diff --git a/Modules/CheckTypeSize.c.in b/Modules/CheckTypeSize.c.in
deleted file mode 100644
index 8c9a0163e..000000000
--- a/Modules/CheckTypeSize.c.in
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,34 +0,0 @@
-#cmakedefine CHECK_TYPE_SIZE_TYPE @CHECK_TYPE_SIZE_TYPE@
-#ifdef CHECK_TYPE_SIZE_TYPE
-
-@CHECK_TYPE_SIZE_PREINCLUDE@
-#ifdef HAVE_SYS_TYPES_H
-#  include <sys/types.h>
-#endif /* HAVE_SYS_TYPES_H */
-
-#ifdef HAVE_STDINT_H
-#  include <stdint.h>
-#endif /* HAVE_STDINT_H */
-
-#ifdef HAVE_STDDEF_H
-#  include <stddef.h>
-#endif /* HAVE_STDDEF_H */
-
-@CHECK_TYPE_SIZE_PREMAIN@
-
-#ifdef __CLASSIC_C__
-int main(){
-  int ac;
-  char*av[];
-#else
-int main(int ac, char*av[]){
-#endif
-  if(ac > 1000){return *av[0];}
-  return sizeof(CHECK_TYPE_SIZE_TYPE);
-}
-
-#else  /* CHECK_TYPE_SIZE_TYPE */
-
-#  error "CHECK_TYPE_SIZE_TYPE has to specify the type"
-
-#endif /* CHECK_TYPE_SIZE_TYPE */
diff --git a/Modules/CheckTypeSize.cmake b/Modules/CheckTypeSize.cmake
index 058dbaf71..0e7e364a8 100644
--- a/Modules/CheckTypeSize.cmake
+++ b/Modules/CheckTypeSize.cmake
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ MACRO(CHECK_TYPE_SIZE TYPE VARIABLE)
     ELSE(HAVE_${VARIABLE})
       MESSAGE(STATUS "Check size of ${TYPE} - failed")
       FILE(APPEND ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}${CMAKE_FILES_DIRECTORY}/CMakeError.log
-        "Determining size of ${TYPE} failed with the following output:\n${OUTPUT}\nCheckTypeSize.c:\n${CHECK_TYPE_SIZE_FILE_CONTENT}\n\n")
+        "Determining size of ${TYPE} failed with the following output:\n${OUTPUT}\nCheckTypeSizeC.c:\n${CHECK_TYPE_SIZE_FILE_CONTENT}\n\n")
       SET(${VARIABLE})
     ENDIF(HAVE_${VARIABLE})
     SET(${VARIABLE} "${${VARIABLE}}" CACHE INTERNAL "Result of CHECK_TYPE_SIZE" FORCE)
diff --git a/Modules/TestBigEndian.c b/Modules/TestBigEndian.c
deleted file mode 100644
index db08ceb39..000000000
--- a/Modules/TestBigEndian.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,17 +0,0 @@
-#ifdef __CLASSIC_C__
-int main(){
-  int ac;
-  char*av[];
-#else
-int main(int ac, char*av[]){
-#endif
-  /* Are we little or big endian?  From Harbison&Steele.  */
-  union
-  {
-    long l;
-    char c[sizeof (long)];
-  } u;
-  u.l = 1;
-  if(ac > 1000){return *av[0];}
-  return (u.c[sizeof (long) - 1] == 1)?1:0;
-}
diff --git a/Modules/TestBigEndian.cmake b/Modules/TestBigEndian.cmake
index 2d1853cc2..bf91fb777 100644
--- a/Modules/TestBigEndian.cmake
+++ b/Modules/TestBigEndian.cmake
@@ -5,37 +5,85 @@
 #
 
 MACRO(TEST_BIG_ENDIAN VARIABLE)
-  SET(CMAKE_ALLOW_UNKNOWN_VARIABLE_READ_ACCESS 1)
-  IF(NOT DEFINED ${VARIABLE})
   IF("HAVE_${VARIABLE}" MATCHES "^HAVE_${VARIABLE}$")
-    TRY_RUN(${VARIABLE} HAVE_${VARIABLE}
-      ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}
-      ${CMAKE_ROOT}/Modules/TestBigEndian.c
-      COMPILE_OUTPUT_VARIABLE OUTPUT)
-    IF("${VARIABLE}" STREQUAL "FAILED_TO_RUN")
-      MESSAGE(SEND_ERROR "TestBigEndian Failed to run with output: ${OUTPUT}")
-    ENDIF("${VARIABLE}" STREQUAL "FAILED_TO_RUN")
     MESSAGE(STATUS "Check if the system is big endian")
-    IF(HAVE_${VARIABLE})
-      FILE(APPEND ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}${CMAKE_FILES_DIRECTORY}/CMakeError.log 
