diff --git a/coregrind/m_ume/elf.c b/coregrind/m_ume/elf.c
index 4cc4df6a0..4686e43d2 100644
--- a/coregrind/m_ume/elf.c
+++ b/coregrind/m_ume/elf.c
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ static void check_mmap(SysRes res, Addr base, SizeT len)
 /*------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
 static 
-struct elfinfo *readelf(Int fd, const char *filename)
+struct elfinfo *readelf(Int fd, const HChar *filename)
 {
    SysRes sres;
    struct elfinfo *e = VG_(malloc)("ume.re.1", sizeof(*e));
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ ESZ(Addr) mapelf(struct elfinfo *e, ESZ(Addr) base)
          // The 'prot' condition allows for a read-only bss
          if ((prot & VKI_PROT_WRITE) && (bytes > 0)) {
             bytes = VKI_PAGE_SIZE - bytes;
-            VG_(memset)((char *)bss, 0, bytes);
+            VG_(memset)((void *)bss, 0, bytes);
          }
       }
    }
@@ -246,9 +246,9 @@ ESZ(Addr) mapelf(struct elfinfo *e, ESZ(Addr) base)
    return elfbrk;
 }
 
-Bool VG_(match_ELF)(Char *hdr, Int len)
+Bool VG_(match_ELF)(const void *hdr, Int len)
 {
-   ESZ(Ehdr) *e = (ESZ(Ehdr) *)hdr;
+   const ESZ(Ehdr) *e = hdr;
    return (len > sizeof(*e)) && VG_(memcmp)(&e->e_ident[0], ELFMAG, SELFMAG) == 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/coregrind/m_ume/macho.c b/coregrind/m_ume/macho.c
index e2a587b13..e42832656 100644
--- a/coregrind/m_ume/macho.c
+++ b/coregrind/m_ume/macho.c
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
 #endif
 
 
-static void print(const char *str)
+static void print(const HChar *str)
 {
    VG_(printf)("%s", str);
 }
@@ -95,19 +95,19 @@ static void check_mmap_float(SysRes res, SizeT len, HChar* who)
 
 static int 
 load_thin_file(int fd, vki_off_t offset, vki_off_t size, unsigned long filetype, 
-               const char *filename, 
+               const HChar *filename, 
                vki_uint8_t **out_stack_start, vki_uint8_t **out_stack_end, 
                vki_uint8_t **out_text, vki_uint8_t **out_entry, vki_uint8_t **out_linker_entry);
 
 static int 
 load_fat_file(int fd, vki_off_t offset, vki_off_t size, unsigned long filetype, 
-              const char *filename, 
+              const HChar *filename, 
               vki_uint8_t **out_stack_start, vki_uint8_t **out_stack_end, 
               vki_uint8_t **out_text, vki_uint8_t **out_entry, vki_uint8_t **out_linker_entry);
 
 static int 
 load_mach_file(int fd, vki_off_t offset, vki_off_t size, unsigned long filetype, 
-               const char *filename, 
+               const HChar *filename, 
                vki_uint8_t **out_stack_start, vki_uint8_t **out_stack_end, 
                vki_uint8_t **out_text, vki_uint8_t **out_entry, vki_uint8_t **out_linker_entry);
 
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ load_mach_file(int fd, vki_off_t offset, vki_off_t size, unsigned long filetype,
    The dylinker's entry point is returned in *out_linker_entry.
  */
 static int 
-open_dylinker(const char *filename, vki_uint8_t **out_linker_entry)
+open_dylinker(const HChar *filename, vki_uint8_t **out_linker_entry)
 {
    struct vg_stat sb;
    vki_size_t filesize;
@@ -429,14 +429,14 @@ handle_lcmain ( vki_uint8_t **out_stack_start,
 static int 
 load_dylinker(vki_uint8_t **linker_entry, struct dylinker_command *dycmd)
 {
-   const char *name;
+   const HChar *name;
 
    if (dycmd->name.offset >= dycmd->cmdsize) {
       print("bad executable (invalid dylinker command)\n");
       return -1;
    }
 
-   name = dycmd->name.offset + (char *)dycmd;
+   name = dycmd->name.offset + (HChar *)dycmd;
     
