diff --git a/src/basic/vx_log/concat_string.h b/src/basic/vx_log/concat_string.h
index 59dec5f4f6..9e0f591cb7 100644
--- a/src/basic/vx_log/concat_string.h
+++ b/src/basic/vx_log/concat_string.h
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ class ConcatString {
 
       void chomp(const char *);   //  removes trailing suffix, if possible
 
-      operator const std::string () const;
+      operator std::string () const;
 
       bool startswith(const char *) const;
       bool   endswith(const char *) const;
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ inline const char * ConcatString::float_format() const { return ( FloatFormat );
 inline bool         ConcatString::empty()        const { return ( s ?  s->empty() : true ); }
 inline bool         ConcatString::nonempty()     const { return ( s ? !s->empty() : false ); }
 
-inline              ConcatString::operator const std::string () const { return ( s ? *s : 0 ); }
+inline              ConcatString::operator std::string () const { return ( s ? *s : 0 ); }
 
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/src/basic/vx_util/main.cc b/src/basic/vx_util/main.cc
index c70ed1fe1f..30f1cda8ea 100644
--- a/src/basic/vx_util/main.cc
+++ b/src/basic/vx_util/main.cc
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ void set_handlers() {
 
 void set_user_id() {
    met_user_id = geteuid ();
-   register struct passwd *pw;
+   struct passwd *pw;
    pw = getpwuid (met_user_id);
    if (pw) met_user_name = string(pw->pw_name);
 }