diff --git a/funcs/func_volume.c b/funcs/func_volume.c
index 79fc13f307..aca13fd479 100644
--- a/funcs/func_volume.c
+++ b/funcs/func_volume.c
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ static void destroy_callback(void *data)
 
 /*! \brief Static structure for datastore information */
 static const struct ast_datastore_info volume_datastore = {
-        .type = "volume",
-        .destroy = destroy_callback
+	.type = "volume",
+	.destroy = destroy_callback
 };
 
 static int volume_callback(struct ast_audiohook *audiohook, struct ast_channel *chan, struct ast_frame *frame, enum ast_audiohook_direction direction)
diff --git a/include/asterisk/channel.h b/include/asterisk/channel.h
index b24b25c795..11fb1df38d 100644
--- a/include/asterisk/channel.h
+++ b/include/asterisk/channel.h
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ struct ast_datastore_info {
 
 /*! \brief Structure for a channel data store */
 struct ast_datastore {
-	char *uid;		/*!< Unique data store identifier */
+	const char *uid;		/*!< Unique data store identifier */
 	void *data;		/*!< Contained data */
 	const struct ast_datastore_info *info;	/*!< Data store type information */
 	unsigned int inheritance;	/*!< Number of levels this item will continue to be inherited */
@@ -615,8 +615,14 @@ enum channelreloadreason {
 	CHANNEL_MANAGER_RELOAD,
 };
 
-/*! \brief Create a channel datastore structure */
-struct ast_datastore *ast_channel_datastore_alloc(const struct ast_datastore_info *info, char *uid);
+/*! 
+ * \brief Create a channel datastore structure 
+ *
+ * \note None of the datastore API calls lock the ast_channel they are using.
+ *       So, the channel should be locked before calling the functions that
+ *       take a channel argument.
+ */
+struct ast_datastore *ast_channel_datastore_alloc(const struct ast_datastore_info *info, const char *uid);
 
 /*! \brief Free a channel datastore structure */
 int ast_channel_datastore_free(struct ast_datastore *datastore);
@@ -631,7 +637,7 @@ int ast_channel_datastore_add(struct ast_channel *chan, struct ast_datastore *da
 int ast_channel_datastore_remove(struct ast_channel *chan, struct ast_datastore *datastore);
 
 /*! \brief Find a datastore on a channel */
-struct ast_datastore *ast_channel_datastore_find(struct ast_channel *chan, const struct ast_datastore_info *info, char *uid);
+struct ast_datastore *ast_channel_datastore_find(struct ast_channel *chan, const struct ast_datastore_info *info, const char *uid);
 
 /*! \brief Change the state of a channel */
 int ast_setstate(struct ast_channel *chan, enum ast_channel_state);
diff --git a/main/channel.c b/main/channel.c
index 9d24606338..1b4971eb15 100644
--- a/main/channel.c
+++ b/main/channel.c
@@ -1167,7 +1167,7 @@ void ast_channel_free(struct ast_channel *chan)
 	ast_device_state_changed_literal(name);
 }
 
-struct ast_datastore *ast_channel_datastore_alloc(const struct ast_datastore_info *info, char *uid)
+struct ast_datastore *ast_channel_datastore_alloc(const struct ast_datastore_info *info, const char *uid)
 {
 	struct ast_datastore *datastore = NULL;
 
@@ -1201,7 +1201,7 @@ int ast_channel_datastore_free(struct ast_datastore *datastore)
 
 	/* Free allocated UID memory */
 	if (datastore->uid != NULL) {
-		ast_free(datastore->uid);
+		ast_free((void *) datastore->uid);
 		datastore->uid = NULL;
 	}
 
@@ -1255,7 +1255,7 @@ int ast_channel_datastore_remove(struct ast_channel *chan, struct ast_datastore
 	return res;
 }
 
-struct ast_datastore *ast_channel_datastore_find(struct ast_channel *chan, const struct ast_datastore_info *info, char *uid)
+struct ast_datastore *ast_channel_datastore_find(struct ast_channel *chan, const struct ast_datastore_info *info, const char *uid)
 {
 	struct ast_datastore *datastore = NULL;