diff --git a/btrfs-show-super.c b/btrfs-show-super.c
index 45eb1024..3614c527 100644
--- a/btrfs-show-super.c
+++ b/btrfs-show-super.c
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ static void dump_superblock(struct btrfs_super_block *sb)
 	s = (char *) &sb->magic;
 	for (i = 0; i < 8; i++)
 		putchar(isprint(s[i]) ? s[i] : '.');
-	if (!memcmp(BTRFS_MAGIC, &sb->magic, 8))
+	if (sb->magic == cpu_to_le64(BTRFS_MAGIC))
 		printf(" [match]\n");
 	else
 		printf(" [DON'T MATCH]\n");
diff --git a/ctree.h b/ctree.h
index d0f6062f..18b68e1b 100644
--- a/ctree.h
+++ b/ctree.h
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 
 struct btrfs_root;
 struct btrfs_trans_handle;
-#define BTRFS_MAGIC "_BHRfS_M"
+#define BTRFS_MAGIC 0x4D5F53665248425F /* ascii _BHRfS_M, no null */
 
 #define BTRFS_MAX_LEVEL 8
 
diff --git a/disk-io.c b/disk-io.c
index 0bf73f05..d3b8c518 100644
--- a/disk-io.c
+++ b/disk-io.c
@@ -932,8 +932,7 @@ int btrfs_read_dev_super(int fd, struct btrfs_super_block *sb, u64 sb_bytenr)
 			return -1;
 
 		if (btrfs_super_bytenr(&buf) != sb_bytenr ||
-		    strncmp((char *)(&buf.magic), BTRFS_MAGIC,
-			    sizeof(buf.magic)))
+		    buf.magic != cpu_to_le64(BTRFS_MAGIC))
 			return -1;
 
 		memcpy(sb, &buf, sizeof(*sb));
@@ -951,8 +950,7 @@ int btrfs_read_dev_super(int fd, struct btrfs_super_block *sb, u64 sb_bytenr)
 		/* if magic is NULL, the device was removed */
 		if (buf.magic == 0 && i == 0) 
 			return -1;
-		if (strncmp((char *)(&buf.magic), BTRFS_MAGIC,
-			    sizeof(buf.magic)))
+		if (buf.magic != cpu_to_le64(BTRFS_MAGIC))
 			continue;
 
 		if (!fsid_is_initialized) {
diff --git a/utils.c b/utils.c
index d92f3178..d2dec6fd 100644
--- a/utils.c
+++ b/utils.c
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ int make_btrfs(int fd, const char *device, const char *label,
 
 	btrfs_set_super_bytenr(&super, blocks[0]);
 	btrfs_set_super_num_devices(&super, 1);
-	strncpy((char *)&super.magic, BTRFS_MAGIC, sizeof(super.magic));
+	super.magic = cpu_to_le64(BTRFS_MAGIC);
 	btrfs_set_super_generation(&super, 1);
 	btrfs_set_super_root(&super, blocks[1]);
 	btrfs_set_super_chunk_root(&super, blocks[3]);
@@ -1085,8 +1085,7 @@ int btrfs_device_already_in_root(struct btrfs_root *root, int fd,
 
 	ret = 0;
 	disk_super = (struct btrfs_super_block *)buf;
-	if (strncmp((char *)(&disk_super->magic), BTRFS_MAGIC,
-	    sizeof(disk_super->magic)))
+	if (disk_super->magic != cpu_to_le64(BTRFS_MAGIC))
 		goto brelse;
 
 	if (!memcmp(disk_super->fsid, root->fs_info->super_copy.fsid,