diff --git a/armsrc/fpgaloader.c b/armsrc/fpgaloader.c
index 0b7b24cbd..bb50375f9 100644
--- a/armsrc/fpgaloader.c
+++ b/armsrc/fpgaloader.c
@@ -190,10 +190,8 @@ bool FpgaSetupSscDma(uint8_t *buf, int len) {
 static int get_from_fpga_combined_stream(lz4_streamp compressed_fpga_stream, uint8_t *output_buffer) {
     if (fpga_image_ptr == output_buffer + FPGA_RING_BUFFER_BYTES) { // need more data
         fpga_image_ptr = output_buffer;
-        int cmp_bytes = *(compressed_fpga_stream->next_in + 3);
-            cmp_bytes = (cmp_bytes << 8) + *(compressed_fpga_stream->next_in+2);
-            cmp_bytes = (cmp_bytes << 8) + *(compressed_fpga_stream->next_in+1);
-            cmp_bytes = (cmp_bytes << 8) + *(compressed_fpga_stream->next_in+0);
+        int cmp_bytes;
+        memcpy(&cmp_bytes, compressed_fpga_stream->next_in, sizeof(int));
         compressed_fpga_stream->next_in += 4;
         compressed_fpga_stream->avail_in -= cmp_bytes + 4;
         int res = LZ4_decompress_safe_continue(compressed_fpga_stream->lz4StreamDecode, 
diff --git a/armsrc/start.c b/armsrc/start.c
index 8c769f56a..25bfb2ade 100644
--- a/armsrc/start.c
+++ b/armsrc/start.c
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include "appmain.h"
 #include "lz4.h"
 #include "BigBuf.h"
+#include "string.h"
 
 static uint8_t *next_free_memory;
 extern struct common_area common_area;
@@ -23,11 +24,8 @@ extern char __data_src_start__, __data_start__, __data_end__, __bss_start__, __b
 
 static void uncompress_data_section(void) {
     next_free_memory = BigBuf_get_addr();
-
-    int avail_in = *(&__data_start__ + 3);
-        avail_in = (avail_in << 8) + *(&__data_start__+2);
-        avail_in = (avail_in << 8) + *(&__data_start__+1);
-        avail_in = (avail_in << 8) + *(&__data_start__+0);  // compressed size. Correct.
+    int avail_in;
+    memcpy(&avail_in, &__data_start__, sizeof(int));
     int avail_out = &__data_end__ - &__data_start__;  // uncompressed size. Correct.
     // uncompress data segment to RAM
     int res = LZ4_decompress_safe(&__data_src_start__ + 4, &__data_start__, avail_in, avail_out);