diff --git a/src/include/homestore/vchunk.h b/src/include/homestore/vchunk.h
index 8064d922b..a6ff0eb48 100644
--- a/src/include/homestore/vchunk.h
+++ b/src/include/homestore/vchunk.h
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ class VChunk {
     
     ~VChunk() = default;
 
-    void set_user_private(const sisl::blob& data) const;
-    uint8_t* get_user_private() const;
+    void set_user_private(const sisl::blob& data);
+    const uint8_t* get_user_private() const;
     blk_cap_t available_blks() const;
     uint32_t get_pdev_id() const;
     cshared< Chunk > get_internal_chunk () const;
diff --git a/src/lib/device/chunk.h b/src/lib/device/chunk.h
index 133245f8b..edb3ad6d2 100644
--- a/src/lib/device/chunk.h
+++ b/src/lib/device/chunk.h
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class Chunk {
     uint16_t chunk_id() const { return static_cast< uint16_t >(m_chunk_info.chunk_id); }
     uint64_t end_of_chunk() const { return m_chunk_info.end_of_chunk_size; }
     uint32_t pdev_ordinal() const { return m_chunk_info.chunk_ordinal; }
-    uint8_t* user_private() { return &m_chunk_info.user_private[0]; }
+    const uint8_t* user_private() { return &m_chunk_info.user_private[0]; }
     uint32_t stream_id() const { return m_stream_id; }
     uint32_t slot_number() const { return m_chunk_slot; }
     uint32_t vdev_ordinal() const { return m_vdev_ordinal; }
diff --git a/src/lib/device/vchunk.cpp b/src/lib/device/vchunk.cpp
index fbd50c7aa..31860b446 100644
--- a/src/lib/device/vchunk.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/device/vchunk.cpp
@@ -19,11 +19,11 @@
 namespace homestore {
     VChunk::VChunk(cshared< Chunk >& chunk) : internalChunk(chunk){}
 
-    void VChunk::set_user_private(const sisl::blob& data) const{
+    void VChunk::set_user_private(const sisl::blob& data){
         internalChunk->set_user_private(data);
     }
 
-    uint8_t* VChunk::get_user_private() const {
+    const uint8_t* VChunk::get_user_private() const {
         return internalChunk->user_private();
     };