diff --git a/examples/view.c b/examples/view.c
index fa827d40..3dcc23b5 100644
--- a/examples/view.c
+++ b/examples/view.c
@@ -61,11 +61,11 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     if(*(char *)&rmask == 0x12)
 #endif
     {
-        rmask = 0x00ff0000; gmask = 0x0000ff00; bmask = 0x000000ff;
+        rmask = 0x0000ff00; gmask = 0x00ff0000; bmask = 0xff000000;
     }
     else
     {
-        rmask = 0x0000ff00; gmask = 0x00ff0000; bmask = 0xff000000;
+        rmask = 0x00ff0000; gmask = 0x0000ff00; bmask = 0x000000ff;
     }
 
     /* Initialise libcaca */
diff --git a/src/bitmap.c b/src/bitmap.c
index 5c549a95..254e4868 100644
--- a/src/bitmap.c
+++ b/src/bitmap.c
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@ typedef unsigned short uint16_t;
 typedef unsigned int uint32_t;
 #endif
 
+#ifdef HAVE_ENDIAN_H
+#   include <endian.h>
+#endif
+
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
 #include "caca.h"
@@ -236,26 +240,34 @@ static void get_rgb_default(struct caca_bitmap *bitmap, uint8_t *pixels,
                             int x, int y, unsigned int *r,
                             unsigned int *g, unsigned int *b)
 {
-    unsigned int bits;
+    uint32_t bits;
 
     pixels += (bitmap->bpp / 8) * x + bitmap->pitch * y;
 
     switch(bitmap->bpp / 8)
     {
         case 4:
-            bits = ((uint32_t)pixels[0] << 24) |
-                   ((uint32_t)pixels[1] << 16) |
-                   ((uint32_t)pixels[2] << 8) |
-                   ((uint32_t)pixels[3]);
+            bits = *(uint32_t *)pixels;
             break;
         case 3:
-            bits = ((uint32_t)pixels[0] << 16) |
-                   ((uint32_t)pixels[1] << 8) |
-                   ((uint32_t)pixels[2]);
+        {
+#ifdef HAVE_ENDIAN_H
+            if(__BYTE_ORDER == __BIG_ENDIAN)
+#else
+            static const uint32_t rmask = 0x12345678;
+            if(*(uint8_t *)&rmask == 0x12)
+#endif
+                bits = ((uint32_t)pixels[0] << 16) |
+                       ((uint32_t)pixels[1] << 8) |
+                       ((uint32_t)pixels[2]);
+            else
+                bits = ((uint32_t)pixels[2] << 16) |
+                       ((uint32_t)pixels[1] << 8) |
+                       ((uint32_t)pixels[0]);
             break;
+        }
         case 2:
-            bits = ((uint16_t)pixels[0] << 8) |
-                   ((uint16_t)pixels[1]);
+            bits = *(uint16_t *)pixels;
             break;
         case 1:
         default:
diff --git a/src/io.c b/src/io.c
index 3796cbd3..2932edcd 100644
--- a/src/io.c
+++ b/src/io.c
@@ -170,7 +170,6 @@ unsigned int caca_get_event(void)
         return event;
     }
 
-caca_printf(0,0, "unknown esc sequence %2x %2x %2x %2x %2x\n", '\x1b', keybuf[0], keybuf[1], keybuf[2], keybuf[3]);
     /* Unknown escape sequence: return the ESC key */
     return CACA_EVENT_KEY_PRESS | '\x1b';
 }