diff --git a/castor/tape/utils/SmartFILEPtr.cpp b/castor/tape/utils/SmartFILEPtr.cpp
index fbae42c701f901c91de433a83a5a989aff60a46e..b138e1cb19207530a4de8a429acc5ac460a20868 100644
--- a/castor/tape/utils/SmartFILEPtr.cpp
+++ b/castor/tape/utils/SmartFILEPtr.cpp
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // constructor
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-castor::tape::utils::SmartFILEPtr::SmartFILEPtr() :
+castor::tape::utils::SmartFILEPtr::SmartFILEPtr() throw() :
   m_file(NULL) {
 }
 
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ castor::tape::utils::SmartFILEPtr::SmartFILEPtr() :
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // constructor
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-castor::tape::utils::SmartFILEPtr::SmartFILEPtr(FILE *const file) :
+castor::tape::utils::SmartFILEPtr::SmartFILEPtr(FILE *const file) throw() :
   m_file(file) {
 }
 
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ castor::tape::utils::SmartFILEPtr::~SmartFILEPtr() {
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // get
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-FILE *castor::tape::utils::SmartFILEPtr::get() throw() {
+FILE *castor::tape::utils::SmartFILEPtr::get() const throw() {
 
   return m_file;
 }
diff --git a/castor/tape/utils/SmartFILEPtr.hpp b/castor/tape/utils/SmartFILEPtr.hpp
index 2d106b6fd34b5ba9e2dc8891f1763e13e71c7683..6a0ad656f0e7682abde58a861616b29a593b47a9 100644
--- a/castor/tape/utils/SmartFILEPtr.hpp
+++ b/castor/tape/utils/SmartFILEPtr.hpp
@@ -44,16 +44,15 @@ public:
 
   /**
    * Constructor.
-   *
    */
-  SmartFILEPtr();
+  SmartFILEPtr() throw();
 
   /**
    * Constructor.
    *
    * @param file The FILE pointer to be owned by the smart pointer.
    */
-  SmartFILEPtr(FILE *const file);
+  SmartFILEPtr(FILE *const file) throw();
 
   /**
    * Take ownership of the specified FILE pointer, closing the previously
@@ -91,7 +90,7 @@ public:
    *
    * @return The owned FILE pointer.
    */
-  FILE *get() throw();
+  FILE *get() const throw();
 
   /**
    * Releases the owned FILE pointer.