diff --git a/src/include/port/hpux.h b/src/include/port/hpux.h
index a1d5afa3aec351ffdecb99b253a200fbb3845fd7..949ae23124a71d946c8aacde9901f74f5fe8c14a 100644
--- a/src/include/port/hpux.h
+++ b/src/include/port/hpux.h
@@ -16,8 +16,9 @@
 
 #elif defined(__ia64)
 
+/* HPUX runs IA64 in big-endian mode */
 #ifndef			BYTE_ORDER
-#define			BYTE_ORDER		LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#define			BYTE_ORDER		BIG_ENDIAN
 #endif
 
 #else