diff --git a/include/lber.h b/include/lber.h
index 77a32fa891..3b351c5818 100644
--- a/include/lber.h
+++ b/include/lber.h
@@ -158,6 +158,17 @@ extern char ber_pvt_opt_on;
 #define LBER_OPT_ERROR		(-1)
 
 #define LBER_ELEMENT_SIZEOF (256) /* must be >= sizeof(BerElement) */
+typedef union ber_buffer_u {
+	char charbuf[LBER_ELEMENT_SIZEOF];
+
+	/* force alignment */
+	int intbuf;
+	long longbuf;
+	float floatbuf;
+	double doublebuf;
+	char* ptrbuf;
+} BerElementBuffer;
+
 typedef struct berelement BerElement;
 typedef struct sockbuf Sockbuf;
 typedef struct seqorset Seqorset;
diff --git a/servers/slapd/passwd.c b/servers/slapd/passwd.c
index 80241ecd14..b1c7864fd2 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/passwd.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/passwd.c
@@ -83,8 +83,8 @@ int slap_passwd_parse( struct berval *reqdata,
 	int rc = LDAP_SUCCESS;
 	ber_tag_t tag;
 	ber_len_t len;
-	char berbuf[LBER_ELEMENT_SIZEOF];
-	BerElement *ber = (BerElement *)berbuf;
+	BerElementBuffer berbuf;
+	BerElement *ber = (BerElement *)&berbuf;
 
 	if( reqdata == NULL ) {
 		return LDAP_SUCCESS;
@@ -224,9 +224,9 @@ struct berval * slap_passwd_return(
 {
 	int rc;
 	struct berval *bv = NULL;
-	char berbuf[LBER_ELEMENT_SIZEOF];
+	BerElementBuffer berbuf;
 	/* opaque structure, size unknown but smaller than berbuf */
-	BerElement *ber = (BerElement *)berbuf;
+	BerElement *ber = (BerElement *)&berbuf;
 
 	assert( cred != NULL );
 
diff --git a/servers/slapd/result.c b/servers/slapd/result.c
index 08ddfda50f..3beff2f438 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/result.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/result.c
@@ -223,8 +223,8 @@ send_ldap_response(
 	Operation *op,
 	SlapReply *rs )
 {
-	char berbuf[LBER_ELEMENT_SIZEOF];
-	BerElement	*ber = (BerElement *)berbuf;
+	BerElementBuffer berbuf;
+	BerElement	*ber = (BerElement *) &berbuf;
 	int		rc;
 	long	bytes;
 
@@ -602,8 +602,8 @@ slap_send_ldap_intermediate( Operation *op, SlapReply *rs )
 int
 slap_send_search_entry( Operation *op, SlapReply *rs )
 {
-	char berbuf[LBER_ELEMENT_SIZEOF];
-	BerElement	*ber = (BerElement *)berbuf;
+	BerElementBuffer berbuf;
+	BerElement	*ber = (BerElement *) &berbuf;
 	Attribute	*a, *aa;
 	int		i, j, rc=-1, bytes;
 	char		*edn;
@@ -1193,8 +1193,8 @@ error_return:;
 int
 slap_send_search_reference( Operation *op, SlapReply *rs )
 {
-	char berbuf[LBER_ELEMENT_SIZEOF];
-	BerElement	*ber = (BerElement *)berbuf;
+	BerElementBuffer berbuf;
+	BerElement	*ber = (BerElement *) &berbuf;
 	int rc = 0;
 	int bytes;
 	void *mark;
@@ -1437,8 +1437,8 @@ int slap_read_controls(
 {
 	int rc;
 	struct berval bv;
-	char berbuf[LBER_ELEMENT_SIZEOF];
-	BerElement *ber = (BerElement *) berbuf;
+	BerElementBuffer berbuf;
+	BerElement *ber = (BerElement *) &berbuf;
 	LDAPControl c;
 	ber_len_t	siz, len;
 	Operation myop;
diff --git a/servers/slapd/str2filter.c b/servers/slapd/str2filter.c
index 310c3a56c9..0fc29bc22a 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/str2filter.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/str2filter.c
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ str2filter_x( Operation *op, const char *str )
 {
 	int rc;
 	Filter	*f = NULL;
-	char berbuf[LBER_ELEMENT_SIZEOF];
-	BerElement *ber = (BerElement *)berbuf;
+	BerElementBuffer berbuf;
+	BerElement *ber = (BerElement *)&berbuf;
 	const char *text = NULL;
 
 #ifdef NEW_LOGGING