    // GrP fixme assumes name is terminated somewhere
    return open_dylinker(name, linker_entry);
@@ -478,7 +478,7 @@ load_thread(vki_uint8_t **out_entry, struct thread_command *threadcmd)
 */
 static int 
 load_thin_file(int fd, vki_off_t offset, vki_off_t size, unsigned long filetype, 
-               const char *filename, 
+               const HChar *filename, 
                vki_uint8_t **out_stack_start, vki_uint8_t **out_stack_end, 
                vki_uint8_t **out_text, vki_uint8_t **out_entry, vki_uint8_t **out_linker_entry)
 {
@@ -687,7 +687,7 @@ load_thin_file(int fd, vki_off_t offset, vki_off_t size, unsigned long filetype,
 */
 static int 
 load_fat_file(int fd, vki_off_t offset, vki_off_t size, unsigned long filetype, 
-             const char *filename, 
+             const HChar *filename, 
              vki_uint8_t **out_stack_start, vki_uint8_t **out_stack_end, 
              vki_uint8_t **out_text, vki_uint8_t **out_entry, vki_uint8_t **out_linker_entry)
 {
@@ -766,7 +766,7 @@ load_fat_file(int fd, vki_off_t offset, vki_off_t size, unsigned long filetype,
 */
 static int 
 load_mach_file(int fd, vki_off_t offset, vki_off_t size, unsigned long filetype, 
-              const char *filename, 
+              const HChar *filename, 
               vki_uint8_t **out_stack_start, vki_uint8_t **out_stack_end, 
               vki_uint8_t **out_text, vki_uint8_t **out_entry, vki_uint8_t **out_linker_entry)
 {
@@ -801,9 +801,9 @@ load_mach_file(int fd, vki_off_t offset, vki_off_t size, unsigned long filetype,
 }
 
 
-Bool VG_(match_macho)(Char *hdr, Int len)
+Bool VG_(match_macho)(const void *hdr, Int len)
 {
-   vki_uint32_t *magic = (vki_uint32_t *)hdr;
+   const vki_uint32_t *magic = hdr;
 
    // GrP fixme check more carefully for matching fat arch?
 
diff --git a/coregrind/m_ume/main.c b/coregrind/m_ume/main.c
index 65b7ba570..679b106da 100644
--- a/coregrind/m_ume/main.c
+++ b/coregrind/m_ume/main.c
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
 
 
 typedef struct {
-   Bool (*match_fn)(Char *hdr, Int len);
+   Bool (*match_fn)(const void *hdr, Int len);
    Int  (*load_fn)(Int fd, const HChar *name, ExeInfo *info);
 } ExeHandler;
 
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ VG_(pre_exec_check)(const HChar* exe_name, Int* out_fd, Bool allow_setuid)
    fd = sr_Res(res);
 
    // Check we have execute permissions
-   ret = VG_(check_executable)(&is_setuid, (HChar*)exe_name, allow_setuid);
+   ret = VG_(check_executable)(&is_setuid, exe_name, allow_setuid);
    if (0 != ret) {
       VG_(close)(fd);
       if (is_setuid && !VG_(clo_xml)) {
@@ -155,11 +155,11 @@ Int VG_(do_exec_inner)(const HChar* exe, ExeInfo* info)
 }
 
 
-static Bool is_hash_bang_file(Char* f)
+static Bool is_hash_bang_file(const HChar* f)
 {
    SysRes res = VG_(open)(f, VKI_O_RDONLY, 0);
    if (!sr_isError(res)) {
-      Char buf[3] = {0,0,0};
+      HChar buf[3] = {0,0,0};
       Int fd = sr_Res(res);
       Int n  = VG_(read)(fd, buf, 2); 
       if (n == 2 && VG_STREQ("#!", buf))
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ static Bool is_hash_bang_file(Char* f)
 // Look at the first 80 chars, and if any are greater than 127, it's binary.
 // This is crude, but should be good enough.  Note that it fails on a
 // zero-length file, as we want.
-static Bool is_binary_file(Char* f)
+static Bool is_binary_file(const HChar* f)
 {
    SysRes res = VG_(open)(f, VKI_O_RDONLY, 0);
    if (!sr_isError(res)) {
@@ -197,12 +197,12 @@ static Bool is_binary_file(Char* f)
 // bash as a guide).  It's worth noting that the shell can execute some
 // things that VG_(do_exec)() (which subsitutes for the kernel's exec())
 // will refuse to (eg. scripts lacking a "#!" prefix).
-static Int do_exec_shell_followup(Int ret, HChar* exe_name, ExeInfo* info)
+static Int do_exec_shell_followup(Int ret, const HChar* exe_name, ExeInfo* info)
 {
 #  if defined(VGPV_arm_linux_android) || defined(VGPV_x86_linux_android)
-   Char*  default_interp_name = "/system/bin/sh";
+   const HChar*  default_interp_name = "/system/bin/sh";
 #  else
-   Char*  default_interp_name = "/bin/sh";
+   const HChar*  default_interp_name = "/bin/sh";
 #  endif
 
