diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index a4abb7e..2c1b799 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ set(LIBSOUNDIO_SOURCES
 set(CONFIGURE_OUT_FILE "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/config.h")
 set(LIBSOUNDIO_HEADERS
     "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/soundio/soundio.h"
+    "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/soundio/endian.h"
     ${CONFIGURE_OUT_FILE}
 )
 
@@ -207,15 +208,6 @@ set(EXAMPLE_CFLAGS "-std=c99 -Wall")
 set(TEST_CFLAGS "${LIB_CFLAGS} -fprofile-arcs -ftest-coverage")
 set(TEST_LDFLAGS "-fprofile-arcs -ftest-coverage")
 
-include(TestBigEndian)
-test_big_endian(IS_BIG_ENDIAN)
-if(IS_BIG_ENDIAN)
-    set(SOUNDIO_OS_BIG_ENDIAN true)
-    set(SOUNDIO_OS_LITTLE_ENDIAN false)
-else()
-    set(SOUNDIO_OS_BIG_ENDIAN false)
-    set(SOUNDIO_OS_LITTLE_ENDIAN true)
-endif()
 configure_file(
     "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/config.h.in"
     ${CONFIGURE_OUT_FILE}
diff --git a/soundio/endian.h b/soundio/endian.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f69072f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/soundio/endian.h
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2015 Andrew Kelley
+ *
+ * This file is part of libsoundio, which is MIT licensed.
+ * See http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT
+ */
+
+#ifndef SOUNDIO_ENDIAN_H
+#define SOUNDIO_ENDIAN_H
+
+#if defined(__BIG_ENDIAN__)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_BIG_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__ARMEB__)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_BIG_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__THUMBEB__)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_BIG_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__AARCH64EB__)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_BIG_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(_MIPSEB)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_BIG_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__MIPSEB)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_BIG_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__MIPSEB__)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_BIG_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__BYTE_ORDER__) && __BYTE_ORDER__ == __ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_BIG_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(_BIG_ENDIAN)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_BIG_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__sparc)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_BIG_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__sparc__)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_BIG_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(_POWER)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_BIG_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__powerpc__)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_BIG_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__ppc__)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_BIG_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__hpux)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_BIG_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__hppa)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_BIG_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(_POWER)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_BIG_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__s390__)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_BIG_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__LITTLE_ENDIAN__)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__ARMEL__)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__THUMBEL__)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__AARCH64EL__)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(_MIPSEL)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__MIPSEL)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__MIPSEL__)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__BYTE_ORDER__) && __BYTE_ORDER__ == __ORDER_LITTLE_ENDIAN__
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(_LITTLE_ENDIAN)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__i386__)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__alpha__)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__ia64)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__ia64__)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(_M_IX86)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(_M_IA64)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(_M_ALPHA)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__amd64)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__amd64__)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(_M_AMD64)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__x86_64)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__x86_64__)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(_M_X64)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#elif defined(__bfin__)
+#define SOUNDIO_OS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#else
+#error unable to detect endianness
+#endif
+
+#endif
diff --git a/soundio/soundio.h b/soundio/soundio.h
index e39af12..e0fd252 100644
--- a/soundio/soundio.h
+++ b/soundio/soundio.h
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #define SOUNDIO_SOUNDIO_H
 
 #include "config.h"
+#include "endian.h"
 #include <stdbool.h>
 
 /// \cond
diff --git a/src/config.h.in b/src/config.h.in
index 49bede1..ff22769 100644
--- a/src/config.h.in
+++ b/src/config.h.in
@@ -13,9 +13,6 @@
 #define SOUNDIO_VERSION_PATCH @LIBSOUNDIO_VERSION_PATCH@
 #define SOUNDIO_VERSION_STRING "@LIBSOUNDIO_VERSION@"
 
-#cmakedefine SOUNDIO_OS_BIG_ENDIAN
-#cmakedefine SOUNDIO_OS_LITTLE_ENDIAN
-
 #cmakedefine SOUNDIO_HAVE_JACK
 #cmakedefine SOUNDIO_HAVE_PULSEAUDIO
 #cmakedefine SOUNDIO_HAVE_ALSA