diff --git a/include/osg/Endian b/include/osg/Endian
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e6799b9b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/osg/Endian
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+/* -*-c++-*- OpenSceneGraph - Copyright (C) 1998-2003 Robert Osfield 
+ *
+ * This library is open source and may be redistributed and/or modified under  
+ * the terms of the OpenSceneGraph Public License (OSGPL) version 0.0 or 
+ * (at your option) any later version.  The full license is in LICENSE file
+ * included with this distribution, and on the openscenegraph.org website.
+ * 
+ * This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the 
+ * OpenSceneGraph Public License for more details.
+*/
+
+#ifndef OSG_ENDIAN
+#define OSG_ENDIAN 1
+
+namespace osg {
+
+enum Endian
+{
+    BigEndian,
+    LittleEndian
+};
+
+inline Endian getCpuByteOrder()
+{
+    static char big_endian_1[2] = { 0, 1 };
+
+    if ( (*((short*) big_endian_1)) == 1)
+        return BigEndian;
+    else 
+        return LittleEndian;
+} 
+
+
+template <class T>
+inline void swapBytes( T& in )
+{
+    if( sizeof( T ) == 1 ) return;
+
+    typedef unsigned char * BytePtr;
+
+    T tmp = in;
+    BytePtr sptr = (BytePtr)&in;
+    BytePtr tptr = (BytePtr)&tmp + sizeof(T)-1;
+
+    for( unsigned int i = 0; i < sizeof(T); ++i )
+        *(sptr++) = *(dptr--);
+}
+
+
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/osgSim/LightPointDrawable.cpp b/src/osgSim/LightPointDrawable.cpp
index b5df2d82a..caa3f754e 100644
--- a/src/osgSim/LightPointDrawable.cpp
+++ b/src/osgSim/LightPointDrawable.cpp
@@ -19,9 +19,11 @@ using namespace osgSim;
 
 LightPointDrawable::LightPointDrawable():
     osg::Drawable(),
+    _endian(osg::getCpuByteOrder()),
     _referenceTime(0.0),
     _referenceTimeInterval(0.0)
 {
+
     setSupportsDisplayList(false);
     
     _depthOff = new osg::Depth;
diff --git a/src/osgSim/LightPointDrawable.h b/src/osgSim/LightPointDrawable.h
index 153c36d81..9a9d2b624 100644
--- a/src/osgSim/LightPointDrawable.h
+++ b/src/osgSim/LightPointDrawable.h
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include <osg/BlendFunc>
 #include <osg/ColorMask>
 #include <osg/Point>
+#include <osg/Endian>
 
 #include <vector>
 
@@ -52,16 +53,7 @@ class OSGSIM_EXPORT LightPointDrawable : public osg::Drawable
 
         inline unsigned long asRGBA(const osg::Vec4& color) const
         {
-#if defined(__sgi) || defined (__hpux__)
-            // big endian.
-            return color.asABGR();
-#elif defined (sun)
-            // should probably test at runtime for endianess, assume big endian right now.
-            return color.asABGR();
-#else
-            // x86 little endian
-            return color.asRGBA();
-#endif
+            return _endian==osg::BigEndian?color.asABGR():color.asRGBA();
         }
 
         inline void addOpaqueLightPoint(unsigned int pointSize,const osg::Vec3& position,const osg::Vec4& color)
@@ -106,9 +98,11 @@ class OSGSIM_EXPORT LightPointDrawable : public osg::Drawable
         virtual bool computeBound() const;
 
         ~LightPointDrawable() {}
+        
+        osg::Endian                     _endian;
                
-        double _referenceTime;
-        double _referenceTimeInterval;
+        double                          _referenceTime;
+        double                          _referenceTimeInterval;
         
         typedef std::vector<ColorPosition>  LightPointList;
         typedef std::vector<LightPointList> SizedLightPointList;