diff --git a/builtin/index-pack.c b/builtin/index-pack.c
index bab42dfc2a..5f0ff1ce04 100644
--- a/builtin/index-pack.c
+++ b/builtin/index-pack.c
@@ -363,16 +363,18 @@ static const char *open_pack_file(const char *pack_name)
 
 static void parse_pack_header(void)
 {
-	struct pack_header *hdr = fill(sizeof(struct pack_header));
+	unsigned char *hdr = fill(sizeof(struct pack_header));
 
 	/* Header consistency check */
-	if (hdr->hdr_signature != htonl(PACK_SIGNATURE))
+	if (get_be32(hdr) != PACK_SIGNATURE)
 		die(_("pack signature mismatch"));
-	if (!pack_version_ok(hdr->hdr_version))
+	hdr += 4;
+	if (!pack_version_ok_native(get_be32(hdr)))
 		die(_("pack version %"PRIu32" unsupported"),
-			ntohl(hdr->hdr_version));
+		    get_be32(hdr));
+	hdr += 4;
 
-	nr_objects = ntohl(hdr->hdr_entries);
+	nr_objects = get_be32(hdr);
 	use(sizeof(struct pack_header));
 }
 
diff --git a/builtin/unpack-objects.c b/builtin/unpack-objects.c
index 3161447274..fc3de6dac8 100644
--- a/builtin/unpack-objects.c
+++ b/builtin/unpack-objects.c
@@ -576,15 +576,16 @@ static void unpack_one(unsigned nr)
 static void unpack_all(void)
 {
 	int i;
-	struct pack_header *hdr = fill(sizeof(struct pack_header));
+	unsigned char *hdr = fill(sizeof(struct pack_header));
 
-	nr_objects = ntohl(hdr->hdr_entries);
-
-	if (ntohl(hdr->hdr_signature) != PACK_SIGNATURE)
+	if (get_be32(hdr) != PACK_SIGNATURE)
 		die("bad pack file");
-	if (!pack_version_ok(hdr->hdr_version))
+	hdr += 4;
+	if (!pack_version_ok_native(get_be32(hdr)))
 		die("unknown pack file version %"PRIu32,
-			ntohl(hdr->hdr_version));
+		    get_be32(hdr));
+	hdr += 4;
+	nr_objects = get_be32(hdr);
 	use(sizeof(struct pack_header));
 
 	if (!quiet)
diff --git a/pack.h b/pack.h
index 3ab9e3f60c..33b42fdad5 100644
--- a/pack.h
+++ b/pack.h
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ struct repository;
  */
 #define PACK_SIGNATURE 0x5041434b	/* "PACK" */
 #define PACK_VERSION 2
-#define pack_version_ok(v) ((v) == htonl(2) || (v) == htonl(3))
+#define pack_version_ok(v) pack_version_ok_native(ntohl(v))
+#define pack_version_ok_native(v) ((v) == 2 || (v) == 3)
 struct pack_header {
 	uint32_t hdr_signature;
 	uint32_t hdr_version;