diff --git a/include/linux/netdevice.h b/include/linux/netdevice.h
index d675df08b946..9cfd20be8b7f 100644
--- a/include/linux/netdevice.h
+++ b/include/linux/netdevice.h
@@ -1225,7 +1225,7 @@ extern int		dev_ioctl(struct net *net, unsigned int cmd, void __user *);
 extern int		dev_ethtool(struct net *net, struct ifreq *);
 extern unsigned		dev_get_flags(const struct net_device *);
 extern int		dev_change_flags(struct net_device *, unsigned);
-extern int		dev_change_name(struct net_device *, char *);
+extern int		dev_change_name(struct net_device *, const char *);
 extern int		dev_set_alias(struct net_device *, const char *, size_t);
 extern int		dev_change_net_namespace(struct net_device *,
 						 struct net *, const char *);
@@ -1670,7 +1670,7 @@ extern void dev_seq_stop(struct seq_file *seq, void *v);
 extern int netdev_class_create_file(struct class_attribute *class_attr);
 extern void netdev_class_remove_file(struct class_attribute *class_attr);
 
-extern char *netdev_drivername(struct net_device *dev, char *buffer, int len);
+extern char *netdev_drivername(const struct net_device *dev, char *buffer, int len);
 
 extern void linkwatch_run_queue(void);
 
diff --git a/net/core/dev.c b/net/core/dev.c
index a90737fe2472..64f0d5b7cdfc 100644
--- a/net/core/dev.c
+++ b/net/core/dev.c
@@ -890,7 +890,7 @@ int dev_alloc_name(struct net_device *dev, const char *name)
  *	Change name of a device, can pass format strings "eth%d".
  *	for wildcarding.
  */
-int dev_change_name(struct net_device *dev, char *newname)
+int dev_change_name(struct net_device *dev, const char *newname)
 {
 	char oldname[IFNAMSIZ];
 	int err = 0;
@@ -916,7 +916,6 @@ int dev_change_name(struct net_device *dev, char *newname)
 		err = dev_alloc_name(dev, newname);
 		if (err < 0)
 			return err;
-		strcpy(newname, dev->name);
 	}
 	else if (__dev_get_by_name(net, newname))
 		return -EEXIST;
@@ -4754,10 +4753,10 @@ static int __net_init netdev_init(struct net *net)
 	return -ENOMEM;
 }
 
-char *netdev_drivername(struct net_device *dev, char *buffer, int len)
+char *netdev_drivername(const struct net_device *dev, char *buffer, int len)
 {
-	struct device_driver *driver;
-	struct device *parent;
+	const struct device_driver *driver;
+	const struct device *parent;
 
 	if (len <= 0 || !buffer)
 		return buffer;