diff --git a/src/main-ctl-unix.c b/src/main-ctl-unix.c
index b4da5eb..90d604f 100644
--- a/src/main-ctl-unix.c
+++ b/src/main-ctl-unix.c
@@ -629,7 +629,7 @@ static void ctl_handle_commands(main_server_st * s)
 		}
 		goto cleanup;
 	}
-	length = (buffer[2] << 8) | buffer[1];
+	memcpy(&length, &buffer[1], 2);
 	buffer_size = ret - 3;
 
 	if (length != buffer_size) {
diff --git a/src/occtl-unix.c b/src/occtl-unix.c
index 183825d..0c1b3e1 100644
--- a/src/occtl-unix.c
+++ b/src/occtl-unix.c
@@ -83,15 +83,14 @@ int send_cmd(struct unix_ctx *ctx, unsigned cmd, const void *data,
 	struct iovec iov[2];
 	unsigned iov_len = 1;
 	int e, ret;
-	unsigned length = 0;
+	uint16_t length = 0;
 	void *packed = NULL;
 
 	if (get_size)
 		length = get_size(data);
 
 	header[0] = cmd;
-	header[1] = length;
-	header[2] = length >> 8;
+	memcpy(&header[1], &length, 2);
 
 	iov[0].iov_base = header;
 	iov[0].iov_len = 3;
@@ -145,7 +144,7 @@ int send_cmd(struct unix_ctx *ctx, unsigned cmd, const void *data,
 			goto fail;
 		}
 
-		length = (header[2] << 8) | header[1];
+		memcpy(&length, &header[1], 2);
 
 		rep->data_size = length;
 		rep->data = talloc_size(ctx, length);
diff --git a/src/sec-mod.c b/src/sec-mod.c
index 15ee32a..c3d4bad 100644
--- a/src/sec-mod.c
+++ b/src/sec-mod.c
@@ -354,6 +354,7 @@ void sec_mod_server(void *main_pool, struct cfg_st *config, const char *socket_f
 	unsigned cmd, length;
 	unsigned i, buffer_size;
 	uint8_t *buffer, *tpool;
+	uint16_t l16;
 	struct pin_st pins;
 	int sd;
 	sec_mod_st *sec;
@@ -538,10 +539,11 @@ void sec_mod_server(void *main_pool, struct cfg_st *config, const char *socket_f
 		}
 
 		cmd = buffer[0];
-		length = buffer[1] | buffer[2] << 8;
+		memcpy(&l16, &buffer[1], 2);
+		length = l16;
 
 		if (length > buffer_size - 4) {
-			seclog(LOG_INFO, "too big message");
+			seclog(LOG_INFO, "too big message (%d)", length);
 			goto cont;
 		}