diff --git a/bisect.c b/bisect.c
index 4713226fad4e16..9c52241050c14e 100644
--- a/bisect.c
+++ b/bisect.c
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ static struct oid_array skipped_revs;
 
 static struct object_id *current_bad_oid;
 
-static const char *term_bad;
-static const char *term_good;
+static char *term_bad;
+static char *term_good;
 
 /* Remember to update object flag allocation in object.h */
 #define COUNTED		(1u<<16)
@@ -985,7 +985,7 @@ static void show_commit(struct commit *commit)
  * We read them and store them to adapt the messages accordingly.
  * Default is bad/good.
  */
-void read_bisect_terms(const char **read_bad, const char **read_good)
+void read_bisect_terms(char **read_bad, char **read_good)
 {
 	struct strbuf str = STRBUF_INIT;
 	const char *filename = git_path_bisect_terms();
@@ -993,16 +993,20 @@ void read_bisect_terms(const char **read_bad, const char **read_good)
 
 	if (!fp) {
 		if (errno == ENOENT) {
-			*read_bad = "bad";
-			*read_good = "good";
+			free(*read_bad);
+			*read_bad = xstrdup("bad");
+			free(*read_good);
+			*read_good = xstrdup("good");
 			return;
 		} else {
 			die_errno(_("could not read file '%s'"), filename);
 		}
 	} else {
 		strbuf_getline_lf(&str, fp);
+		free(*read_bad);
 		*read_bad = strbuf_detach(&str, NULL);
 		strbuf_getline_lf(&str, fp);
+		free(*read_good);
 		*read_good = strbuf_detach(&str, NULL);
 	}
 	strbuf_release(&str);
diff --git a/bisect.h b/bisect.h
index ee3fd65f3bdb89..944439bfac729c 100644
--- a/bisect.h
+++ b/bisect.h
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ enum bisect_error bisect_next_all(struct repository *r, const char *prefix);
 
 int estimate_bisect_steps(int all);
 
-void read_bisect_terms(const char **bad, const char **good);
+void read_bisect_terms(char **bad, char **good);
 
 int bisect_clean_state(void);
 
diff --git a/revision.c b/revision.c
index 8df75b82249b36..347dabf7f9a1a8 100644
--- a/revision.c
+++ b/revision.c
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@
 
 volatile show_early_output_fn_t show_early_output;
 
-static const char *term_bad;
-static const char *term_good;
+static char *term_bad;
+static char *term_good;
 
 implement_shared_commit_slab(revision_sources, char *);