diff --git a/src/runtime/local/datastructures/DenseMatrix.cpp b/src/runtime/local/datastructures/DenseMatrix.cpp
index 534dcffdb..f3123ccc5 100644
--- a/src/runtime/local/datastructures/DenseMatrix.cpp
+++ b/src/runtime/local/datastructures/DenseMatrix.cpp
@@ -404,4 +404,4 @@ template class DenseMatrix<unsigned char>;
 template class DenseMatrix<unsigned int>;
 template class DenseMatrix<unsigned long>;
 template class DenseMatrix<bool>;
-template class DenseMatrix<const char *>;
+//template class DenseMatrix<const char *>;
diff --git a/src/runtime/local/datastructures/ValueTypeUtils.h b/src/runtime/local/datastructures/ValueTypeUtils.h
index f910cc69b..9a3237116 100644
--- a/src/runtime/local/datastructures/ValueTypeUtils.h
+++ b/src/runtime/local/datastructures/ValueTypeUtils.h
@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@ template <> const ValueTypeCode ValueTypeUtils::codeFor<uint32_t>;
 template <> const ValueTypeCode ValueTypeUtils::codeFor<uint64_t>;
 template <> const ValueTypeCode ValueTypeUtils::codeFor<float>;
 template <> const ValueTypeCode ValueTypeUtils::codeFor<double>;
+// silence compiler warning
+template <> const ValueTypeCode ValueTypeUtils::codeFor<const char*>;
 
 template <> const std::string ValueTypeUtils::cppNameFor<int8_t>;
 template <> const std::string ValueTypeUtils::cppNameFor<int32_t>;