diff --git a/sys/dev/syscons/daemon/daemon_saver.c b/sys/dev/syscons/daemon/daemon_saver.c
index 5d5c5393b1fd..3cd58305cde5 100644
--- a/sys/dev/syscons/daemon/daemon_saver.c
+++ b/sys/dev/syscons/daemon/daemon_saver.c
@@ -50,13 +50,13 @@
 #define DAEMON_MAX_WIDTH	32
 #define DAEMON_MAX_HEIGHT	19
 
-static char *message;
+static u_char *message;
 static int messagelen;
 static int blanked;
 
 /* Who is the author of this ASCII pic? */
 
-static char *daemon_pic[] = {
+static u_char *daemon_pic[] = {
         "             ,        ,",
 	"            /(        )`",
 	"            \\ \\___   / |",
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ static char *daemon_pic[] = {
 	NULL
 };
 
-static char *daemon_attr[] = {
+static u_char *daemon_attr[] = {
         "             R        R",
 	"            RR        RR",
 	"            R RRRR   R R",
@@ -107,11 +107,11 @@ static char *daemon_attr[] = {
  * should do alphanumerics too, but I'm too lazy. <cshenton@it.hq.nasa.gov>
  */
 
-static char
-xflip_symbol(char symbol)
+static u_char
+xflip_symbol(u_char symbol)
 {
-	static const char lchars[] = "`'(){}[]\\/<>";
-	static const char rchars[] = "'`)(}{][/\\><";
+	static const u_char lchars[] = "`'(){}[]\\/<>";
+	static const u_char rchars[] = "'`)(}{][/\\><";
 	int pos;
 
 	for (pos = 0; lchars[pos] != '\0'; pos++)
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ clear_string(sc_softc_t *sc, int xpos, int ypos, int xoff, char *s, int len)
 }
 
 static void
-draw_string(sc_softc_t *sc, int xpos, int ypos, int xoff, char *s, int len)
+draw_string(sc_softc_t *sc, int xpos, int ypos, int xoff, u_char *s, int len)
 {
 	int x;
 
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ daemon_saver(video_adapter_t *adp, int blank)
 		blanked = 1;
 
  		clear_daemon(sc, dxpos, dypos, dxdir, xoff, yoff, xlen, ylen);
-		clear_string(sc, txpos, typos, toff, (char *)message, tlen);
+		clear_string(sc, txpos, typos, toff, message, tlen);
 
 		if (++moved_daemon) {
 			/*
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ daemon_saver(video_adapter_t *adp, int blank)
 			tlen = scp->xsize - txpos;
 
  		draw_daemon(sc, dxpos, dypos, dxdir, xoff, yoff, xlen, ylen);
-		draw_string(sc, txpos, typos, toff, (char *)message, tlen);
+		draw_string(sc, txpos, typos, toff, message, tlen);
 	} else {
 #ifdef PC98
 		if (epson_machine_id == 0x20) {
diff --git a/sys/dev/syscons/snake/snake_saver.c b/sys/dev/syscons/snake/snake_saver.c
index a9a067ac4ee7..ea5651fee2f6 100644
--- a/sys/dev/syscons/snake/snake_saver.c
+++ b/sys/dev/syscons/snake/snake_saver.c
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
 #include <pc98/pc98/pc98_machdep.h>
 #endif
 
-static char	*message;
+static u_char	*message;
 static int	*messagep;
 static int	messagelen;
 static int	blanked;
diff --git a/sys/dev/syscons/star/star_saver.c b/sys/dev/syscons/star/star_saver.c
index 00088528c8c3..a1f24b89fcc1 100644
--- a/sys/dev/syscons/star/star_saver.c
+++ b/sys/dev/syscons/star/star_saver.c
@@ -59,12 +59,12 @@ star_saver(video_adapter_t *adp, int blank)
 	sc_softc_t	*sc;
 	scr_stat	*scp;
 	int		cell, i;
-	char 		pattern[] = {"...........++++***   "};
+	static u_char	pattern[] = {"...........++++***   "};
 #ifndef PC98
-	char		colors[] = {FG_DARKGREY, FG_LIGHTGREY,
+	static char	colors[] = {FG_DARKGREY, FG_LIGHTGREY,
 				    FG_WHITE, FG_LIGHTCYAN};
 #else
-	char		colors[] = {FG_BLUE, FG_LIGHTGREY,
+	static char	colors[] = {FG_BLUE, FG_LIGHTGREY,
 				    FG_LIGHTGREY, FG_CYAN};
 #endif /* PC98 */
 	static u_short 	stars[NUM_STARS][2];
diff --git a/sys/modules/syscons/daemon/daemon_saver.c b/sys/modules/syscons/daemon/daemon_saver.c
index 5d5c5393b1fd..3cd58305cde5 100644
--- a/sys/modules/syscons/daemon/daemon_saver.c
+++ b/sys/modules/syscons/daemon/daemon_saver.c
@@ -50,13 +50,13 @@
 #define DAEMON_MAX_WIDTH	32
 #define DAEMON_MAX_HEIGHT	19
 
