extern char	ostype[];
-extern char	kern_ident[];
+extern const char	machine[];
+extern const char	osrelease[];
+extern const char	ostype[];
+extern const char	kern_ident[];
 
 /* Dynamic oid handling */
 struct sysctl_oid *sysctl_add_oid(struct sysctl_ctx_list *clist,
diff --git a/sys/sys/systm.h b/sys/sys/systm.h
--- a/sys/sys/systm.h
+++ b/sys/sys/systm.h
@@ -51,9 +51,9 @@
 extern int cold;		/* nonzero if we are doing a cold boot */
 extern int suspend_blocked;	/* block suspend due to pending shutdown */
 extern int rebooting;		/* kern_reboot() has been called. */
-extern char version[];		/* system version */
-extern char compiler_version[];	/* compiler version */
-extern char copyright[];	/* system copyright */
+extern const char version[];	/* system version */
+extern const char compiler_version[];	/* compiler version */
+extern const char copyright[];	/* system copyright */
 extern int kstack_pages;	/* number of kernel stack pages */
 
 extern u_long pagesizes[];	/* supported page sizes */
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@
  */
 #define	SCHEDULER_STOPPED()	__predict_false(scheduler_stopped)
 
-extern int osreldate;
+extern const int osreldate;
 
 extern const void *zero_region;	/* address space maps to a zeroed page	*/
 
diff --git a/sys/x86/x86/identcpu.c b/sys/x86/x86/identcpu.c
--- a/sys/x86/x86/identcpu.c
+++ b/sys/x86/x86/identcpu.c
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@
 u_int	cpu_power_ebx;		/* 06H: Power management leaf, %ebx */
 u_int	cpu_power_ecx;		/* 06H: Power management leaf, %ecx */
 u_int	cpu_power_edx;		/* 06H: Power management leaf, %edx */
-char machine[] = MACHINE;
+const char machine[] = MACHINE;
 
 SYSCTL_UINT(_hw, OID_AUTO, via_feature_rng, CTLFLAG_RD,
     &via_feature_rng, 0,
@@ -158,8 +158,8 @@
 SYSCTL_PROC(_hw, HW_MACHINE, machine, CTLTYPE_STRING | CTLFLAG_RD |
     CTLFLAG_CAPRD | CTLFLAG_MPSAFE, NULL, 0, sysctl_hw_machine, "A", "Machine class");
 #else
-SYSCTL_STRING(_hw, HW_MACHINE, machine, CTLFLAG_RD | CTLFLAG_CAPRD,
-    machine, 0, "Machine class");
+SYSCTL_CONST_STRING(_hw, HW_MACHINE, machine, CTLFLAG_RD | CTLFLAG_CAPRD,
+    machine, "Machine class");
 #endif
 
 char cpu_model[128];