diff --git a/expat/buildconf.sh b/expat/buildconf.sh
index ceaca5e5..1f711268 100755
--- a/expat/buildconf.sh
+++ b/expat/buildconf.sh
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ echo "dnl THIS FILE IS AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED BY buildconf.sh" > aclocal.m4
 echo "dnl edits here will be lost" >> aclocal.m4
 cat $ltfile >> aclocal.m4
 
+ltfile='conftools/ac_c_bigendian_cross.m4'
+echo "Incorporating $ltfile into aclocal.m4 ..."
+cat $ltfile >> aclocal.m4
+
 #
 # Create the libtool helper files
 #
diff --git a/expat/configure.in b/expat/configure.in
index d1f4ce8e..c9be67dc 100644
--- a/expat/configure.in
+++ b/expat/configure.in
@@ -69,7 +69,11 @@ AC_HEADER_STDC
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS(fcntl.h unistd.h)
 
 dnl Checks for typedefs, structures, and compiler characteristics.
-AC_C_BIGENDIAN
+
+dnl Note: Avoid using AC_C_BIGENDIAN because it does not
+dnl work in a cross compile.
+AC_C_BIGENDIAN_CROSS
+
 AC_C_CONST
 AC_TYPE_OFF_T
 AC_TYPE_SIZE_T