    SysRes res;
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ static Int do_exec_shell_followup(Int ret, HChar* exe_name, ExeInfo* info)
       info->interp_name = VG_(strdup)("ume.desf.1", default_interp_name);
       info->interp_args = NULL;
       if (info->argv && info->argv[0] != NULL)
-         info->argv[0] = (char *)exe_name;
+         info->argv[0] = (HChar *)exe_name;  // FIXME: can argv be const qualified ?
 
       ret = VG_(do_exec_inner)(info->interp_name, info);
 
@@ -280,8 +280,7 @@ Int VG_(do_exec)(const HChar* exe_name, ExeInfo* info)
    ret = VG_(do_exec_inner)(exe_name, info);
 
    if (0 != ret) {
-      Char* exe_name_casted = (Char*)exe_name;
-      ret = do_exec_shell_followup(ret, exe_name_casted, info);
+      ret = do_exec_shell_followup(ret, exe_name, info);
    }
    return ret;
 }
diff --git a/coregrind/m_ume/priv_ume.h b/coregrind/m_ume/priv_ume.h
index be7b09cbd..cba484abe 100644
--- a/coregrind/m_ume/priv_ume.h
+++ b/coregrind/m_ume/priv_ume.h
@@ -35,16 +35,16 @@
 extern int VG_(do_exec_inner)(const HChar *exe, ExeInfo *info);
 
 #if defined(VGO_linux)
-extern Bool VG_(match_ELF) ( Char *hdr, Int len );
+extern Bool VG_(match_ELF) ( const void *hdr, Int len );
 extern Int  VG_(load_ELF)  ( Int fd, const HChar *name, ExeInfo *info );
 #elif defined(VGO_darwin)
-extern Bool VG_(match_macho) ( Char *hdr, Int len );
+extern Bool VG_(match_macho) ( const void *hdr, Int len );
 extern Int  VG_(load_macho)  ( Int fd, const HChar *name, ExeInfo *info );
 #else
 #  error Unknown OS
 #endif
 
-extern Bool VG_(match_script) ( Char *hdr, Int len );
+extern Bool VG_(match_script) ( const void *hdr, Int len );
 extern Int  VG_(load_script)  ( Int fd, const HChar *name, ExeInfo *info );
 
 
diff --git a/coregrind/m_ume/script.c b/coregrind/m_ume/script.c
index 53e3190d9..bab8efecc 100644
--- a/coregrind/m_ume/script.c
+++ b/coregrind/m_ume/script.c
@@ -42,10 +42,11 @@
 
 #include "priv_ume.h"
 
-Bool VG_(match_script)(Char *hdr, Int len)
+Bool VG_(match_script)(const void *hdr, Int len)
 {
-   Char* end    = hdr + len;
-   Char* interp = hdr + 2;
+   const HChar* script = hdr;
+   const HChar* end    = script + len;
+   const HChar* interp = script + 2;
 
    // len < 4: need '#', '!', plus at least a '/' and one more char
    if (len < 4) return False;    
@@ -78,13 +79,13 @@ Bool VG_(match_script)(Char *hdr, Int len)
 /* returns: 0 = success, non-0 is failure */
 Int VG_(load_script)(Int fd, const HChar* name, ExeInfo* info)
 {
-   Char  hdr[4096];
-   Int   len = 4096;
-   Int   eol;
-   Char* interp;
-   Char* end;
-   Char* cp;
-   Char* arg = NULL;
+   HChar  hdr[4096];
+   Int    len = 4096;
+   Int    eol;
+   HChar* interp;
+   HChar* end;
+   HChar* cp;
+   HChar* arg = NULL;
    SysRes res;
 
    // Read the first part of the file.
@@ -133,7 +134,7 @@ Int VG_(load_script)(Int fd, const HChar* name, ExeInfo* info)
    }
 
    if (info->argv && info->argv[0] != NULL)
-      info->argv[0] = (char *)name;
+     info->argv[0] = (HChar *)name;   // FIXME: can argv be const qualified?
 
    VG_(args_the_exename) = name;