diff --git a/src/p_djgpp2.cpp b/src/p_djgpp2.cpp
index 208474f9..4b112c18 100644
--- a/src/p_djgpp2.cpp
+++ b/src/p_djgpp2.cpp
@@ -150,27 +150,23 @@ static void handle_allegropak(InputFile *fi, OutputFile *fo) {
 }
 
 int PackDjgpp2::readFileHeader() {
-    byte hdr[0x1c];
-    byte magic[8];
+    dos_header_t dos_hdr;
 
     fi->seek(0, SEEK_SET);
-    fi->readx(hdr, sizeof(hdr));
-    if (get_le16(hdr) == 0x5a4d) // MZ exe signature, stubbed?
-    {
-        coff_offset = 512 * get_le16(hdr + 4);
-        if (get_le16(hdr + 2) != 0)
-            coff_offset += get_le16(hdr + 2) - 512;
-        fi->seek(512, SEEK_SET);
+    fi->readx(&dos_hdr, sizeof(dos_hdr));
+    if (get_le16(&dos_hdr.e_magic) == 0x5a4d) { // MZ exe signature, stubbed?
+        byte magic[8];
+        fi->seek(16 * get_le16(&dos_hdr.e_cparhdr), SEEK_SET);
         fi->readx(magic, 8);
         if (memcmp("go32stub", magic, 8) != 0)
             return 0; // not V2 image
-        fi->seek(coff_offset, SEEK_SET);
-        if (fi->read(&coff_hdr, sizeof(coff_hdr)) != sizeof(coff_hdr))
-            throwCantPack("skipping djgpp symlink");
-    } else {
-        fi->seek(coff_offset, SEEK_SET);
-        fi->readx(&coff_hdr, 0xa8);
     }
+    coff_offset = 512 * get_le16(&dos_hdr.e_cp);
+    if (get_le16(&dos_hdr.e_cblp) != 0)
+        coff_offset += get_le16(&dos_hdr.e_cblp) - 512;
+    fi->seek(coff_offset, SEEK_SET);
+    if (fi->read(&coff_hdr, sizeof(coff_hdr)) != sizeof(coff_hdr))
+        throwCantPack("skipping djgpp symlink");
     if (coff_hdr.f_magic != 0x014c) // I386MAGIC
         return 0;
     if ((coff_hdr.f_flags & 2) == 0) // F_EXEC - COFF executable
diff --git a/src/p_djgpp2.h b/src/p_djgpp2.h
index 31225ee7..87f44c01 100644
--- a/src/p_djgpp2.h
+++ b/src/p_djgpp2.h
@@ -62,6 +62,16 @@ protected:
 
     unsigned coff_offset;
 
+    // based on https://dox.ipxe.org/PeImage_8h_source.html
+    struct alignas(1) dos_header_t {
+        LE16 e_magic;
+        LE16 e_cblp;    // Bytes on last page of file
+        LE16 e_cp;      // Pages in file
+        LE16 e_crlc;    // Relocations
+        LE16 e_cparhdr; // Size of header in paragraphs
+        LE16 e_OMITTED[32 - 5 * 2];
+    }; // 64 bytes
+
     struct alignas(1) external_scnhdr_t {
         byte _[12]; // name, paddr
         LE32 vaddr;