-        "Determining the endianes of the system passed. The system is ")
-      IF(${VARIABLE})
-        FILE(APPEND ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}${CMAKE_FILES_DIRECTORY}/CMakeError.log 
-          "big endian")
-        MESSAGE(STATUS "Check if the system is big endian - big endian")
-      ELSE(${VARIABLE})
-        FILE(APPEND ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}${CMAKE_FILES_DIRECTORY}/CMakeError.log 
-          "little endian")
-        MESSAGE(STATUS "Check if the system is big endian - little endian")
-      ENDIF(${VARIABLE})
-      FILE(APPEND ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}${CMAKE_FILES_DIRECTORY}/CMakeError.log
-        "Test produced following output:\n${OUTPUT}\n\n")
-    ELSE(HAVE_${VARIABLE})
-      FILE(APPEND ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}${CMAKE_FILES_DIRECTORY}/CMakeError.log 
-        "Determining the endianes of the system failed with the following output:\n${OUTPUT}\n\n")
-      MESSAGE("Check if the system is big endian - failed")
-    ENDIF(HAVE_${VARIABLE})
+    MESSAGE(STATUS "Searching 16 bit integer")
+  
+    INCLUDE(CheckTypeSize)
+
+    CHECK_TYPE_SIZE("unsigned short" CMAKE_SIZEOF_UNSIGNED_SHORT)
+    IF(CMAKE_SIZEOF_UNSIGNED_SHORT EQUAL 2)
+      MESSAGE(STATUS "Using unsigned short")
+      SET(CMAKE_16BIT_TYPE "unsigned short")
+    ELSE(CMAKE_SIZEOF_UNSIGNED_SHORT EQUAL 2)
+      CHECK_TYPE_SIZE("unsigned int"   CMAKE_SIZEOF_UNSIGNED_INT)
+      IF(CMAKE_SIZEOF_UNSIGNED_INT)
+        MESSAGE(STATUS "Using unsigned int")
+        SET(CMAKE_16BIT_TYPE "unsigned int")
+
+      ELSE(CMAKE_SIZEOF_UNSIGNED_INT)
+  
+        CHECK_TYPE_SIZE("unsigned long"  CMAKE_SIZEOF_UNSIGNED_LONG)
+        IF(CMAKE_SIZEOF_UNSIGNED_LONG)
+          MESSAGE(STATUS "Using unsigned long")
+          SET(CMAKE_16BIT_TYPE "unsigned long")
+        ELSE(CMAKE_SIZEOF_UNSIGNED_LONG)
+          MESSAGE(FATAL_ERROR "no suitable type found")
+        ENDIF(CMAKE_SIZEOF_UNSIGNED_LONG)
+    
+      ENDIF(CMAKE_SIZEOF_UNSIGNED_INT)
+    
+    ENDIF(CMAKE_SIZEOF_UNSIGNED_SHORT EQUAL 2)
+
+  
+    CONFIGURE_FILE("${CMAKE_ROOT}/Modules/TestEndianess.c.in" 
+                   "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}${CMAKE_FILES_DIRECTORY}/CMakeTmp/TestEndianess.c"
+                    IMMEDIATE @ONLY)
+  
+     FILE(READ "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}${CMAKE_FILES_DIRECTORY}/CMakeTmp/TestEndianess.c"
+          TEST_ENDIANESS_FILE_CONTENT)
+      
+     TRY_COMPILE(HAVE_${VARIABLE}
+      "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}"
+      "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}${CMAKE_FILES_DIRECTORY}/CMakeTmp/TestEndianess.c"
+      OUTPUT_VARIABLE OUTPUT
+      COPY_FILE "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}${CMAKE_FILES_DIRECTORY}/TestEndianess.bin" )
+
+      IF(HAVE_${VARIABLE})
+
+        FILE(STRINGS "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}${CMAKE_FILES_DIRECTORY}/TestEndianess.bin"
+            CMAKE_TEST_ENDIANESS_STRINGS_LE LIMIT_COUNT 1 REGEX "THIS IS LITTLE ENDIAN")
+  
+        FILE(STRINGS "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}${CMAKE_FILES_DIRECTORY}/TestEndianess.bin"
