diff --git a/cmd/restic/global.go b/cmd/restic/global.go
index 5b21871dc..40083ad69 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/global.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/global.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/term"
 )
 
-var version = "0.16.4-dev (compiled manually)"
+const version = "0.16.4-dev (compiled manually)"
 
 // TimeFormat is the format used for all timestamps printed by restic.
 const TimeFormat = "2006-01-02 15:04:05"
diff --git a/cmd/restic/main.go b/cmd/restic/main.go
index 82517c31a..e847b8156 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/main.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/main.go
@@ -94,8 +94,6 @@ func needsPassword(cmd string) bool {
 	}
 }
 
-var logBuffer = bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
-
 func tweakGoGC() {
 	// lower GOGC from 100 to 50, unless it was manually overwritten by the user
 	oldValue := godebug.SetGCPercent(50)
@@ -108,6 +106,7 @@ func main() {
 	tweakGoGC()
 	// install custom global logger into a buffer, if an error occurs
 	// we can show the logs
+	logBuffer := bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
 	log.SetOutput(logBuffer)
 
 	err := feature.Flag.Apply(os.Getenv("RESTIC_FEATURES"), func(s string) {
diff --git a/helpers/prepare-release/main.go b/helpers/prepare-release/main.go
index baf8aa2ba..703d85e70 100644
--- a/helpers/prepare-release/main.go
+++ b/helpers/prepare-release/main.go
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ func generateFiles() {
 	}
 }
 
-var versionPattern = `var version = ".*"`
+var versionPattern = `const version = ".*"`
 
 const versionCodeFile = "cmd/restic/global.go"
 
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ func updateVersion() {
 		die("unable to write version to file: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	newVersion := fmt.Sprintf("var version = %q", opts.Version)
+	newVersion := fmt.Sprintf("const version = %q", opts.Version)
 	replace(versionCodeFile, versionPattern, newVersion)
 
 	if len(uncommittedChanges("VERSION")) > 0 || len(uncommittedChanges(versionCodeFile)) > 0 {
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ func updateVersion() {
 }
 
 func updateVersionDev() {
-	newVersion := fmt.Sprintf(`var version = "%s-dev (compiled manually)"`, opts.Version)
+	newVersion := fmt.Sprintf(`const version = "%s-dev (compiled manually)"`, opts.Version)
 	replace(versionCodeFile, versionPattern, newVersion)
 
 	msg("committing cmd/restic/global.go with dev version")