diff --git a/reader_concurrency_semaphore.cc b/reader_concurrency_semaphore.cc
index 1838ea66a8..6d4548f81f 100644
--- a/reader_concurrency_semaphore.cc
+++ b/reader_concurrency_semaphore.cc
@@ -495,7 +495,7 @@ public:
         _trace_ptr = std::move(trace_ptr);
     }
 
-    void check_abort() {
+    void check_abort() const {
         if (_ex) {
             std::rethrow_exception(_ex);
         }
@@ -644,7 +644,7 @@ void reader_permit::set_trace_state(tracing::trace_state_ptr trace_ptr) noexcept
     _impl->set_trace_state(std::move(trace_ptr));
 }
 
-void reader_permit::check_abort() {
+void reader_permit::check_abort() const {
     return _impl->check_abort();
 }
 
diff --git a/reader_permit.hh b/reader_permit.hh
index c0804bc8d4..d36749d443 100644
--- a/reader_permit.hh
+++ b/reader_permit.hh
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ public:
 
     // If the read was aborted, throw the exception the read was aborted with.
     // Otherwise no-op.
-    void check_abort();
+    void check_abort() const;
 
     query::max_result_size max_result_size() const;
     void set_max_result_size(query::max_result_size);