diff --git a/HidlSupport.cpp b/HidlSupport.cpp
index e684e26..18beb3d 100644
--- a/HidlSupport.cpp
+++ b/HidlSupport.cpp
@@ -169,8 +169,7 @@
 // static
 const size_t hidl_string::kOffsetOfBuffer = offsetof(hidl_string, mBuffer);
 
-const ::android::String16 IBase::descriptor(
-        "android.hardware.base@0.0::IBase");
+const char* IBase::descriptor = "android.hardware.base@0.0::IBase";
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 // HidlInstrumentor implementation.
diff --git a/include/hidl/HidlSupport.h b/include/hidl/HidlSupport.h
index 83ff80b..f203ccc 100644
--- a/include/hidl/HidlSupport.h
+++ b/include/hidl/HidlSupport.h
@@ -591,7 +591,7 @@
     virtual ::android::hardware::Return<void> interfaceChain(
             std::function<void(const hidl_vec<hidl_string>&)> _hidl_cb) = 0;
     // descriptor for HIDL reserved methods.
-    static const ::android::String16 descriptor;
+    static const char* descriptor;
 };
 
 extern std::map<std::string, std::function<sp<IBinder>(void*)>> gBnConstructorMap;