diff -r d68e4d58597b -r 6cbdd036f4b9 src/mem/fs_translating_port_proxy.hh
--- a/src/mem/fs_translating_port_proxy.hh	Mon Nov 17 06:20:34 2014 +0000
+++ b/src/mem/fs_translating_port_proxy.hh	Mon Nov 17 06:20:48 2014 +0000
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
 
     /** Version of writeBlob that translates virt->phys and deals
       * with page boundries. */
-    virtual void writeBlob(Addr addr, uint8_t *p, int size) const;
+    virtual void writeBlob(Addr addr, const uint8_t *p, int size) const;
 
     /**
      * Fill size bytes starting at addr with byte value val.
@@ -98,8 +98,8 @@
 };
 
 void CopyOut(ThreadContext *tc, void *dest, Addr src, size_t cplen);
-void CopyIn(ThreadContext *tc, Addr dest, void *source, size_t cplen);
+void CopyIn(ThreadContext *tc, Addr dest, const void *source, size_t cplen);
 void CopyStringOut(ThreadContext *tc, char *dst, Addr vaddr, size_t maxlen);
-void CopyStringIn(ThreadContext *tc, char *src, Addr vaddr);
+void CopyStringIn(ThreadContext *tc, const char *src, Addr vaddr);
 
 #endif //__MEM_FS_PORT_PROXY_HH__
diff -r d68e4d58597b -r 6cbdd036f4b9 src/mem/fs_translating_port_proxy.cc
--- a/src/mem/fs_translating_port_proxy.cc	Mon Nov 17 06:20:34 2014 +0000
+++ b/src/mem/fs_translating_port_proxy.cc	Mon Nov 17 06:20:48 2014 +0000
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
 }
 
 void
-FSTranslatingPortProxy::writeBlob(Addr addr, uint8_t *p, int size) const
+FSTranslatingPortProxy::writeBlob(Addr addr, const uint8_t *p, int size) const
 {
     Addr paddr;
     for (ChunkGenerator gen(addr, size, TheISA::PageBytes); !gen.done();
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@
 }
 
 void
-CopyIn(ThreadContext *tc, Addr dest, void *source, size_t cplen)
+CopyIn(ThreadContext *tc, Addr dest, const void *source, size_t cplen)
 {
     uint8_t *src = (uint8_t *)source;
     tc->getVirtProxy().writeBlob(dest, src, cplen);
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@
 }
 
 void
-CopyStringIn(ThreadContext *tc, char *src, Addr vaddr)
+CopyStringIn(ThreadContext *tc, const char *src, Addr vaddr)
 {
     FSTranslatingPortProxy &vp = tc->getVirtProxy();
     for (ChunkGenerator gen(vaddr, strlen(src), TheISA::PageBytes); !gen.done();
diff -r d68e4d58597b -r 6cbdd036f4b9 src/mem/packet.hh
--- a/src/mem/packet.hh	Mon Nov 17 06:20:34 2014 +0000
+++ b/src/mem/packet.hh	Mon Nov 17 06:20:48 2014 +0000
@@ -814,6 +814,23 @@
     }
 
     /**
+     * Set the data pointer to the following value that should not be
+     * freed. This version of the function allows the pointer passed
+     * to us to be const. To avoid issues down the line we cast the
+     * constness away, the alternative would be to keep both a const
+     * and non-const data pointer and cleverly choose between
+     * them. Note that this is only allowed for static data.
+     */
+    template <typename T>
+    void
+    dataStaticConst(const T *p)
+    {
+        assert(flags.noneSet(STATIC_DATA|DYNAMIC_DATA|ARRAY_DATA));
+        data = const_cast<PacketDataPtr>(p);
+        flags.set(STATIC_DATA);
+    }
+
+    /**
      * Set the data pointer to a value that should have delete []
      * called on it.
      */
diff -r d68e4d58597b -r 6cbdd036f4b9 src/mem/port_proxy.hh
--- a/src/mem/port_proxy.hh	Mon Nov 17 06:20:34 2014 +0000
+++ b/src/mem/port_proxy.hh	Mon Nov 17 06:20:48 2014 +0000
@@ -91,8 +91,6 @@
     /** Granularity of any transactions issued through this proxy. */
     const unsigned int _cacheLineSize;
 
-    void blobHelper(Addr addr, uint8_t *p, int size, MemCmd cmd) const;
-
   public:
     PortProxy(MasterPort &port, unsigned int cacheLineSize) :
         _port(port), _cacheLineSize(cacheLineSize) { }
@@ -101,14 +99,12 @@
     /**
      * Read size bytes memory at address and store in p.
      */
-    virtual void readBlob(Addr addr, uint8_t* p, int size) const
-    { blobHelper(addr, p, size, MemCmd::ReadReq); }
+    virtual void readBlob(Addr addr, uint8_t* p, int size) const;
 
