diff --git a/src/corelib/arch/qatomic_gcc.h b/src/corelib/arch/qatomic_gcc.h
index 225a7809eb0..9edb74fa73e 100644
--- a/src/corelib/arch/qatomic_gcc.h
+++ b/src/corelib/arch/qatomic_gcc.h
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ template <typename T> struct QAtomicOps: QGenericAtomicOps<QAtomicOps<T> >
     typedef T Type;
 
 #ifndef __ia64__
-    static T loadAcquire(T &_q_value)
+    static T loadAcquire(const T &_q_value)
     {
         T tmp = _q_value;
         __sync_synchronize();
diff --git a/src/corelib/arch/qatomic_ia64.h b/src/corelib/arch/qatomic_ia64.h
index d82ad122232..5108751f2ad 100644
--- a/src/corelib/arch/qatomic_ia64.h
+++ b/src/corelib/arch/qatomic_ia64.h
@@ -143,9 +143,9 @@ template <int size> struct QBasicAtomicOps: QGenericAtomicOps<QBasicAtomicOps<si
     static void orderedMemoryFence();
 
     template <typename T> static inline
-    T loadAcquire(T &_q_value)
+    T loadAcquire(const T &_q_value)
     {
-        return *static_cast<volatile T *>(&_q_value);
+        return *static_cast<const volatile T *>(&_q_value);
     }
 
     template <typename T> static inline
diff --git a/src/corelib/thread/qbasicatomic.h b/src/corelib/thread/qbasicatomic.h
index 96338c62dcf..01a69dbd8bf 100644
--- a/src/corelib/thread/qbasicatomic.h
+++ b/src/corelib/thread/qbasicatomic.h
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ public:
 
     // Atomic API, implemented in qatomic_XXX.h
 
-    T loadAcquire() { return Ops::loadAcquire(_q_value); }
+    T loadAcquire() const { return Ops::loadAcquire(_q_value); }
     void storeRelease(T newValue) { Ops::storeRelease(_q_value, newValue); }
 
     static bool isReferenceCountingNative() { return Ops::isReferenceCountingNative(); }
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ public:
     void store(Type newValue) { _q_value = newValue; }
 
     // Atomic API, implemented in qatomic_XXX.h
-    Type loadAcquire() { return Ops::loadAcquire(_q_value); }
+    Type loadAcquire() const { return Ops::loadAcquire(_q_value); }
     void storeRelease(Type newValue) { Ops::storeRelease(_q_value, newValue); }
 
     static bool isTestAndSetNative() { return Ops::isTestAndSetNative(); }
diff --git a/src/corelib/thread/qgenericatomic.h b/src/corelib/thread/qgenericatomic.h
index f4d5e2f8d93..34c040c39b2 100644
--- a/src/corelib/thread/qgenericatomic.h
+++ b/src/corelib/thread/qgenericatomic.h
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ template <typename BaseClass> struct QGenericAtomicOps
     static void orderedMemoryFence() { }
 
     template <typename T> static inline always_inline
-    T load(T &_q_value)
+    T load(const T &_q_value)
     {
         return _q_value;
     }
@@ -97,9 +97,9 @@ template <typename BaseClass> struct QGenericAtomicOps
     }
 
     template <typename T> static inline always_inline
-    T loadAcquire(T &_q_value)
+    T loadAcquire(const T &_q_value)
     {
-        T tmp = *static_cast<volatile T *>(&_q_value);
+        T tmp = *static_cast<const volatile T *>(&_q_value);
         BaseClass::acquireMemoryFence();
         return tmp;
     }