diff --git a/src/Makefile b/src/Makefile
index 968f82ef..4c93d005 100644
--- a/src/Makefile
+++ b/src/Makefile
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ override T = $(basename $@)
 # these use exceptions & RTTI
 OBJECTS1 = \
 	compress$o except$o file$o lefile$o \
-	filter$o mem$o msg$o stdcxx$o work$o ui$o \
+	filter$o linker$o mem$o msg$o stdcxx$o work$o ui$o \
 	packer$o packhead$o packmast$o \
 	p_com$o p_djgpp2$o p_elks$o p_exe$o \
 	p_lx_elf$o p_lx_exc$o p_lx_sep$o p_lx_sh$o \
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ OBJECTS1 = \
 
 # no exceptions or RTTI
 OBJECTS2 = \
-	filteri$o help$o main$o mygetopt$o util$o linker$o \
+	filteri$o help$o main$o mygetopt$o util$o \
 	c_init$o c_file$o c_none$o c_screen$o \
 	s_object$o s_djgpp2$o s_vcsa$o s_win32$o
 
diff --git a/src/linker.cpp b/src/linker.cpp
index 403f565b..0f93e3ce 100644
--- a/src/linker.cpp
+++ b/src/linker.cpp
@@ -60,12 +60,12 @@ Linker::Linker(const void *pdata, int plen, int pinfo)
     sections = new section[200];
 
     char *p = iloader + info;
-    while (get_le32(p) != (unsigned)(-1))
+    while (get32(p) != (unsigned)(-1))
     {
-        if (get_le32(p))
+        if (get32(p))
         {
             memcpy(sections[nsections].name,p,8);
-            sections[nsections].istart = get_le32(p+8);
+            sections[nsections].istart = get32(p+8);
             sections[nsections++].ostart = -1;
             p += 12;
             assert(nsections < 200);
@@ -73,13 +73,13 @@ Linker::Linker(const void *pdata, int plen, int pinfo)
         else
         {
             int l;
-            for (l = get_le32(p+4) - 1; iloader[l] == 0; l--)
+            for (l = get32(p+4) - 1; iloader[l] == 0; l--)
                 ;
 
             jumps[njumps].pos = l+1;
-            jumps[njumps].len = get_le32(p+4)-jumps[njumps].pos;
+            jumps[njumps].len = get32(p+4)-jumps[njumps].pos;
             memcpy(jumps[njumps].tsect,p+8,8);
-            jumps[njumps++].toffs = get_le32(p+16);
+            jumps[njumps++].toffs = get32(p+16);
             p += 20;
             assert(njumps < 200);
         }
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ const char *Linker::getLoader(int *llen)
             if (jumps[ic].len == 1)
                 assert(-128 <= offs && offs <= 127);
 
-            set_le32(&offs,offs);
+            set32(&offs,offs);
             memcpy(oloader+sections[jc].ostart+jumps[ic].pos-sections[jc].istart,&offs,jumps[ic].len);
         }
         frozen=1;
diff --git a/src/linker.h b/src/linker.h
index 02597d52..19445237 100644
--- a/src/linker.h
+++ b/src/linker.h
@@ -34,12 +34,17 @@ class Linker
 {
 public:
     Linker(const void *pdata, int plen, int pinfo);
-    ~Linker();
+    virtual ~Linker();
     void addSection(const char *sect);
     void addSection(const char *sname, const void *sdata, unsigned len);
     const char *getLoader(int *llen);
     int getSection(const char *name, int *slen) const;
 
+protected:
+    // little endian
+    virtual unsigned get32(const void *b) const { return get_le32(b); }
+    virtual void set32(void *b, unsigned v) const { set_le32(b, v); }
+
 private:
     struct section;
     struct jump;
@@ -61,6 +66,25 @@ private:
 };
 
 
+class BeLinker : public Linker
+{
+    typedef Linker super;
+public:
+    BeLinker(const void *pdata, int plen, int pinfo) :
+        super(pdata, plen, pinfo) { }
+
+protected:
+    // big endian
+    virtual unsigned get32(const void *b) const { return get_be32(b); }
+    virtual void set32(void *b, unsigned v) const { set_be32(b, v); }
+
+private:
+    // disable copy and assignment
+    BeLinker(BeLinker const &); // {}
+    BeLinker& operator= (BeLinker const &); // { return *this; }
+};
+
+
 
 #endif /* already included */
 
diff --git a/src/packer.cpp b/src/packer.cpp
index ce9229b2..9b4e1d89 100644
--- a/src/packer.cpp
+++ b/src/packer.cpp
@@ -925,10 +925,14 @@ unsigned Packer::unoptimizeReloc32(upx_byte **in, upx_byte *image,
 
 void Packer::initLoader(const void *pdata, int plen, int pinfo)
 {
-    delete linker;
     if (pinfo < 0)
         pinfo =  ~3 & (3 + get_le16(pdata, plen - 2));
-    linker = new Linker(pdata,plen,pinfo);
+
+    delete linker;
+    if (getFormat() < 128)
+        linker = new Linker(pdata, plen, pinfo);    // little endian
+    else
+        linker = new BeLinker(pdata, plen, pinfo);  // big endian
 
     static const char identbig[] =
         "\n\0"