diff --git a/src/hb-private.h b/src/hb-private.h
index 8d885aa49..933abea32 100644
--- a/src/hb-private.h
+++ b/src/hb-private.h
@@ -46,10 +46,6 @@
 
 #include "hb-common.h"
 
-#define hb_be_uint8
-#define hb_be_int8
-#define hb_be_uint16(v)			((uint16_t) hb_be_int16 ((uint16_t) v))
-#define hb_be_uint32(v)			((uint32_t) hb_be_int32 ((uint32_t) v))
 
 /* We need external help for these */
 
@@ -57,10 +53,6 @@
 
 #include <glib.h>
 
-/* Macros to convert to/from BigEndian */
-#define hb_be_int16(v)		GINT16_FROM_BE (v)
-#define hb_be_int32(v)		GINT32_FROM_BE (v)
-
 typedef int hb_atomic_int_t;
 #define hb_atomic_int_fetch_and_add(AI, V)	g_atomic_int_exchange_and_add (&(AI), V)
 #define hb_atomic_int_get(AI)			g_atomic_int_get (&(AI))
@@ -78,6 +70,8 @@ typedef GStaticMutex hb_mutex_t;
 #endif
 
 
+#define hb_be_uint16(v)			((uint16_t) ((((const uint8_t *)&(v))[0] >> 8) + (((const uint8_t *)&(v))[1] << 8)))
+
 #define hb_be_uint8_put_unaligned(v,V)	(v[0] = (V), 0)
 #define hb_be_uint8_get_unaligned(v)	(uint8_t) (v[0])
 #define hb_be_uint8_cmp_unaligned(a,b)	(a[0] == b[0])