diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 1b1db74c20..068545a58a 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+2001-08-20  Dave Peticolas  <dave@krondo.com>
+
+	* src/engine/gnc-book-p.h: add const
+
+	* src/engine/gnc-book.c: strdup error message for backend
+
+	* src/backend/file/gnc-backend-file.c: fix bugs
+
 2001-08-19  Christian Stimming  <stimming@tuhh.de>
 
 	* po/gnc-glossary.txt, po/glossary/gnc-glossary.txt,
diff --git a/src/backend/file/gnc-backend-file.c b/src/backend/file/gnc-backend-file.c
index 86a5621176..a4c57c51b8 100644
--- a/src/backend/file/gnc-backend-file.c
+++ b/src/backend/file/gnc-backend-file.c
@@ -62,9 +62,10 @@ static void
 file_book_begin(Backend *be_start, GNCBook *book, const char *book_id, 
                 gboolean ignore_lock, gboolean create_if_nonexistent)
 {
+    FileBackend* be;
     char *dirname;
     char *p;
-    FileBackend* be;
+
     ENTER (" ");
 
     be = (FileBackend*)be_start;
@@ -73,7 +74,7 @@ file_book_begin(Backend *be_start, GNCBook *book, const char *book_id,
     /* Make sure the directory is there */
 
     dirname = g_strdup (book->fullpath);
-    be->fullpath = book->fullpath;
+    be->fullpath = g_strdup (book->fullpath);
     p = strrchr (dirname, '/');
     if (p && p != dirname)
     {
diff --git a/src/engine/gnc-book-p.h b/src/engine/gnc-book-p.h
index 691df316d0..76f1750947 100644
--- a/src/engine/gnc-book-p.h
+++ b/src/engine/gnc-book-p.h
@@ -95,7 +95,8 @@ void gnc_book_set_pricedb(GNCBook *book, GNCPriceDB *db);
 
 void gnc_book_mark_saved(GNCBook *book);
 
-void gnc_book_push_error (GNCBook *book, GNCBackendError err, char *message);
+void gnc_book_push_error (GNCBook *book, GNCBackendError err,
+                          const char *message);
 
 Backend* gncBackendInit_file(const char *book_id, void *data);
 
diff --git a/src/engine/gnc-book.c b/src/engine/gnc-book.c
index f219450cd4..d460ed3872 100644
--- a/src/engine/gnc-book.c
+++ b/src/engine/gnc-book.c
@@ -66,18 +66,19 @@ static void
 gnc_book_clear_error (GNCBook *book)
 {
   book->last_err = ERR_BACKEND_NO_ERR;
-  if(book->error_message)
-  {
-      g_free(book->error_message);
-      book->error_message = NULL;
-  }
+  g_free(book->error_message);
+  book->error_message = NULL;
 }
 
 void
-gnc_book_push_error (GNCBook *book, GNCBackendError err, char *message)
+gnc_book_push_error (GNCBook *book, GNCBackendError err, const char *message)
 {
+  if (!book) return;
+
+  g_free (book->error_message);
+
   book->last_err = err;
-  book->error_message = message;
+  book->error_message = g_strdup (message);
 }
 
 GNCBackendError