diff --git a/Makefile.system b/Makefile.system
index cf9e9bafa..2073f56bb 100644
--- a/Makefile.system
+++ b/Makefile.system
@@ -1328,6 +1328,7 @@ export OSNAME
 export ARCH
 export CORE
 export LIBCORE
+export __BYTE_ORDER__
 export PGCPATH
 export CONFIG
 export CC
diff --git a/getarch.c b/getarch.c
index 1f590390a..53748897f 100644
--- a/getarch.c
+++ b/getarch.c
@@ -1298,6 +1298,13 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]){
 #endif
 #endif
 
+#if defined(__BYTE_ORDER__) && __BYTE_ORDER__ == __ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__
+printf("__BYTE_ORDER__=__ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__\n");
+#endif
+#if defined(__BIG_ENDIAN__) && __BIG_ENDIAN__ > 0
+printf("__BYTE_ORDER__=__ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__\n");
+#endif
+
 #ifdef MAKE_NB_JOBS
   #if MAKE_NB_JOBS > 0
     printf("MAKE += -j %d\n", MAKE_NB_JOBS);
diff --git a/kernel/power/KERNEL.POWER8 b/kernel/power/KERNEL.POWER8
index d3ae5def4..c7867012b 100644
--- a/kernel/power/KERNEL.POWER8
+++ b/kernel/power/KERNEL.POWER8
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ ZTRSMKERNEL_RT	= ../generic/trsm_kernel_RT.c
 ISMINKERNEL    = imin.S
 ISMAXKERNEL    = imax.S
 
-ifneq ($(__BYTE_ORDER__),"__ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__")
+ifneq ($(__BYTE_ORDER__),__ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__)
 ifneq ($(GCCVERSIONGTEQ9),1)
 ISAMAXKERNEL = isamax_power8.S
 else
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ endif
 #
 IDAMAXKERNEL = idamax.c
 #
-ifneq ($(__BYTE_ORDER__),"__ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__")
+ifneq ($(__BYTE_ORDER__),__ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__)
 ifneq ($(GCCVERSIONGTEQ9),1)
 ICAMAXKERNEL = icamax_power8.S
 else
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ endif
 #
 IZAMAXKERNEL = izamax.c
 #
-ifneq ($(__BYTE_ORDER__),"__ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__")
+ifneq ($(__BYTE_ORDER__),__ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__)
 ifneq ($(GCCVERSIONGTEQ9),1)
 ISAMINKERNEL = isamin_power8.S
 else
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ endif
 #
 IDAMINKERNEL = idamin.c
 #
-ifneq ($(__BYTE_ORDER__),"__ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__")
+ifneq ($(__BYTE_ORDER__),__ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__)
 ifneq ($(GCCVERSIONGTEQ9),1)
 ICAMINKERNEL = icamin_power8.S
 else
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ ZASUMKERNEL  = zasum.c
 #
 SAXPYKERNEL  = saxpy.c
 DAXPYKERNEL  = daxpy.c
-ifneq ($(__BYTE_ORDER__),"__ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__")
+ifneq ($(__BYTE_ORDER__),__ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__)
 ifneq ($(GCCVERSIONGTEQ9),1)
 CAXPYKERNEL  = caxpy_power8.S
 else
diff --git a/kernel/power/KERNEL.PPC440 b/kernel/power/KERNEL.PPC440
index 8d64d3fc1..677af5f21 100644
--- a/kernel/power/KERNEL.PPC440
+++ b/kernel/power/KERNEL.PPC440
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ ZASUMKERNEL	= zasum_ppc440.S
 
 SAXPYKERNEL	=  axpy_ppc440.S
 DAXPYKERNEL	=  axpy_ppc440.S
-ifneq ($(__BYTE_ORDER__),"__ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__")
+ifneq ($(__BYTE_ORDER__),__ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__)
 CAXPYKERNEL	= ../arm/zaxpy.c
 ZAXPYKERNEL	= ../arm/zaxpy.c
 else
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ endif
 
 SDOTKERNEL	=  dot_ppc440.S
 DDOTKERNEL	=  dot_ppc440.S
-ifneq ($(__BYTE_ORDER__),"__ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__")
+ifneq ($(__BYTE_ORDER__),__ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__)
 CDOTKERNEL	= zdot_ppc440.S
 ZDOTKERNEL	= zdot_ppc440.S
 else
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ ZNRM2KERNEL	= znrm2_ppc440.S
 
 SROTKERNEL	=  rot_ppc440.S
 DROTKERNEL	=  rot_ppc440.S
-ifneq ($(__BYTE_ORDER__),"__ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__")
+ifneq ($(__BYTE_ORDER__),__ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__)
 CROTKERNEL	= zrot_ppc440.S
 ZROTKERNEL	= zrot_ppc440.S
 else
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ ZTRSMKERNEL_LT	=  ztrsm_kernel_ppc440_LT.S
 ZTRSMKERNEL_RN	=  ztrsm_kernel_ppc440_LT.S
 ZTRSMKERNEL_RT	=  ztrsm_kernel_ppc440_RT.S
 
-ifeq ($(__BYTE_ORDER__),"__ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__")
+ifeq ($(__BYTE_ORDER__),__ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__)
 SGEMVNKERNEL = ../arm/gemv_n.c
 DGEMVNKERNEL = ../arm/gemv_n.c
 SGEMVTKERNEL = ../arm/gemv_t.c
diff --git a/kernel/power/KERNEL.PPC970 b/kernel/power/KERNEL.PPC970
index cc1f215de..a99fb7d96 100644
--- a/kernel/power/KERNEL.PPC970
+++ b/kernel/power/KERNEL.PPC970
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-ifeq ($(__BYTE_ORDER__),"__ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__")
+ifeq ($(__BYTE_ORDER__),__ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__)
 SGEMMKERNEL    =  gemm_kernel.S
 SGEMMINCOPY    =  
 SGEMMITCOPY    =  
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ DGEMMITCOPYOBJ =
 DGEMMONCOPYOBJ =  dgemm_oncopy$(TSUFFIX).$(SUFFIX)
 DGEMMOTCOPYOBJ =  dgemm_otcopy$(TSUFFIX).$(SUFFIX)
 
-ifeq ($(__BYTE_ORDER__),"__ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__")
+ifeq ($(__BYTE_ORDER__),__ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__)
 CGEMMKERNEL    =  zgemm_kernel.S
 CGEMMINCOPY    =
 CGEMMITCOPY    =
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ ZTRSMKERNEL_LT	=  ztrsm_kernel_LT.S
 ZTRSMKERNEL_RN	=  ztrsm_kernel_LT.S
 ZTRSMKERNEL_RT	=  ztrsm_kernel_RT.S
 
-ifeq ($(__BYTE_ORDER__),"__ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__")
+ifeq ($(__BYTE_ORDER__),__ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__)
 STRSMKERNEL_LN	=  trsm_kernel_LN.S
 STRSMKERNEL_LT	=  trsm_kernel_LT.S
 STRSMKERNEL_RN	=  trsm_kernel_LT.S