diff --git a/Core/GameEngine/Include/Common/AsciiString.h b/Core/GameEngine/Include/Common/AsciiString.h
index 2b04b813d46..53c1e83fc6e 100644
--- a/Core/GameEngine/Include/Common/AsciiString.h
+++ b/Core/GameEngine/Include/Common/AsciiString.h
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ class AsciiString
 		string, so we don't need to construct temporaries
 		for such a common thing.
 	*/
-	static AsciiString TheEmptyString;
+	static const AsciiString TheEmptyString;
 
 	/**
 		Default constructor -- construct a new, empty AsciiString.
diff --git a/Core/GameEngine/Include/Common/UnicodeString.h b/Core/GameEngine/Include/Common/UnicodeString.h
index 78e0b3e180a..ee362284f9d 100644
--- a/Core/GameEngine/Include/Common/UnicodeString.h
+++ b/Core/GameEngine/Include/Common/UnicodeString.h
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ class UnicodeString
 		string, so we don't need to construct temporaries
 		for such a common thing.
 	*/
-	static UnicodeString TheEmptyString;
+	static const UnicodeString TheEmptyString;
 
 	/**
 		Default constructor -- construct a new, empty UnicodeString.
diff --git a/Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/System/AsciiString.cpp b/Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/System/AsciiString.cpp
index 1be78989935..9828f7f1e20 100644
--- a/Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/System/AsciiString.cpp
+++ b/Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/System/AsciiString.cpp
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
 
 // -----------------------------------------------------
 
-/*static*/ AsciiString AsciiString::TheEmptyString;
+/*static*/ const AsciiString AsciiString::TheEmptyString;
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 inline char* skipSeps(char* p, const char* seps)
diff --git a/Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/System/UnicodeString.cpp b/Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/System/UnicodeString.cpp
index 3f0fe47b04f..2d37d843640 100644
--- a/Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/System/UnicodeString.cpp
+++ b/Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/System/UnicodeString.cpp
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
 
 // -----------------------------------------------------
 
-/*static*/ UnicodeString UnicodeString::TheEmptyString;
+/*static*/ const UnicodeString UnicodeString::TheEmptyString;
 
 // -----------------------------------------------------
 #ifdef RTS_DEBUG
diff --git a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameClient/IMEManager.h b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameClient/IMEManager.h
index be703e1bb4a..7b245c5e845 100644
--- a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameClient/IMEManager.h
+++ b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameClient/IMEManager.h
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ class IMEManagerInterface : public SubsystemInterface
 
 
 		virtual Int						getCandidateCount() = 0;						///< Returns the total number of candidates
-		virtual UnicodeString*getCandidate( Int index ) = 0;			///< Returns the candidate string
+		virtual const UnicodeString* getCandidate( Int index ) = 0;	///< Returns the candidate string
 		virtual Int						getSelectedCandidateIndex() = 0;		///< Returns the indexed of the currently selected candidate
 		virtual Int						getCandidatePageSize() = 0;					///< Returns the page size for the candidates list
 		virtual Int						getCandidatePageStart() = 0;				///< Returns the index of the first visibel candidate
diff --git a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/IMECandidate.cpp b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/IMECandidate.cpp
index c55a5c984ff..460e2dbed97 100644
--- a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/IMECandidate.cpp
+++ b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/IMECandidate.cpp
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ void IMECandidateTextAreaDraw( GameWindow *window, WinInstanceData *instData )
 
 	for ( Int i = 0; i < count; i++, y+= height )
 	{
-		UnicodeString *candidate = ime->getCandidate( first + i );
+		const UnicodeString *candidate = ime->getCandidate( first + i );
 		Int tcolor, bcolor;
 
 		if ( i == selected )
diff --git a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/IMEManager.cpp b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/IMEManager.cpp
index 0857283fed7..36972035016 100644
--- a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/IMEManager.cpp
+++ b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/IMEManager.cpp
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ class IMEManager : public IMEManagerInterface
 		virtual Int						getIndexBase( void );						///< Get index base for candidate list
 
 		virtual Int						getCandidateCount();						///< Returns the total number of candidates
-		virtual UnicodeString*getCandidate( Int index );			///< Returns the candidate string
+		virtual const UnicodeString* getCandidate( Int index );	///< Returns the candidate string
 		virtual Int						getSelectedCandidateIndex();		///< Returns the indexed of the currently selected candidate
 		virtual Int						getCandidatePageSize();					///< Returns the page size for the candidates list
 		virtual Int						getCandidatePageStart();				///< Returns the index of the first visibel candidate
@@ -1528,7 +1528,7 @@ Int	IMEManager::getCandidateCount()
 // IMEManager::getCandidate
 //============================================================================
 
-UnicodeString* IMEManager::getCandidate( Int index )
+const UnicodeString* IMEManager::getCandidate( Int index )
 {
 	if ( m_candidateString != NULL && index >=0 && index < m_candidateCount )
 	{
diff --git a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameClient/IMEManager.h b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameClient/IMEManager.h
index dace4e4092f..5d916675274 100644
--- a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameClient/IMEManager.h
+++ b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameClient/IMEManager.h
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ class IMEManagerInterface : public SubsystemInterface
 
 
 		virtual Int						getCandidateCount() = 0;						///< Returns the total number of candidates
-		virtual UnicodeString*getCandidate( Int index ) = 0;			///< Returns the candidate string
+		virtual const UnicodeString* getCandidate( Int index ) = 0;	///< Returns the candidate string
 		virtual Int						getSelectedCandidateIndex() = 0;		///< Returns the indexed of the currently selected candidate
 		virtual Int						getCandidatePageSize() = 0;					///< Returns the page size for the candidates list
 		virtual Int						getCandidatePageStart() = 0;				///< Returns the index of the first visibel candidate
diff --git a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/IMECandidate.cpp b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/IMECandidate.cpp
index 3cfbe4722ce..548e53f3669 100644
--- a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/IMECandidate.cpp
+++ b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/IMECandidate.cpp
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ void IMECandidateTextAreaDraw( GameWindow *window, WinInstanceData *instData )
 
 	for ( Int i = 0; i < count; i++, y+= height )
 	{
-		UnicodeString *candidate = ime->getCandidate( first + i );
+		const UnicodeString *candidate = ime->getCandidate( first + i );
 		Int tcolor, bcolor;
 
 		if ( i == selected )
diff --git a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/IMEManager.cpp b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/IMEManager.cpp
index 8ca208be057..cd7daaad19e 100644
--- a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/IMEManager.cpp
+++ b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/IMEManager.cpp
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ class IMEManager : public IMEManagerInterface
 		virtual Int						getIndexBase( void );						///< Get index base for candidate list
 
 		virtual Int						getCandidateCount();						///< Returns the total number of candidates
-		virtual UnicodeString*getCandidate( Int index );			///< Returns the candidate string
+		virtual const UnicodeString* getCandidate( Int index );	///< Returns the candidate string
 		virtual Int						getSelectedCandidateIndex();		///< Returns the indexed of the currently selected candidate
 		virtual Int						getCandidatePageSize();					///< Returns the page size for the candidates list
 		virtual Int						getCandidatePageStart();				///< Returns the index of the first visibel candidate
@@ -1528,7 +1528,7 @@ Int	IMEManager::getCandidateCount()
 // IMEManager::getCandidate
 //============================================================================
 
-UnicodeString* IMEManager::getCandidate( Int index )
+const UnicodeString* IMEManager::getCandidate( Int index )
 {
 	if ( m_candidateString != NULL && index >=0 && index < m_candidateCount )
 	{