diff --git a/include/maestro/i_globals.h b/include/maestro/i_globals.h
index cec6fbbc807b377c24b409075512bba3b9d401f3..75fab2a90c9821cb72f43e5a8601fc4584a1845d 100644
--- a/include/maestro/i_globals.h
+++ b/include/maestro/i_globals.h
@@ -163,7 +163,9 @@ extern union mstro_component_descriptor g_component_descriptor;
          | (MSTRO_POOL_PROTOCOL_VERSION_MINOR << 8)    \
          | (MSTRO_POOL_PROTOCOL_VERSION_PATCH << 0)))
 
-
+/** separators for user defined schema lists and paths enviroment variables */
+#define SCHEMA_LIST_SEP ";"
+#define SCHEMA_PATH_SEP ":"
 
 /** the precomputed default path for GFS transport (incl. trailing '/') */
 extern char *g_mstro_transport_gfs_dir;
diff --git a/maestro/core.c b/maestro/core.c
index 9a3d591743925f020344d68d2ea7e7b66b404e4c..7146b0224b13742fe1c21cc6cbe66ae5979aafa0 100644
--- a/maestro/core.c
+++ b/maestro/core.c
@@ -193,8 +193,7 @@ mstro_status mstro_core_init__setup_schemata(void)
   {
     env_schema_path = "";
   }
-  char * schema_list_sep = ";";
-  char * schema_path_sep = ":";
+
   char *schema_list_token;
   char *schema_path_token;
 
@@ -231,7 +230,7 @@ mstro_status mstro_core_init__setup_schemata(void)
    char env_schema_path_plus_default[MAX_PATH_LENGTH];
 
    /* get the first schema */
-   schema_list_token = strtok_r(env_schema_list, schema_list_sep, &end_list_token);
+   schema_list_token = strtok_r(env_schema_list, SCHEMA_LIST_SEP, &end_list_token);
    DEBUG("first schema_list_token: %s \n", schema_list_token);
 
    /* walk through other tokens */
@@ -242,10 +241,10 @@ mstro_status mstro_core_init__setup_schemata(void)
       DEBUG("looking for schema_list_token: %s \n", schema_list_token);
 
       // creating list of paths to visit. i.e. current directory "." + user defined paths
-      snprintf(env_schema_path_plus_default, MAX_PATH_LENGTH, "%s%s%s", ".", schema_path_sep, env_schema_path);
+      snprintf(env_schema_path_plus_default, MAX_PATH_LENGTH, "%s%s%s", ".", SCHEMA_PATH_SEP, env_schema_path);
       DEBUG("list of paths for schemas: %s\n", env_schema_path_plus_default);
       /* get the first path */
-      schema_path_token = strtok_r(env_schema_path_plus_default, schema_path_sep, &end_path_token);
+      schema_path_token = strtok_r(env_schema_path_plus_default, SCHEMA_PATH_SEP, &end_path_token);
       DEBUG("first schema_path_token: %s\n", schema_path_token);
 
       /* walk through other paths */
@@ -262,7 +261,7 @@ mstro_status mstro_core_init__setup_schemata(void)
         }
 
         // read the next path
-          schema_path_token = strtok_r(NULL, schema_path_sep, &end_path_token);
+          schema_path_token = strtok_r(NULL, SCHEMA_PATH_SEP, &end_path_token);
 
       }
 
@@ -280,7 +279,7 @@ mstro_status mstro_core_init__setup_schemata(void)
         return  status;
       }
       // read the next schema name
-      schema_list_token = strtok_r(NULL, schema_list_sep, &end_list_token);
+      schema_list_token = strtok_r(NULL, SCHEMA_LIST_SEP, &end_list_token);
    }
 
    return  status;
diff --git a/maestro/ofi.c b/maestro/ofi.c
index 49fb5f1a8f100850be03b74e03b0b61f2ab4e496..06f942cdfd4b5021ee4b5e27611272ecb0bf5992 100644
--- a/maestro/ofi.c
+++ b/maestro/ofi.c
@@ -1980,7 +1980,6 @@ mstro_ofi__msg_context_destroy(mstro_ofi_msg_context ctx)
 /* FIXME check that the schema versions are compatible between the pm and the component */
 bool schema_list_compatible_p(const char * component_schema_list, const char * pm_schema_list)
 {
-  char * schema_list_sep = ";";
   char *schema_name;
   char *end_list_token;
 
@@ -1996,7 +1995,7 @@ bool schema_list_compatible_p(const char * component_schema_list, const char * p
     return false;
   }
   // split the schema names in the component_schema_list
-  schema_name = strtok_r(component_schema_list, schema_list_sep, &end_list_token);
+  schema_name = strtok_r(component_schema_list, SCHEMA_LIST_SEP, &end_list_token);
   // for each schema name in the component_schema_list ...try to find it in the pm_schema_list
   while( schema_name != NULL )
   {
@@ -2008,7 +2007,7 @@ bool schema_list_compatible_p(const char * component_schema_list, const char * p
     }
     DEBUG("Found schema %s in %s\n", schema_name, pm_schema_list);
     // read the next schema name
-    schema_name = strtok_r(NULL, schema_list_sep, &end_list_token);
+    schema_name = strtok_r(NULL, SCHEMA_LIST_SEP, &end_list_token);
   }
 
   /*We reach here only if all component schemas were found in the pm_schema_list*/