diff --git a/tcg/aarch64/tcg-target.h b/tcg/aarch64/tcg-target.h
index adf02618ec..eff1d68fc6 100644
--- a/tcg/aarch64/tcg-target.h
+++ b/tcg/aarch64/tcg-target.h
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 #ifndef TCG_TARGET_AARCH64
 #define TCG_TARGET_AARCH64 1
 
-#undef TCG_TARGET_WORDS_BIGENDIAN
 #undef TCG_TARGET_STACK_GROWSUP
 
 typedef enum {
diff --git a/tcg/arm/tcg-target.h b/tcg/arm/tcg-target.h
index 35de34ede8..1bc5dacec0 100644
--- a/tcg/arm/tcg-target.h
+++ b/tcg/arm/tcg-target.h
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 #ifndef TCG_TARGET_ARM 
 #define TCG_TARGET_ARM 1
 
-#undef TCG_TARGET_WORDS_BIGENDIAN
 #undef TCG_TARGET_STACK_GROWSUP
 
 typedef enum {
diff --git a/tcg/i386/tcg-target.h b/tcg/i386/tcg-target.h
index bdf2222452..ababca0569 100644
--- a/tcg/i386/tcg-target.h
+++ b/tcg/i386/tcg-target.h
@@ -24,8 +24,6 @@
 #ifndef TCG_TARGET_I386 
 #define TCG_TARGET_I386 1
 
-#undef TCG_TARGET_WORDS_BIGENDIAN
-
 #ifdef __x86_64__
 # define TCG_TARGET_REG_BITS  64
 # define TCG_TARGET_NB_REGS   16
diff --git a/tcg/mips/tcg-target.c b/tcg/mips/tcg-target.c
index 76bc222642..37241b224b 100644
--- a/tcg/mips/tcg-target.c
+++ b/tcg/mips/tcg-target.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 
 #include "tcg-be-null.h"
 
-#if defined(TCG_TARGET_WORDS_BIGENDIAN) == defined(TARGET_WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
+#if defined(HOST_WORDS_BIGENDIAN) == defined(TARGET_WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
 # define TCG_NEED_BSWAP 0
 #else
 # define TCG_NEED_BSWAP 1
@@ -589,7 +589,7 @@ static inline void tcg_out_call_iarg_reg64(TCGContext *s, int *arg_num,
 {
     (*arg_num) = (*arg_num + 1) & ~1;
 
-#if defined(TCG_TARGET_WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
+#if defined(HOST_WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
     tcg_out_call_iarg_reg32(s, arg_num, arg_high);
     tcg_out_call_iarg_reg32(s, arg_num, arg_low);
 #else
@@ -964,7 +964,7 @@ static void tcg_out_qemu_ld(TCGContext *s, const TCGArg *args,
 #if defined(CONFIG_SOFTMMU)
 # if TARGET_LONG_BITS == 64
     addr_regh = *args++;
-#  if defined(TCG_TARGET_WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
+#  if defined(HOST_WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
     addr_memh = 0;
     addr_meml = 4;
 #  else
@@ -979,7 +979,7 @@ static void tcg_out_qemu_ld(TCGContext *s, const TCGArg *args,
 #endif
 
     if (opc == 3) {
-#if defined(TCG_TARGET_WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
+#if defined(HOST_WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
         data_reg1 = data_regh;
         data_reg2 = data_regl;
 #else
@@ -1152,7 +1152,7 @@ static void tcg_out_qemu_st(TCGContext *s, const TCGArg *args,
 #if defined(CONFIG_SOFTMMU)
 # if TARGET_LONG_BITS == 64
     addr_regh = *args++;
-#  if defined(TCG_TARGET_WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
+#  if defined(HOST_WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
     addr_memh = 0;
     addr_meml = 4;
 #  else
@@ -1167,7 +1167,7 @@ static void tcg_out_qemu_st(TCGContext *s, const TCGArg *args,
 #endif
 
     if (opc == 3) {
-#if defined(TCG_TARGET_WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
+#if defined(HOST_WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
         data_reg1 = data_regh;
         data_reg2 = data_regl;
 #else
diff --git a/tcg/mips/tcg-target.h b/tcg/mips/tcg-target.h
index c3822d0d4c..9576db514d 100644
--- a/tcg/mips/tcg-target.h
+++ b/tcg/mips/tcg-target.h
@@ -26,10 +26,6 @@
 #ifndef TCG_TARGET_MIPS 
 #define TCG_TARGET_MIPS 1
 
-#ifdef __MIPSEB__
-# define TCG_TARGET_WORDS_BIGENDIAN
-#endif
-
 #define TCG_TARGET_NB_REGS 32
 
 typedef enum {
diff --git a/tcg/ppc/tcg-target.h b/tcg/ppc/tcg-target.h
index 11689124d0..0d4f5959a7 100644
--- a/tcg/ppc/tcg-target.h
+++ b/tcg/ppc/tcg-target.h
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 #ifndef TCG_TARGET_PPC 
 #define TCG_TARGET_PPC 1
 
-#define TCG_TARGET_WORDS_BIGENDIAN
 #define TCG_TARGET_NB_REGS 32
 
 typedef enum {
diff --git a/tcg/ppc64/tcg-target.h b/tcg/ppc64/tcg-target.h
index 7ee50b6c6c..78bbf7a34a 100644
--- a/tcg/ppc64/tcg-target.h
+++ b/tcg/ppc64/tcg-target.h
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 #ifndef TCG_TARGET_PPC64 
 #define TCG_TARGET_PPC64 1
 
