diff --git a/cJSON.c b/cJSON.c
index 030311c..3cd662e 100644
--- a/cJSON.c
+++ b/cJSON.c
@@ -2052,7 +2052,7 @@ CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON_bool) cJSON_AddItemToObjectCS(cJSON *object, const char *stri
     return add_item_to_object(object, string, item, &global_hooks, true);
 }
 
-CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON_bool) cJSON_AddItemReferenceToArray(cJSON *array, cJSON *item)
+CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON_bool) cJSON_AddItemReferenceToArray(cJSON *array, const cJSON *item)
 {
     if (array == NULL)
     {
@@ -2062,7 +2062,7 @@ CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON_bool) cJSON_AddItemReferenceToArray(cJSON *array, cJSON *item
     return add_item_to_array(array, create_reference(item, &global_hooks));
 }
 
-CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON_bool) cJSON_AddItemReferenceToObject(cJSON *object, const char *string, cJSON *item)
+CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON_bool) cJSON_AddItemReferenceToObject(cJSON *object, const char *string, const cJSON *item)
 {
     if ((object == NULL) || (string == NULL))
     {
diff --git a/cJSON.h b/cJSON.h
index e97e5f4..bd3b52e 100644
--- a/cJSON.h
+++ b/cJSON.h
@@ -226,8 +226,8 @@ CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON_bool) cJSON_AddItemToObject(cJSON *object, const char *string
  * writing to `item->string` */
 CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON_bool) cJSON_AddItemToObjectCS(cJSON *object, const char *string, cJSON *item);
 /* Append reference to item to the specified array/object. Use this when you want to add an existing cJSON to a new cJSON, but don't want to corrupt your existing cJSON. */
-CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON_bool) cJSON_AddItemReferenceToArray(cJSON *array, cJSON *item);
-CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON_bool) cJSON_AddItemReferenceToObject(cJSON *object, const char *string, cJSON *item);
+CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON_bool) cJSON_AddItemReferenceToArray(cJSON *array, const cJSON *item);
+CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON_bool) cJSON_AddItemReferenceToObject(cJSON *object, const char *string, const cJSON *item);
 
 /* Remove/Detach items from Arrays/Objects. */
 CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON *) cJSON_DetachItemViaPointer(cJSON *parent, cJSON * const item);