diff --git a/Target.cc b/Target.cc
index b776a7e14..35919a68b 100644
--- a/Target.cc
+++ b/Target.cc
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ void Target::setTargetName(const char *name) {
      (64.71.184.53)" or "fe80::202:e3ff:fe14:1102".  The name is
      written into the buffer provided, which is also returned.  Results
      that do not fit in buflen will be truncated. */
-const char *Target::NameIP(char *buf, size_t buflen) {
+const char *Target::NameIP(char *buf, size_t buflen) const {
   assert(buf);
   assert(buflen > 8);
   if (targetname)
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ const char *Target::NameIP(char *buf, size_t buflen) {
 }
 
 /* This next version returns a static buffer -- so no concurrency */
-const char *Target::NameIP() {
+const char *Target::NameIP() const {
   if (!nameIPBuf) nameIPBuf = (char *) safe_malloc(MAXHOSTNAMELEN + INET6_ADDRSTRLEN);
   return NameIP(nameIPBuf, MAXHOSTNAMELEN + INET6_ADDRSTRLEN);
 }
diff --git a/Target.h b/Target.h
index 5f0b7bd5d..4057f2b19 100644
--- a/Target.h
+++ b/Target.h
@@ -205,9 +205,9 @@ class Target {
      (64.71.184.53)" or "fe80::202:e3ff:fe14:1102".  The name is
      written into the buffer provided, which is also returned.  Results
      that do not fit in buflen will be truncated. */
-  const char *NameIP(char *buf, size_t buflen);
+  const char *NameIP(char *buf, size_t buflen) const;
   /* This next version returns a STATIC buffer -- so no concurrency */
-  const char *NameIP();
+  const char *NameIP() const;
 
   /* Give the name from the last setTargetName() call, which is the 
    name of the target given on the command line if it's a named
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ class Target {
   int directly_connected; // -1 = unset; 0 = no; 1 = yes
   char targetipstring[INET6_ADDRSTRLEN];
   char sourceipstring[INET6_ADDRSTRLEN];
-  char *nameIPBuf; /* for the NameIP(void) function to return */
+  mutable char *nameIPBuf; /* for the NameIP(void) function to return */
   u8 MACaddress[6], SrcMACaddress[6], NextHopMACaddress[6];  
   bool MACaddress_set, SrcMACaddress_set, NextHopMACaddress_set;
   struct host_timeout_nfo htn;