diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index b3bba70..464ab05 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -46,11 +46,7 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(
 )
 AM_CONDITIONAL([BUILD_RPC], [test "x$enable_rpc" = "xyes"])
 
-AC_C_BIGENDIAN(
-    [AC_DEFINE([IS_LITTLE_ENDIAN], [0], [Define to 1 if system is little endian])],
-    [AC_DEFINE([IS_LITTLE_ENDIAN], [1], [Define to 1 if system is little endian])],
-    [AC_MSG_FAILURE([unable to determine endianness])]
-)
+AC_C_BIGENDIAN
 
 AC_OUTPUT
 AC_MSG_RESULT([
diff --git a/protobuf-c-rpc/protobuf-c-rpc.c b/protobuf-c-rpc/protobuf-c-rpc.c
index 5597ef9..113809c 100644
--- a/protobuf-c-rpc/protobuf-c-rpc.c
+++ b/protobuf-c-rpc/protobuf-c-rpc.c
@@ -444,7 +444,7 @@ grow_closure_array (ProtobufC_RPC_Client *client)
 static uint32_t 
 uint32_to_le (uint32_t le)
 {
-#if IS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#if !defined(WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
   return le;
 #else
   return (le << 24) | (le >> 24)
diff --git a/protobuf-c/protobuf-c.c b/protobuf-c/protobuf-c.c
index 2659f21..5912a87 100644
--- a/protobuf-c/protobuf-c.c
+++ b/protobuf-c/protobuf-c.c
@@ -619,7 +619,7 @@ sint64_pack (int64_t value, uint8_t *out)
 static inline size_t
 fixed32_pack (uint32_t value, void *out)
 {
-#if IS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#if !defined(WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
   memcpy (out, &value, 4);
 #else
   uint8_t *buf = out;
@@ -639,7 +639,7 @@ fixed32_pack (uint32_t value, void *out)
 static inline size_t
 fixed64_pack (uint64_t value, void *out)
 {
-#if IS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#if !defined(WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
   memcpy (out, &value, 8);
 #else
   fixed32_pack (value, out);
@@ -843,7 +843,7 @@ sizeof_elt_in_repeated_array (ProtobufCType type)
 static void
 copy_to_little_endian_32 (void *out, const void *in, unsigned N)
 {
-#if IS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#if !defined(WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
   memcpy (out, in, N * 4);
 #else
   unsigned i;
@@ -855,7 +855,7 @@ copy_to_little_endian_32 (void *out, const void *in, unsigned N)
 static void
 copy_to_little_endian_64 (void *out, const void *in, unsigned N)
 {
-#if IS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#if !defined(WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
   memcpy (out, in, N * 8);
 #else
   unsigned i;
@@ -1246,7 +1246,7 @@ pack_buffer_packed_payload (const ProtobufCFieldDescriptor *field,
       case PROTOBUF_C_TYPE_SFIXED32:
       case PROTOBUF_C_TYPE_FIXED32:
       case PROTOBUF_C_TYPE_FLOAT:
-#if IS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#if !defined(WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
         rv = count * 4;
         goto no_packing_needed;
 #else
@@ -1261,7 +1261,7 @@ pack_buffer_packed_payload (const ProtobufCFieldDescriptor *field,
       case PROTOBUF_C_TYPE_SFIXED64:
       case PROTOBUF_C_TYPE_FIXED64:
       case PROTOBUF_C_TYPE_DOUBLE:
-#if IS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#if !defined(WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
         rv = count * 8;
         goto no_packing_needed;
 #else
@@ -1635,7 +1635,7 @@ unzigzag32 (uint32_t v)
 static inline uint32_t
 parse_fixed_uint32 (const uint8_t *data)
 {
-#if IS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#if !defined(WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
   uint32_t t;
   memcpy (&t, data, 4);
   return t;
@@ -1673,7 +1673,7 @@ unzigzag64 (uint64_t v)
 static inline uint64_t
 parse_fixed_uint64 (const uint8_t *data)
 {
-#if IS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#if !defined(WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
   uint64_t t;
   memcpy (&t, data, 8);
   return t;
@@ -1878,7 +1878,7 @@ parse_packed_repeated_member (ScannedMember *scanned_member,
       case PROTOBUF_C_TYPE_FIXED32:
       case PROTOBUF_C_TYPE_FLOAT:
         count = (scanned_member->len - scanned_member->length_prefix_len) / 4;
-#if IS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#if !defined(WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
         goto no_unpacking_needed;
 #else
         for (i = 0; i < count; i++)
@@ -1892,7 +1892,7 @@ parse_packed_repeated_member (ScannedMember *scanned_member,
       case PROTOBUF_C_TYPE_FIXED64:
       case PROTOBUF_C_TYPE_DOUBLE:
         count = (scanned_member->len - scanned_member->length_prefix_len) / 8;
-#if IS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#if !defined(WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
         goto no_unpacking_needed;
 #else
         for (i = 0; i < count; i++)