diff --git a/include/unicorn/unicorn.h b/include/unicorn/unicorn.h
index 6ecd6dc2..11772b9a 100644
--- a/include/unicorn/unicorn.h
+++ b/include/unicorn/unicorn.h
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ typedef enum uc_mode {
     UC_MODE_32 = 1 << 2,          // 32-bit mode
     UC_MODE_64 = 1 << 3,          // 64-bit mode
     // ppc 
+    UC_MODE_PPC32 = 1 << 2,       // 32-bit mode (currently unsupported)
     UC_MODE_PPC64 = 1 << 3,       // 64-bit mode (currently unsupported)
     UC_MODE_QPX = 1 << 4,         // Quad Processing eXtensions mode (currently unsupported)
     // sparc
diff --git a/samples/sample_sparc.c b/samples/sample_sparc.c
index 88bbd01e..e6276b14 100644
--- a/samples/sample_sparc.c
+++ b/samples/sample_sparc.c
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ static void test_sparc(void)
     printf("Emulate SPARC code\n");
 
     // Initialize emulator in Sparc mode
-    err = uc_open(UC_ARCH_SPARC, UC_MODE_SPARC32, &uc);
+    err = uc_open(UC_ARCH_SPARC, UC_MODE_SPARC32|UC_MODE_BIG_ENDIAN, &uc);
     if (err) {
         printf("Failed on uc_open() with error returned: %u (%s)\n",
                 err, uc_strerror(err));
diff --git a/tests/regress/sparc_jump_to_zero.c b/tests/regress/sparc_jump_to_zero.c
index c816b700..2baaa69f 100644
--- a/tests/regress/sparc_jump_to_zero.c
+++ b/tests/regress/sparc_jump_to_zero.c
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #include <unicorn/unicorn.h>
 
 #define HARDWARE_ARCHITECTURE UC_ARCH_SPARC
-#define HARDWARE_MODE UC_ARCH_SPARC32
+#define HARDWARE_MODE UC_ARCH_SPARC32|UC_MODE_BIG_ENDIAN
 
 #define MEMORY_STARTING_ADDRESS 0x1000000
 #define MEMORY_SIZE 2 * 1024 * 1024
diff --git a/uc.c b/uc.c
index d93fa4e5..1a419e8c 100644
--- a/uc.c
+++ b/uc.c
@@ -245,7 +245,9 @@ uc_err uc_open(uc_arch arch, uc_mode mode, uc_engine **result)
 
 #ifdef UNICORN_HAS_SPARC
             case UC_ARCH_SPARC:
-                if (mode & ~UC_MODE_SPARC_MASK) {
+                if ((mode & ~UC_MODE_SPARC_MASK) ||
+                        !(mode & UC_MODE_BIG_ENDIAN) ||
+                        !(mode & (UC_MODE_SPARC32|UC_MODE_SPARC64))) {
                     free(uc);
                     return UC_ERR_MODE;
                 }