diff --git a/cpp/include/raft/sparse/distance/common.h b/cpp/include/raft/sparse/distance/common.h
index 36982c36ff..1c55412eec 100644
--- a/cpp/include/raft/sparse/distance/common.h
+++ b/cpp/include/raft/sparse/distance/common.h
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ namespace distance {
 
 template <typename value_idx, typename value_t>
 struct distances_config_t {
-  distances_config_t(raft::handle_t &handle_) : handle(handle_) {}
+  distances_config_t(const raft::handle_t &handle_) : handle(handle_) {}
 
   // left side
   value_idx a_nrows;
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ struct distances_config_t {
   value_idx *b_indices;
   value_t *b_data;
 
-  raft::handle_t &handle;
+  const raft::handle_t &handle;
 };
 
 template <typename value_t>
diff --git a/cpp/include/raft/sparse/selection/knn.cuh b/cpp/include/raft/sparse/selection/knn.cuh
index 47df50bbe5..71fbb8ab3d 100644
--- a/cpp/include/raft/sparse/selection/knn.cuh
+++ b/cpp/include/raft/sparse/selection/knn.cuh
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ class sparse_knn_t {
                const value_idx *queryIndices_, const value_t *queryData_,
                size_t queryNNZ_, int n_query_rows_, int n_query_cols_,
                value_idx *output_indices_, value_t *output_dists_, int k_,
-               raft::handle_t &handle_,
+               const raft::handle_t &handle_,
                size_t batch_size_index_ = 2 << 14,  // approx 1M
                size_t batch_size_query_ = 2 << 14,
                raft::distance::DistanceType metric_ =
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ class sparse_knn_t {
 
   int n_idx_rows, n_idx_cols, n_query_rows, n_query_cols, k;
 
-  raft::handle_t &handle;
+  const raft::handle_t &handle;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ void brute_force_knn(const value_idx *idxIndptr, const value_idx *idxIndices,
                      const value_idx *queryIndices, const value_t *queryData,
                      size_t queryNNZ, int n_query_rows, int n_query_cols,
                      value_idx *output_indices, value_t *output_dists, int k,
-                     raft::handle_t &handle,
+                     const raft::handle_t &handle,
                      size_t batch_size_index = 2 << 14,  // approx 1M
                      size_t batch_size_query = 2 << 14,
                      raft::distance::DistanceType metric =