-static char *message;
+static u_char *message;
 static int messagelen;
 static int blanked;
 
 /* Who is the author of this ASCII pic? */
 
-static char *daemon_pic[] = {
+static u_char *daemon_pic[] = {
         "             ,        ,",
 	"            /(        )`",
 	"            \\ \\___   / |",
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ static char *daemon_pic[] = {
 	NULL
 };
 
-static char *daemon_attr[] = {
+static u_char *daemon_attr[] = {
         "             R        R",
 	"            RR        RR",
 	"            R RRRR   R R",
@@ -107,11 +107,11 @@ static char *daemon_attr[] = {
  * should do alphanumerics too, but I'm too lazy. <cshenton@it.hq.nasa.gov>
  */
 
-static char
-xflip_symbol(char symbol)
+static u_char
+xflip_symbol(u_char symbol)
 {
-	static const char lchars[] = "`'(){}[]\\/<>";
-	static const char rchars[] = "'`)(}{][/\\><";
+	static const u_char lchars[] = "`'(){}[]\\/<>";
+	static const u_char rchars[] = "'`)(}{][/\\><";
 	int pos;
 
 	for (pos = 0; lchars[pos] != '\0'; pos++)
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ clear_string(sc_softc_t *sc, int xpos, int ypos, int xoff, char *s, int len)
 }
 
 static void
-draw_string(sc_softc_t *sc, int xpos, int ypos, int xoff, char *s, int len)
+draw_string(sc_softc_t *sc, int xpos, int ypos, int xoff, u_char *s, int len)
 {
 	int x;
 
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ daemon_saver(video_adapter_t *adp, int blank)
 		blanked = 1;
 
  		clear_daemon(sc, dxpos, dypos, dxdir, xoff, yoff, xlen, ylen);
-		clear_string(sc, txpos, typos, toff, (char *)message, tlen);
+		clear_string(sc, txpos, typos, toff, message, tlen);
 
 		if (++moved_daemon) {
 			/*
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ daemon_saver(video_adapter_t *adp, int blank)
 			tlen = scp->xsize - txpos;
 
  		draw_daemon(sc, dxpos, dypos, dxdir, xoff, yoff, xlen, ylen);
-		draw_string(sc, txpos, typos, toff, (char *)message, tlen);
+		draw_string(sc, txpos, typos, toff, message, tlen);
 	} else {
 #ifdef PC98
 		if (epson_machine_id == 0x20) {
diff --git a/sys/modules/syscons/snake/snake_saver.c b/sys/modules/syscons/snake/snake_saver.c
index a9a067ac4ee7..ea5651fee2f6 100644
--- a/sys/modules/syscons/snake/snake_saver.c
+++ b/sys/modules/syscons/snake/snake_saver.c
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
 #include <pc98/pc98/pc98_machdep.h>
 #endif
 
-static char	*message;
+static u_char	*message;
 static int	*messagep;
 static int	messagelen;
 static int	blanked;
diff --git a/sys/modules/syscons/star/star_saver.c b/sys/modules/syscons/star/star_saver.c
index 00088528c8c3..a1f24b89fcc1 100644
--- a/sys/modules/syscons/star/star_saver.c
+++ b/sys/modules/syscons/star/star_saver.c
@@ -59,12 +59,12 @@ star_saver(video_adapter_t *adp, int blank)
 	sc_softc_t	*sc;
 	scr_stat	*scp;
 	int		cell, i;
-	char 		pattern[] = {"...........++++***   "};
+	static u_char	pattern[] = {"...........++++***   "};
 #ifndef PC98
-	char		colors[] = {FG_DARKGREY, FG_LIGHTGREY,
+	static char	colors[] = {FG_DARKGREY, FG_LIGHTGREY,
 				    FG_WHITE, FG_LIGHTCYAN};
 #else
-	char		colors[] = {FG_BLUE, FG_LIGHTGREY,
+	static char	colors[] = {FG_BLUE, FG_LIGHTGREY,
 				    FG_LIGHTGREY, FG_CYAN};
 #endif /* PC98 */
 	static u_short 	stars[NUM_STARS][2];