diff --git a/numpy/core/_internal.py b/numpy/core/_internal.py
index 3d3c518418d8..6f64f40f453f 100644
--- a/numpy/core/_internal.py
+++ b/numpy/core/_internal.py
@@ -4,6 +4,12 @@
 
 import re
 from multiarray import dtype, ndarray
+import sys
+
+if (sys.byteorder == 'little'):
+    _nbo = '<'
+else:
+    _nbo = '>'
 
 def _makenames_list(adict):
     allfields = []
@@ -141,10 +147,15 @@ def _split(input):
 
     return newlist
 
-format_re = re.compile(r'(?P<repeat> *[(]?[ ,0-9]*[)]? *)(?P<dtype>[><|A-Za-z0-9.]*)')
+format_re = re.compile(r'(?P<order1>[<>|=]?)(?P<repeats> *[(]?[ ,0-9]*[)]? *)(?P<order2>[<>|=]?)(?P<dtype>[A-Za-z0-9.]*)')
 
 # astr is a string (perhaps comma separated)
 
+_convorder = {'=': _nbo,
+              '|': '|',
+              '>': '>',
+              '<': '<'}
+
 def _commastring(astr):
     res = _split(astr)
     if (len(res)) < 1:
@@ -153,10 +164,24 @@ def _commastring(astr):
     for k,item in enumerate(res):
         # convert item
         try:
-            (repeats, dtype) = format_re.match(item).groups()
+            (order1, repeats, order2, dtype) = format_re.match(item).groups()
         except (TypeError, AttributeError):
             raise ValueError('format %s is not recognized' % item)
 
+        if order2 == '':
+            order = order1
+        elif order1 == '':
+            order = order2
+        else:
+            order1 = _convorder[order1]
+            order2 = _convorder[order2]
+            if (order1 != order2):
+                raise ValueError('in-consistent byte-order specification %s and %s' % (order1, order2))
+            order = order1
+
+        if order in ['|', '=', _nbo]:
+            order = ''
+        dtype = '%s%s' % (order, dtype)
         if (repeats == ''):
             newitem = dtype
         else:
diff --git a/numpy/core/src/multiarraymodule.c b/numpy/core/src/multiarraymodule.c
index af923002d069..c33f307f2864 100644
--- a/numpy/core/src/multiarraymodule.c
+++ b/numpy/core/src/multiarraymodule.c
@@ -4193,13 +4193,19 @@ _convert_from_dict(PyObject *obj, int align)
 }
 
 static int
-_could_be_commastring(char *type, int len) 
+_check_for_commastring(char *type, int len)
 {
 	int i;
-	if (type[0] >= '1' && type[0] <= '9') return 1;
+
+	if ((type[0] >= '0' && type[0] <= '9') || 
+            ((len > 1) && (type[0] == '>' || type[0] == '<' ||  \
+                           type[0] == '|' || type[0] == '=') && \
+             (type[1] >= '0' && type[1] <= '9')))
+                return 1;
 	for (i=1;i<len;i++)
 		if (type[i] == ',') return 1;
-	return 0;
+        
+        return 0;
 }
 
 /* 
@@ -4303,26 +4309,25 @@ PyArray_DescrConverter(PyObject *obj, PyArray_Descr **at)
 		type = PyString_AS_STRING(obj);
 		len = PyString_GET_SIZE(obj);
 		if (len <= 0) goto fail;
-		check_num = (int) type[0];
-		if ((char) check_num == '>' || (char) check_num == '<' || \
-		    (char) check_num == '|' || (char) check_num == '=') {
-			if (len <= 1) goto fail;
-			endian = (char) check_num;
-			type++; len--;
-			check_num = (int) type[0];
-			if (endian == '|') endian = '=';
-		}
-		if (len > 1) {
+
+                /* check for commas present 
+                   or first (or second) element a digit */
+                if (_check_for_commastring(type, len)) {
+                        *at = _convert_from_commastring(obj, 0);
+                        if (*at) return PY_SUCCEED;
+                        return PY_FAIL;
+                }
+                check_num = (int) type[0];
+                if ((char) check_num == '>' || (char) check_num == '<' || \
+                    (char) check_num == '|' || (char) check_num == '=') {
+                        if (len <= 1) goto fail;
+                        endian = (char) check_num;
+                        type++; len--;
+                        check_num = (int) type[0];
+                        if (endian == '|') endian = '=';
+                }
+                if (len > 1) {
 			elsize = atoi(type+1);
-			/* check for commas present 
-			   or first element a digit */
-			if (_could_be_commastring(type, len)) {
-				/* see if it can be converted from 
-				   a comma-separated string */
-				*at = _convert_from_commastring(obj, 0);
-				if (*at) return PY_SUCCEED;
-				else return PY_FAIL;
-			}
 			if (elsize == 0) {
 				check_num = PyArray_NOTYPE+10;
 			}