     /**
      * Write size bytes from p to address.
      */
-    virtual void writeBlob(Addr addr, uint8_t* p, int size) const
-    { blobHelper(addr, p, size, MemCmd::WriteReq); }
+    virtual void writeBlob(Addr addr, const uint8_t* p, int size) const;
 
     /**
      * Fill size bytes starting at addr with byte value val.
diff -r d68e4d58597b -r 6cbdd036f4b9 src/mem/port_proxy.cc
--- a/src/mem/port_proxy.cc	Mon Nov 17 06:20:34 2014 +0000
+++ b/src/mem/port_proxy.cc	Mon Nov 17 06:20:48 2014 +0000
@@ -41,14 +41,14 @@
 #include "mem/port_proxy.hh"
 
 void
-PortProxy::blobHelper(Addr addr, uint8_t *p, int size, MemCmd cmd) const
+PortProxy::readBlob(Addr addr, uint8_t *p, int size) const
 {
     Request req;
 
-    for (ChunkGenerator gen(addr, size, _cacheLineSize);
-         !gen.done(); gen.next()) {
+    for (ChunkGenerator gen(addr, size, _cacheLineSize); !gen.done();
+         gen.next()) {
         req.setPhys(gen.addr(), gen.size(), 0, Request::funcMasterId);
-        Packet pkt(&req, cmd);
+        Packet pkt(&req, MemCmd::ReadReq);
         pkt.dataStatic(p);
         _port.sendFunctional(&pkt);
         p += gen.size();
@@ -56,13 +56,28 @@
 }
 
 void
+PortProxy::writeBlob(Addr addr, const uint8_t *p, int size) const
+{
+    Request req;
+
+    for (ChunkGenerator gen(addr, size, _cacheLineSize); !gen.done();
+         gen.next()) {
+        req.setPhys(gen.addr(), gen.size(), 0, Request::funcMasterId);
+        Packet pkt(&req, MemCmd::WriteReq);
+        pkt.dataStaticConst(p);
+        _port.sendFunctional(&pkt);
+        p += gen.size();
+    }
+}
+
+void
 PortProxy::memsetBlob(Addr addr, uint8_t v, int size) const
 {
     // quick and dirty...
     uint8_t *buf = new uint8_t[size];
 
     std::memset(buf, v, size);
-    blobHelper(addr, buf, size, MemCmd::WriteReq);
+    PortProxy::writeBlob(addr, buf, size);
 
     delete [] buf;
 }
diff -r d68e4d58597b -r 6cbdd036f4b9 src/mem/se_translating_port_proxy.hh
--- a/src/mem/se_translating_port_proxy.hh	Mon Nov 17 06:20:34 2014 +0000
+++ b/src/mem/se_translating_port_proxy.hh	Mon Nov 17 06:20:48 2014 +0000
@@ -84,13 +84,13 @@
     virtual ~SETranslatingPortProxy();
 
     bool tryReadBlob(Addr addr, uint8_t *p, int size) const;
-    bool tryWriteBlob(Addr addr, uint8_t *p, int size) const;
+    bool tryWriteBlob(Addr addr, const uint8_t *p, int size) const;
     bool tryMemsetBlob(Addr addr, uint8_t val, int size) const;
     bool tryWriteString(Addr addr, const char *str) const;
     bool tryReadString(std::string &str, Addr addr) const;
 
     virtual void readBlob(Addr addr, uint8_t *p, int size) const;
-    virtual void writeBlob(Addr addr, uint8_t *p, int size) const;
+    virtual void writeBlob(Addr addr, const uint8_t *p, int size) const;
     virtual void memsetBlob(Addr addr, uint8_t val, int size) const;
 
     void writeString(Addr addr, const char *str) const;
diff -r d68e4d58597b -r 6cbdd036f4b9 src/mem/se_translating_port_proxy.cc
--- a/src/mem/se_translating_port_proxy.cc	Mon Nov 17 06:20:34 2014 +0000
+++ b/src/mem/se_translating_port_proxy.cc	Mon Nov 17 06:20:48 2014 +0000
@@ -90,7 +90,8 @@
 
 
 bool
-SETranslatingPortProxy::tryWriteBlob(Addr addr, uint8_t *p, int size) const
+SETranslatingPortProxy::tryWriteBlob(Addr addr, const uint8_t *p,
+                                     int size) const
 {
     int prevSize = 0;
 
@@ -121,7 +122,7 @@
 
 
 void
-SETranslatingPortProxy::writeBlob(Addr addr, uint8_t *p, int size) const
+SETranslatingPortProxy::writeBlob(Addr addr, const uint8_t *p, int size) const
 {
     if (!tryWriteBlob(addr, p, size))
         fatal("writeBlob(0x%x, ...) failed", addr);