diff --git a/ConfigureChecks.cmake b/ConfigureChecks.cmake
index 509362a..2658fc4 100644
--- a/ConfigureChecks.cmake
+++ b/ConfigureChecks.cmake
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ endif( WITH_GCC_VISIBILITY )
 
 tde_setup_architecture_flags( )
 
+include(TestBigEndian)
+test_big_endian(WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
+
 
 ##### ark #######################################
 
diff --git a/config.h.cmake b/config.h.cmake
index 91bc6ea..50adee4 100644
--- a/config.h.cmake
+++ b/config.h.cmake
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 #cmakedefine PACKAGE "@PACKAGE@"
 #cmakedefine VERSION "@VERSION@"
 
+/* Define WORDS_BIGENDIAN to 1 if your processor stores words with the most
+   significant byte first (like Motorola and SPARC, unlike Intel). */
+#cmakedefine WORDS_BIGENDIAN @WORDS_BIGENDIAN@
+
+
 // ark
 
 #cmakedefine HAVE_STRLCPY_PROTO