diff --git a/git-compat-util.h b/git-compat-util.h
index 4bb59b3101..e9629b2a9d 100644
--- a/git-compat-util.h
+++ b/git-compat-util.h
@@ -463,6 +463,21 @@ void set_warn_routine(report_fn routine);
 report_fn get_warn_routine(void);
 void set_die_is_recursing_routine(int (*routine)(void));
 
+/*
+ * Check that an out-parameter that is "at least as const as" a matching
+ * in-parameter. For example, skip_prefix() will return "out" that is a subset
+ * of "str". So:
+ *
+ *  const str, const out: ok
+ *  non-const str, const out: ok
+ *  non-const str, non-const out: ok
+ *  const str, non-const out: compile error
+ *
+ *  See the skip_prefix macro below for an example of use.
+ */
+#define CONST_OUTPARAM(in, out) \
+    ((const char **)(0 ? ((*(out) = (in)),(out)) : (out)))
+
 /*
  * If the string "str" begins with the string found in "prefix", return true.
  * The "out" parameter is set to "str + strlen(prefix)" (i.e., to the point in
@@ -479,8 +494,10 @@ void set_die_is_recursing_routine(int (*routine)(void));
  *   [skip prefix if present, otherwise use whole string]
  *   skip_prefix(name, "refs/heads/", &name);
  */
-static inline bool skip_prefix(const char *str, const char *prefix,
-			       const char **out)
+#define skip_prefix(str, prefix, out) \
+	skip_prefix_impl((str), (prefix), CONST_OUTPARAM((str), (out)))
+static inline bool skip_prefix_impl(const char *str, const char *prefix,
+				    const char **out)
 {
 	do {
 		if (!*prefix) {