diff --git a/usr.sbin/xntpd/util/tickadj.c b/usr.sbin/xntpd/util/tickadj.c
index 74757dd95dc4..3a70b4f70204 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/xntpd/util/tickadj.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/xntpd/util/tickadj.c
@@ -11,10 +11,6 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #endif /* SYS_VAX */
 
-#if defined(HAVE_GETBOOTFILE)
-#include <paths.h>
-#endif
-
 #ifdef SYS_LINUX
 #include "sys/timex.h"
 
@@ -69,6 +65,10 @@ main(int argc, char ** argv)
 #include "ntp_io.h"
 #include "ntp_stdlib.h"
 
+#if defined(HAVE_GETBOOTFILE)
+#include <paths.h>
+#endif
+
 #ifdef RS6000
 #undef hz
 #endif /* RS6000 */
@@ -445,7 +445,8 @@ getoffsets(filex, tick_off, tickadj_off, dosync_off, noprintf_off)
 	struct stat stbuf;
 
 #ifdef HAVE_GETBOOTFILE
-	*kname = getbootfile();
+	/* XXX bogus cast to avoid `const' poisoning. */
+	*kname = (char *)getbootfile();
 	if (stat(*kname, &stbuf) == -1 || nlist(*kname, nl) == -1)
 		*kname = NULL;
 #else