diff --git a/lib/MySQL_Logger.cpp b/lib/MySQL_Logger.cpp
index 6cc7bf8fba..8239061caa 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_Logger.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_Logger.cpp
@@ -640,8 +640,8 @@ void MySQL_Logger::log_audit_entry(log_event_type _et, MySQL_Session *sess, MySQ
 	}
 	cl=strlen(ca);
 
-	char *un = "";
-	char *sn = "";
+	char *un = (char *)"";
+	char *sn = (char *)"";
 	if (ui) {
 		if (ui->username) {
 			un = ui->username;
diff --git a/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp b/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp
index a9809e2398..782fac8686 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp
@@ -4080,7 +4080,7 @@ void MySQL_Session::handler___status_CONNECTING_CLIENT___STATE_SERVER_HANDSHAKE(
 					proxy_debug(PROXY_DEBUG_MYSQL_CONNECTION, 5, "Too many connections\n");
 					client_myds->myprot.generate_pkt_ERR(true,NULL,NULL,_pid,1040,(char *)"08004", (char *)"Too many connections", true);
 					proxy_warning("mysql-max_connections reached. Returning 'Too many connections'\n");
-					GloMyLogger->log_audit_entry(PROXYSQL_MYSQL_AUTH_ERR, this, NULL, "mysql-max_connections reached");
+					GloMyLogger->log_audit_entry(PROXYSQL_MYSQL_AUTH_ERR, this, NULL, (char *)"mysql-max_connections reached");
 					__sync_fetch_and_add(&MyHGM->status.access_denied_max_connections, 1);
 				} else { // see issue #794
 					__sync_fetch_and_add(&MyHGM->status.access_denied_max_user_connections, 1);