diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
index 40690b7e500e..fb296eadc3f2 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
@@ -607,31 +607,18 @@ errout:
 	return err;
 }
 
-static int
-bpf_object__check_endianness(struct bpf_object *obj)
+static int bpf_object__check_endianness(struct bpf_object *obj)
 {
-	static unsigned int const endian = 1;
-
-	switch (obj->efile.ehdr.e_ident[EI_DATA]) {
-	case ELFDATA2LSB:
-		/* We are big endian, BPF obj is little endian. */
-		if (*(unsigned char const *)&endian != 1)
-			goto mismatch;
-		break;
-
-	case ELFDATA2MSB:
-		/* We are little endian, BPF obj is big endian. */
-		if (*(unsigned char const *)&endian != 0)
-			goto mismatch;
-		break;
-	default:
-		return -LIBBPF_ERRNO__ENDIAN;
-	}
-
-	return 0;
-
-mismatch:
-	pr_warning("Error: endianness mismatch.\n");
+#if __BYTE_ORDER__ == __ORDER_LITTLE_ENDIAN__
+	if (obj->efile.ehdr.e_ident[EI_DATA] == ELFDATA2LSB)
+		return 0;
+#elif __BYTE_ORDER__ == __ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__
+	if (obj->efile.ehdr.e_ident[EI_DATA] == ELFDATA2MSB)
+		return 0;
+#else
+# error "Unrecognized __BYTE_ORDER__"
+#endif
+	pr_warning("endianness mismatch.\n");
 	return -LIBBPF_ERRNO__ENDIAN;
 }