diff --git a/cJSON_Utils.c b/cJSON_Utils.c
index 04c9819..8a1e14a 100644
--- a/cJSON_Utils.c
+++ b/cJSON_Utils.c
@@ -814,26 +814,30 @@ cleanup:
     return status;
 }
 
-CJSON_PUBLIC(int) cJSONUtils_ApplyPatches(cJSON *object, cJSON *patches)
+CJSON_PUBLIC(int) cJSONUtils_ApplyPatches(cJSON * const object, const cJSON * const patches)
 {
-    int err = 0;
+    const cJSON *current_patch = NULL;
+    int status = 0;
 
     if (!cJSON_IsArray(patches))
     {
         /* malformed patches. */
         return 1;
     }
-    if (patches)
+
+    if (patches != NULL)
     {
-        patches = patches->child;
+        current_patch = patches->child;
     }
-    while (patches)
+
+    while (current_patch != NULL)
     {
-        if ((err = cJSONUtils_ApplyPatch(object, patches)))
+        status = cJSONUtils_ApplyPatch(object, current_patch);
+        if (status != 0)
         {
-            return err;
+            return status;
         }
-        patches = patches->next;
+        current_patch = current_patch->next;
     }
 
     return 0;
diff --git a/cJSON_Utils.h b/cJSON_Utils.h
index 8952645..572ab93 100644
--- a/cJSON_Utils.h
+++ b/cJSON_Utils.h
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON *) cJSONUtils_GeneratePatches(cJSON *from, cJSON *to);
 /* Utility for generating patch array entries. */
 CJSON_PUBLIC(void) cJSONUtils_AddPatchToArray(cJSON *array, const char *op, const char *path, cJSON *val);
 /* Returns 0 for success. */
-CJSON_PUBLIC(int) cJSONUtils_ApplyPatches(cJSON *object, cJSON *patches);
+CJSON_PUBLIC(int) cJSONUtils_ApplyPatches(cJSON * const object, const cJSON * const patches);
 
 /*
 // Note that ApplyPatches is NOT atomic on failure. To implement an atomic ApplyPatches, use: