diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index b43407e36..10d67a01e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -101,6 +101,12 @@ INCLUDE(${CMAKE_ROOT}/Modules/GetPrerequisites.cmake)
 INCLUDE(CheckCCompilerFlag)
 FIND_PACKAGE(PkgConfig QUIET)
 
+# A check to see if the system is big endian
+TEST_BIG_ENDIAN(BIGENDIAN)
+IF(${BIGENDIAN})
+  SET(WORDS_BIGENDIAN "1")
+ENDIF(${BIGENDIAN})
+
 # A macro to check if a C linker supports a particular flag.
 MACRO(CHECK_C_LINKER_FLAG M_FLAG M_RESULT)
   SET(T_REQ_FLAG "${CMAKE_REQUIRED_FLAGS}")