diff --git a/configure b/configure
index a79d7df..6e912a2 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -296,6 +296,33 @@ fi
 
 
 # Platform-specific options
+
+#Endianess
+cat >conftest.$$.c << EOF
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <signal.h>
+
+int main(int argc, char **argv)
+{
+	int test = 1;
+
+	return(*(unsigned char*) (&test));
+}
+EOF
+$cc -o conftest.$$ conftest.$$.c
+./conftest.$$
+if [ "$?" = "0" ]; then
+	echo "Architecture is big-endian"
+	echo
+	cflags="$cflags -DB_ENDIAN"
+else
+	echo "Architecture is little-endian"
+	echo
+	cflags="$cflags -DL_ENDIAN"
+fi
+rm conftest.$$ conftest.$$.c
+
+#Alignment
 cat >conftest.$$.c << EOF
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <signal.h>
@@ -317,7 +344,7 @@ need_alignment=yes
 if [ "$need_alignment" = "yes" ]; then
 	echo "Architecture needs alignment"
 	echo
-	cflags="$cflags -DNEED_ALIGNMENT"
+	cflags="$cflags -DNEED_ALIGN"
 fi
 rm conftest.$$ conftest.$$.c
 
diff --git a/rdesktop.h b/rdesktop.h
index c851bd9..21e959f 100644
--- a/rdesktop.h
+++ b/rdesktop.h
@@ -59,6 +59,18 @@
 #define MAX(x,y)		(((x) > (y)) ? (x) : (y))
 #endif
 
+/* If configure does not define the endianess, try
+   to find it out */
+#if !defined(L_ENDIAN) && !defined(B_ENDIAN)
+#if __BYTE_ORDER == __LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#define L_ENDIAN
+#elif __BYTE_ORDER == __BIG_ENDIAN
+#define B_ENDIAN
+#else
+#error Unknown endianness. Edit rdesktop.h.
+#endif
+#endif /* B_ENDIAN, L_ENDIAN from configure */
+
 #include "parse.h"
 #include "constants.h"
 #include "types.h"