+            CMAKE_TEST_ENDIANESS_STRINGS_BE LIMIT_COUNT 1 REGEX "THIS IS BIG ENDIAN")
+ 
+        IF(CMAKE_TEST_ENDIANESS_STRINGS_LE)
+          SET(${VARIABLE} 0 CACHE INTERNAL "Result of TEST_BIG_ENDIAN" FORCE)
+          MESSAGE(STATUS "Check if the system is big endian - little endian")
+        ENDIF(CMAKE_TEST_ENDIANESS_STRINGS_LE)
+        
+        IF(CMAKE_TEST_ENDIANESS_STRINGS_BE)
+          SET(${VARIABLE} 1 CACHE INTERNAL "Result of TEST_BIG_ENDIAN" FORCE)
+          MESSAGE(STATUS "Check if the system is big endian - big endian")
+        ENDIF(CMAKE_TEST_ENDIANESS_STRINGS_BE)
+        
+        IF(CMAKE_TEST_ENDIANESS_STRINGS_BE  AND  CMAKE_TEST_ENDIANESS_STRINGS_LE)
+          MESSAGE(SEND_ERROR "TEST_BIG_ENDIAN found different results, consider setting CMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES or CMAKE_TRY_COMPILE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES to one or no architecture !")
+        ENDIF(CMAKE_TEST_ENDIANESS_STRINGS_BE  AND  CMAKE_TEST_ENDIANESS_STRINGS_LE)
+        IF(NOT CMAKE_TEST_ENDIANESS_STRINGS_BE  AND  NOT CMAKE_TEST_ENDIANESS_STRINGS_LE)
+          MESSAGE(SEND_ERROR "TEST_BIG_ENDIAN found no !")
+        ENDIF(NOT CMAKE_TEST_ENDIANESS_STRINGS_BE  AND  NOT CMAKE_TEST_ENDIANESS_STRINGS_LE)
+ 
+        FILE(APPEND ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}${CMAKE_FILES_DIRECTORY}/CMakeError.log
+          "Determining if the system is big endian passed with the following output:\n${OUTPUT}\nTestEndianess.c:\n${TEST_ENDIANESS_FILE_CONTENT}\n\n")
+ 
+      ELSE(HAVE_${VARIABLE})
+        MESSAGE(STATUS "Check if the system is big endian - failed")
+        FILE(APPEND ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}${CMAKE_FILES_DIRECTORY}/CMakeError.log
+          "Determining if the system is big endian failed with the following output:\n${OUTPUT}\nTestEndianess.c:\n${TEST_ENDIANESS_FILE_CONTENT}\n\n")
+        SET(${VARIABLE})
+      ENDIF(HAVE_${VARIABLE})
   ENDIF("HAVE_${VARIABLE}" MATCHES "^HAVE_${VARIABLE}$")
-  ENDIF(NOT DEFINED ${VARIABLE})
-  SET(CMAKE_ALLOW_UNKNOWN_VARIABLE_READ_ACCESS)
 ENDMACRO(TEST_BIG_ENDIAN)
+
+
diff --git a/Modules/TestEndianess.c.in b/Modules/TestEndianess.c.in
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..68094d4ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Modules/TestEndianess.c.in
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+/* A 16 bit integer is required. */
+typedef @CMAKE_16BIT_TYPE@ cmakeint16;
+
+/* On a little endian machine, these 16bit ints will give "THIS IS LITTLE ENDIAN."
+   On a big endian machine the characters will be exchanged pairwise. */
+const cmakeint16 info_little[] =  {0x4854, 0x5349, 0x4920, 0x2053, 0x494c, 0x5454, 0x454c, 0x4520, 0x444e, 0x4149, 0x2e4e, 0x0000};
+
+/* on a big endian machine, these 16bit ints will give "THIS IS BIG ENDIAN."
+   On a little endian machine the characters will be exchanged pairwise. */
+const cmakeint16 info_big[] =     {0x5448, 0x4953, 0x2049, 0x5320, 0x4249, 0x4720, 0x454e, 0x4449, 0x414e, 0x2e2e, 0x0000};
+
+#ifdef __CLASSIC_C__
+int main(){
+  int ac;
+  char*av[];
+#else
+int main(int ac, char*av[]){
+#endif
+   return (&info_little[0] != &info_big[0]);
+}