https://ssl.icu-project.org/trac/ticket/8764
--- layout/LESwaps.h
+++ layout/LESwaps.h
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@
 public:
 
     /**
-     * Reads a big-endian 16-bit word and returns a native-endian value.
-     * No-op on a big-endian platform, byte-swaps on a little-endian platform.
+     * This method does the byte swap required on little endian platforms
+     * to correctly access a (16-bit) word.
      *
      * @param value - the word to be byte swapped
      *
@@ -56,21 +56,12 @@
      */
     static le_uint16 swapWord(le_uint16 value)
     {
-#if (defined(U_IS_BIG_ENDIAN) && U_IS_BIG_ENDIAN) || \
-    (defined(BYTE_ORDER) && defined(BIG_ENDIAN) && (BYTE_ORDER == BIG_ENDIAN)) || \
-    defined(__BIG_ENDIAN__)
-        // Fastpath when we know that the platform is big-endian.
-        return value;
-#else
-        // Reads a big-endian value on any platform.
-        const le_uint8 *p = reinterpret_cast<const le_uint8 *>(&value);
-        return (le_uint16)((p[0] << 8) | p[1]);
-#endif
+        return (le_uint16)((value << 8) | (value >> 8));
     };
 
     /**
-     * Reads a big-endian 32-bit word and returns a native-endian value.
-     * No-op on a big-endian platform, byte-swaps on a little-endian platform.
+     * This method does the byte swapping required on little endian platforms
+     * to correctly access a (32-bit) long.
      *
      * @param value - the long to be byte swapped
      *
@@ -80,16 +71,11 @@
      */
     static le_uint32 swapLong(le_uint32 value)
     {
-#if (defined(U_IS_BIG_ENDIAN) && U_IS_BIG_ENDIAN) || \
-    (defined(BYTE_ORDER) && defined(BIG_ENDIAN) && (BYTE_ORDER == BIG_ENDIAN)) || \
-    defined(__BIG_ENDIAN__)
-        // Fastpath when we know that the platform is big-endian.
-        return value;
-#else
-        // Reads a big-endian value on any platform.
-        const le_uint8 *p = reinterpret_cast<const le_uint8 *>(&value);
-        return (le_uint32)((p[0] << 24) | (p[1] << 16) | (p[2] << 8) | p[3]);
-#endif
+        return (le_uint32)(
+            (value << 24) |
+            ((value << 8) & 0xff0000) |
+            ((value >> 8) & 0xff00) |
+            (value >> 24));
     };
 
 private: