diff --git a/src/modules/module-avb/aecp-aem-cmds-resps/cmd-get-set-name.c b/src/modules/module-avb/aecp-aem-cmds-resps/cmd-get-set-name.c
index d5cc552df..fc51dbf0d 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-avb/aecp-aem-cmds-resps/cmd-get-set-name.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-avb/aecp-aem-cmds-resps/cmd-get-set-name.c
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ int handle_cmd_set_name_common(struct aecp *aecp, int64_t now,
 	const struct avb_packet_aecp_aem_setget_name *cmd;
 	struct descriptor *desc;
 	uint16_t desc_type, desc_id, name_index;
-	char *name_ptr;
+	unsigned char *name_ptr;
 	int rc;
 
 	cmd = (const struct avb_packet_aecp_aem_setget_name *)p->payload;
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ int handle_cmd_set_name_common(struct aecp *aecp, int64_t now,
 		return reply_status(aecp,
 				AVB_AECP_AEM_STATUS_NO_SUCH_DESCRIPTOR, m, len);
 
-	name_ptr = get_name_ptr(desc_type, descriptor_body(desc), name_index);
+	name_ptr = (unsigned char *)get_name_ptr(desc_type, descriptor_body(desc), name_index);
 	if (name_ptr == NULL)
 		return reply_status(aecp,
 				AVB_AECP_AEM_STATUS_BAD_ARGUMENTS, m, len);
diff --git a/src/modules/module-avb/aecp-aem.h b/src/modules/module-avb/aecp-aem.h
index c94f416dc..997747ed8 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-avb/aecp-aem.h
+++ b/src/modules/module-avb/aecp-aem.h
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ struct avb_packet_aecp_aem_setget_name {
 	uint16_t descriptor_index;
 	uint16_t name_index;
 	uint16_t configuration_index;
-	char name[64];
+	unsigned char name[64];
 } __attribute__ ((__packed__));
 
 struct avb_packet_aecp_aem_setget_association_id {
diff --git a/src/modules/module-avb/strings.c b/src/modules/module-avb/strings.c
index c63bf1ba0..2a4490a04 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-avb/strings.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-avb/strings.c
@@ -16,11 +16,11 @@ typedef enum {
 	ST_ERROR,
 } UTF8_STATE;
 
-int validate_utf8 (uint8_t *str, size_t len)
+int validate_utf8 (const unsigned char *str, size_t len)
 {
 	UTF8_STATE state = ST_START;
 
-	for (int i = 0; i < len; ++i)
+	for (unsigned int i = 0; i < len; ++i)
 	{
 		switch (state)
 		{
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ int validate_utf8 (uint8_t *str, size_t len)
 	}
 }
 
-int check_zero_padding (uint8_t const *str, size_t len)
+int check_zero_padding (const unsigned char *str, size_t len)
 {
 	size_t str_len = strnlen ((char *)str, len);
 	/* String doesn't need to be null-terminated. Return success if there is no
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ int check_zero_padding (uint8_t const *str, size_t len)
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	for (int i = str_len; i < len; ++i)
+	for (unsigned int i = str_len; i < len; ++i)
 	{
 		if (str[i] != 0x00)
 		{
diff --git a/src/modules/module-avb/strings.h b/src/modules/module-avb/strings.h
index 7c607df09..731b9e0eb 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-avb/strings.h
+++ b/src/modules/module-avb/strings.h
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
-int validate_utf8(uint8_t *str, size_t len);
-int check_zero_padding(uint8_t *str, size_t len);
+int check_zero_padding(const unsigned char *str, size_t len);
+int validate_utf8(const unsigned char *str, size_t len);
 
 #endif /* AVB_STRINGS_H */