diff --git a/common/JackEngine.cpp b/common/JackEngine.cpp
index 7de36261..6bbccb81 100644
--- a/common/JackEngine.cpp
+++ b/common/JackEngine.cpp
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ Foundation, Inc., 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
 #include "JackChannel.h"
 #include "JackError.h"
 
-extern const char JACK_METADATA_HARDWARE[];
-extern const char JACK_METADATA_PRETTY_NAME[];
+extern const char* JACK_METADATA_HARDWARE;
+extern const char* JACK_METADATA_PRETTY_NAME;
 
 namespace Jack
 {
diff --git a/common/JackMetadata.cpp b/common/JackMetadata.cpp
index 783ee1a2..67704c35 100644
--- a/common/JackMetadata.cpp
+++ b/common/JackMetadata.cpp
@@ -28,16 +28,16 @@
 
 
 #define JACK_METADATA_PREFIX "http://jackaudio.org/metadata/"
-LIB_EXPORT extern const char JACK_METADATA_CONNECTED[]   = JACK_METADATA_PREFIX "connected";
-LIB_EXPORT extern const char JACK_METADATA_EVENT_TYPES[] = JACK_METADATA_PREFIX "event-types";
-LIB_EXPORT extern const char JACK_METADATA_HARDWARE[]    = JACK_METADATA_PREFIX "hardware";
-LIB_EXPORT extern const char JACK_METADATA_ICON_LARGE[]  = JACK_METADATA_PREFIX "icon-large";
-LIB_EXPORT extern const char JACK_METADATA_ICON_NAME[]   = JACK_METADATA_PREFIX "icon-name";
-LIB_EXPORT extern const char JACK_METADATA_ICON_SMALL[]  = JACK_METADATA_PREFIX "icon-small";
-LIB_EXPORT extern const char JACK_METADATA_ORDER[]       = JACK_METADATA_PREFIX "order";
-LIB_EXPORT extern const char JACK_METADATA_PORT_GROUP[]  = JACK_METADATA_PREFIX "port-group";
-LIB_EXPORT extern const char JACK_METADATA_PRETTY_NAME[] = JACK_METADATA_PREFIX "pretty-name";
-LIB_EXPORT extern const char JACK_METADATA_SIGNAL_TYPE[] = JACK_METADATA_PREFIX "signal-type";
+LIB_EXPORT const char* JACK_METADATA_CONNECTED   = JACK_METADATA_PREFIX "connected";
+LIB_EXPORT const char* JACK_METADATA_EVENT_TYPES = JACK_METADATA_PREFIX "event-types";
+LIB_EXPORT const char* JACK_METADATA_HARDWARE    = JACK_METADATA_PREFIX "hardware";
+LIB_EXPORT const char* JACK_METADATA_ICON_LARGE  = JACK_METADATA_PREFIX "icon-large";
+LIB_EXPORT const char* JACK_METADATA_ICON_NAME   = JACK_METADATA_PREFIX "icon-name";
+LIB_EXPORT const char* JACK_METADATA_ICON_SMALL  = JACK_METADATA_PREFIX "icon-small";
+LIB_EXPORT const char* JACK_METADATA_ORDER       = JACK_METADATA_PREFIX "order";
+LIB_EXPORT const char* JACK_METADATA_PORT_GROUP  = JACK_METADATA_PREFIX "port-group";
+LIB_EXPORT const char* JACK_METADATA_PRETTY_NAME = JACK_METADATA_PREFIX "pretty-name";
+LIB_EXPORT const char* JACK_METADATA_SIGNAL_TYPE = JACK_METADATA_PREFIX "signal-type";
 #undef JACK_METADATA_PREFIX
 
 namespace Jack
diff --git a/common/jack/metadata.h b/common/jack/metadata.h
index 7f18c38e..891dbd62 100644
--- a/common/jack/metadata.h
+++ b/common/jack/metadata.h
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ int jack_set_property_change_callback (jack_client_t*             client,
  * A value that identifies what the hardware port is connected to (an external
  * device of some kind). Possible values might be "E-Piano" or "Master 2 Track".
  */
-extern const char JACK_METADATA_CONNECTED[];
+extern const char* JACK_METADATA_CONNECTED;
 
 /**
  * The supported event types of an event port.
@@ -242,21 +242,21 @@ extern const char JACK_METADATA_CONNECTED[];
  * status byte will gracefully ignore OSC messages if the user makes an
  * inappropriate connection.
  */
-extern const char JACK_METADATA_EVENT_TYPES[];
+extern const char* JACK_METADATA_EVENT_TYPES;
 
 /**
  * A value that should be shown when attempting to identify the
  * specific hardware outputs of a client. Typical values might be
  * "ADAT1", "S/PDIF L" or "MADI 43".
  */
-extern const char JACK_METADATA_HARDWARE[];
+extern const char* JACK_METADATA_HARDWARE;
 
 /**
  * A value with a MIME type of "image/png;base64" that is an encoding of an
  * NxN (with 32 < N <= 128) image to be used when displaying a visual
  * representation of that client or port.
  */
-extern const char JACK_METADATA_ICON_LARGE[];
+extern const char* JACK_METADATA_ICON_LARGE;
 
 /**
  * The name of the icon for the subject (typically client).
@@ -267,14 +267,14 @@ extern const char JACK_METADATA_ICON_LARGE[];
  * Theme Specification:
  * https://specifications.freedesktop.org/icon-theme-spec/icon-theme-spec-latest.html
  */
-extern const char JACK_METADATA_ICON_NAME[];
+extern const char* JACK_METADATA_ICON_NAME;
 
 /**
  * A value with a MIME type of "image/png;base64" that is an encoding of an
  * NxN (with N <=32) image to be used when displaying a visual representation
  * of that client or port.
  */
-extern const char JACK_METADATA_ICON_SMALL[];
+extern const char* JACK_METADATA_ICON_SMALL;
 
 /**
  * Order for a port.
@@ -287,18 +287,18 @@ extern const char JACK_METADATA_ICON_SMALL[];
  *
  * It is encouraged to use http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#int as the type.
  */
-extern const char JACK_METADATA_ORDER[];
+extern const char* JACK_METADATA_ORDER;
 
 /**
  * A value that should be shown to the user when displaying a port to the user,
  * unless the user has explicitly overridden that a request to show the port
  * name, or some other key value.
  */
-extern const char JACK_METADATA_PRETTY_NAME[];
+extern const char* JACK_METADATA_PRETTY_NAME;
 
 /**
  */
-extern const char JACK_METADATA_PORT_GROUP[];
+extern const char* JACK_METADATA_PORT_GROUP;
 
 /**
  * The type of an audio signal.
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ extern const char JACK_METADATA_PORT_GROUP[];
  * their output directly to speakers.  In particular, CV ports are not
  * necessarily periodic at all and may have very high DC.
  */
-extern const char JACK_METADATA_SIGNAL_TYPE[];
+extern const char* JACK_METADATA_SIGNAL_TYPE;
 
 /**
  * @}