diff --git a/ConfigureChecks.cmake b/ConfigureChecks.cmake
index 6176f72..0ca8036 100644
--- a/ConfigureChecks.cmake
+++ b/ConfigureChecks.cmake
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ endif( WITH_GCC_VISIBILITY )
 ##### set architecture flags ####################
 tde_setup_architecture_flags( )
 
+include(TestBigEndian)
+test_big_endian(WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
+
 
 ##### required stuff ############################
 
diff --git a/config.h.cmake b/config.h.cmake
index dad62ef..46374a8 100644
--- a/config.h.cmake
+++ b/config.h.cmake
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 #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@
+
 // User specified build options
 
 #cmakedefine HAVE_TAGLIB 1