diff --git a/libao2/afmt.c b/libao2/afmt.c
index 3eb81e84be..9383079a86 100644
--- a/libao2/afmt.c
+++ b/libao2/afmt.c
@@ -30,18 +30,10 @@ char *audio_out_format_name(int format)
 	    return("MPEG (2) audio");
 	case AFMT_AC3:
 	    return("AC3");
-/*
-  the following two formats are not available with old linux kernel
-  headers (e.g. in 2.2.16)
-*/
-#ifdef AFMT_S32_LE
 	case AFMT_S32_LE:
 	    return("Signed 32-bit (Little-Endian)");
-#endif
-#ifdef AFMT_S32_BE
 	case AFMT_S32_BE:
 	    return("Signed 32-bit (Big-Endian)");
-#endif
 	case AFMT_FLOAT:
 	    return("Floating Point");
     }
@@ -58,18 +50,8 @@ int audio_out_format_bits(int format){
 	case AFMT_U16_BE: 
 	return 16;//16 bits
 
-/*
-  the following two formats are not available with old linux kernel
-  headers (e.g. in 2.2.16)
-*/
-#ifdef AFMT_S32_LE
 	case AFMT_S32_LE:
-	return 32;
-#endif
-#ifdef AFMT_S32_BE
 	case AFMT_S32_BE:
-	return 32;
-#endif
 	case AFMT_FLOAT:
 	return 32;
 	
diff --git a/libmpcodecs/dec_audio.c b/libmpcodecs/dec_audio.c
index 7b65e693c4..4bf93df094 100644
--- a/libmpcodecs/dec_audio.c
+++ b/libmpcodecs/dec_audio.c
@@ -59,11 +59,7 @@ int init_audio_codec(sh_audio_t *sh_audio)
   // Set up some common usefull defaults. ad->preinit() can override these:
   
   sh_audio->samplesize=2;
-#ifdef WORDS_BIGENDIAN
-  sh_audio->sample_format=AFMT_S16_BE;
-#else
-  sh_audio->sample_format=AFMT_S16_LE;
-#endif
+  sh_audio->sample_format=AFMT_S16_NE;
   sh_audio->samplerate=0;
   sh_audio->channels=0;
   sh_audio->i_bps=0;  // input rate (bytes/sec)