diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b096d2f5..ec8e5405 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -44,12 +44,12 @@ PLATFORM=$(COMPILE_PLATFORM)
 endif
 export PLATFORM
 
-ifndef ARCH
-ARCH=$(COMPILE_ARCH)
+ifeq ($(COMPILE_ARCH),powerpc)
+  COMPILE_ARCH=ppc
 endif
 
-ifeq ($(ARCH),powerpc)
-  ARCH=ppc
+ifndef ARCH
+ARCH=$(COMPILE_ARCH)
 endif
 export ARCH
 
diff --git a/code/tools/asm/cmdlib.c b/code/tools/asm/cmdlib.c
index 738c5614..de2610d4 100644
--- a/code/tools/asm/cmdlib.c
+++ b/code/tools/asm/cmdlib.c
@@ -975,13 +975,7 @@ int ParseNum (const char *str)
 ============================================================================
 */
 
-#ifdef _SGI_SOURCE
-#define	__BIG_ENDIAN__
-#endif
-
-#ifdef __BIG_ENDIAN__
-
-short   LittleShort (short l)
+short   ShortSwap (short l)
 {
 	byte    b1,b2;
 
@@ -991,13 +985,7 @@ short   LittleShort (short l)
 	return (b1<<8) + b2;
 }
 
-short   BigShort (short l)
-{
-	return l;
-}
-
-
-int    LittleLong (int l)
+int    LongSwap (int l)
 {
 	byte    b1,b2,b3,b4;
 
@@ -1009,89 +997,20 @@ int    LittleLong (int l)
 	return ((int)b1<<24) + ((int)b2<<16) + ((int)b3<<8) + b4;
 }
 
-int    BigLong (int l)
-{
-	return l;
-}
+typedef union {
+    float	f;
+    unsigned int i;
+} _FloatByteUnion;
 
+float FloatSwap (const float *f) {
+	_FloatByteUnion out;
+
+	out.f = *f;
+	out.i = LongSwap(out.i);
 
-float	LittleFloat (float l)
-{
-	union {byte b[4]; float f;} in, out;
-	
-	in.f = l;
-	out.b[0] = in.b[3];
-	out.b[1] = in.b[2];
-	out.b[2] = in.b[1];
-	out.b[3] = in.b[0];
-	
 	return out.f;
 }
 
-float	BigFloat (float l)
-{
-	return l;
-}
-
-
-#else
-
-
-short   BigShort (short l)
-{
-	byte    b1,b2;
-
-	b1 = l&255;
-	b2 = (l>>8)&255;
-
-	return (b1<<8) + b2;
-}
-
-short   LittleShort (short l)
-{
-	return l;
-}
-
-
-int    BigLong (int l)
-{
-	byte    b1,b2,b3,b4;
-
-	b1 = l&255;
-	b2 = (l>>8)&255;
-	b3 = (l>>16)&255;
-	b4 = (l>>24)&255;
-
-	return ((int)b1<<24) + ((int)b2<<16) + ((int)b3<<8) + b4;
-}
-
-int    LittleLong (int l)
-{
-	return l;
-}
-
-float	BigFloat (float l)
-{
-	union {byte b[4]; float f;} in, out;
-	
-	in.f = l;
-	out.b[0] = in.b[3];
-	out.b[1] = in.b[2];
-	out.b[2] = in.b[1];
-	out.b[3] = in.b[0];
-	
-	return out.f;
-}
-
-float	LittleFloat (float l)
-{
-	return l;
-}
-
-
-#endif
-
-
 //=======================================================
 
 
diff --git a/code/tools/asm/cmdlib.h b/code/tools/asm/cmdlib.h
index 57f642ab..c2e6dd88 100644
--- a/code/tools/asm/cmdlib.h
+++ b/code/tools/asm/cmdlib.h
@@ -115,14 +115,6 @@ void	ExtractFileExtension( const char *path, char *dest );
 
 int 	ParseNum (const char *str);
 
-short	BigShort (short l);
-short	LittleShort (short l);
-int		BigLong (int l);
-int		LittleLong (int l);
-float	BigFloat (float l);
-float	LittleFloat (float l);
-
-
 char *COM_Parse (char *data);
 
 extern	char		com_token[1024];
diff --git a/code/tools/asm/q3asm.c b/code/tools/asm/q3asm.c
index 93af582f..89266994 100644
--- a/code/tools/asm/q3asm.c
+++ b/code/tools/asm/q3asm.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
 ===========================================================================
 */
 
+#include "../../qcommon/q_platform.h"
 #include "cmdlib.h"
 #include "mathlib.h"
 #include "../../qcommon/qfiles.h"
@@ -1356,6 +1357,7 @@ void WriteVmFile( void ) {
 	vmHeader_t	header;
 	FILE	*f;
 	int		headerSize;
+	int i;
 
 	report( "%i total errors\n", errorCount );
 
@@ -1400,6 +1402,13 @@ void WriteVmFile( void ) {
 
 	report( "Writing to %s\n", imageName );
 
+#ifdef Q3_BIG_ENDIAN
+	// byte swap the header
+	for ( i = 0 ; i < sizeof( vmHeader_t ) / 4 ; i++ ) {
+		((int *)&header)[i] = LittleLong( ((int *)&header)[i] );
+	}
+#endif
+
 	CreatePath( imageName );
 	f = SafeOpenWrite( imageName );
 	SafeWrite( f, &header, headerSize );