-#define TCG_TARGET_WORDS_BIGENDIAN
 #define TCG_TARGET_NB_REGS 32
 
 typedef enum {
diff --git a/tcg/s390/tcg-target.h b/tcg/s390/tcg-target.h
index 10adb778c7..b3bfdcc22c 100644
--- a/tcg/s390/tcg-target.h
+++ b/tcg/s390/tcg-target.h
@@ -24,8 +24,6 @@
 #ifndef TCG_TARGET_S390 
 #define TCG_TARGET_S390 1
 
-#define TCG_TARGET_WORDS_BIGENDIAN
-
 typedef enum TCGReg {
     TCG_REG_R0 = 0,
     TCG_REG_R1,
diff --git a/tcg/sparc/tcg-target.h b/tcg/sparc/tcg-target.h
index 3abf1b41b0..4519c64ae9 100644
--- a/tcg/sparc/tcg-target.h
+++ b/tcg/sparc/tcg-target.h
@@ -32,8 +32,6 @@
 # error Unknown pointer size for tcg target
 #endif
 
-#define TCG_TARGET_WORDS_BIGENDIAN
-
 #define TCG_TARGET_NB_REGS 32
 
 typedef enum {
diff --git a/tcg/tcg-op.h b/tcg/tcg-op.h
index d43f45d805..8d4ff7da9b 100644
--- a/tcg/tcg-op.h
+++ b/tcg/tcg-op.h
@@ -858,7 +858,7 @@ static inline void tcg_gen_ld_i64(TCGv_i64 ret, TCGv_ptr arg2,
 {
     /* since arg2 and ret have different types, they cannot be the
        same temporary */
-#ifdef TCG_TARGET_WORDS_BIGENDIAN
+#ifdef HOST_WORDS_BIGENDIAN
     tcg_gen_ld_i32(TCGV_HIGH(ret), arg2, offset);
     tcg_gen_ld_i32(TCGV_LOW(ret), arg2, offset + 4);
 #else
@@ -888,7 +888,7 @@ static inline void tcg_gen_st32_i64(TCGv_i64 arg1, TCGv_ptr arg2,
 static inline void tcg_gen_st_i64(TCGv_i64 arg1, TCGv_ptr arg2,
                                   tcg_target_long offset)
 {
-#ifdef TCG_TARGET_WORDS_BIGENDIAN
+#ifdef HOST_WORDS_BIGENDIAN
     tcg_gen_st_i32(TCGV_HIGH(arg1), arg2, offset);
     tcg_gen_st_i32(TCGV_LOW(arg1), arg2, offset + 4);
 #else
diff --git a/tcg/tcg.c b/tcg/tcg.c
index d92ecb30e0..21ce9fb505 100644
--- a/tcg/tcg.c
+++ b/tcg/tcg.c
@@ -444,7 +444,7 @@ static inline int tcg_global_mem_new_internal(TCGType type, int reg,
         ts->fixed_reg = 0;
         ts->mem_allocated = 1;
         ts->mem_reg = reg;
-#ifdef TCG_TARGET_WORDS_BIGENDIAN
+#ifdef HOST_WORDS_BIGENDIAN
         ts->mem_offset = offset + 4;
 #else
         ts->mem_offset = offset;
@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ static inline int tcg_global_mem_new_internal(TCGType type, int reg,
         ts->fixed_reg = 0;
         ts->mem_allocated = 1;
         ts->mem_reg = reg;
-#ifdef TCG_TARGET_WORDS_BIGENDIAN
+#ifdef HOST_WORDS_BIGENDIAN
         ts->mem_offset = offset;
 #else
         ts->mem_offset = offset + 4;
@@ -686,7 +686,7 @@ void tcg_gen_callN(TCGContext *s, TCGv_ptr func, unsigned int flags,
     if (ret != TCG_CALL_DUMMY_ARG) {
 #if TCG_TARGET_REG_BITS < 64
         if (sizemask & 1) {
-#ifdef TCG_TARGET_WORDS_BIGENDIAN
+#ifdef HOST_WORDS_BIGENDIAN
             *s->gen_opparam_ptr++ = ret + 1;
             *s->gen_opparam_ptr++ = ret;
 #else
@@ -725,7 +725,7 @@ void tcg_gen_callN(TCGContext *s, TCGv_ptr func, unsigned int flags,
 	       order.  If another such target is added, this logic may
 	       have to get more complicated to differentiate between
 	       stack arguments and register arguments.  */
-#if defined(TCG_TARGET_WORDS_BIGENDIAN) != defined(TCG_TARGET_STACK_GROWSUP)
+#if defined(HOST_WORDS_BIGENDIAN) != defined(TCG_TARGET_STACK_GROWSUP)
             *s->gen_opparam_ptr++ = args[i] + 1;
             *s->gen_opparam_ptr++ = args[i];
 #else
diff --git a/tcg/tci/tcg-target.h b/tcg/tci/tcg-target.h
index 7869119b12..f43492cc67 100644
--- a/tcg/tci/tcg-target.h
+++ b/tcg/tci/tcg-target.h
@@ -57,12 +57,6 @@
 #define CONFIG_DEBUG_TCG_INTERPRETER
 #endif
 
-#if 0 /* TCI tries to emulate a little endian host. */
-#if defined(HOST_WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
-# define TCG_TARGET_WORDS_BIGENDIAN
-#endif
-#endif
-
 /* Optional instructions. */
 
 #define TCG_TARGET_HAS_bswap16_i32      1