diff --git a/modules/src/object/rd_arhdr.c b/modules/src/object/rd_arhdr.c
index 691799fb..bce8b183 100644
--- a/modules/src/object/rd_arhdr.c
+++ b/modules/src/object/rd_arhdr.c
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ int
 rd_arhdr(fd, arhdr)
 	register struct ar_hdr	*arhdr;
 {
-#if ! (BYTES_REVERSED || WORDS_REVERSED)
+#if WORDS_REVERSED && ! BYTES_REVERSED
 	if (sizeof (struct ar_hdr) != AR_TOTAL)
 #endif
 	{	
@@ -23,13 +23,15 @@ rd_arhdr(fd, arhdr)
 		while (i--) {
 			*p++ = *c++;
 		}
-		arhdr->ar_date = get4(c); c += 4;
+		arhdr->ar_date = get2(c) << 16; c += 2;
+		arhdr->ar_date |= get2(c) & 0xffff; c += 2;
 		arhdr->ar_uid = *c++;
 		arhdr->ar_gid = *c++;
 		arhdr->ar_mode = get2(c); c += 2;
-		arhdr->ar_size = get4(c);
+		arhdr->ar_size = get2(c) << 16; c += 2;
+		arhdr->ar_size |= get2(c) & 0xffff;
 	}
-#if ! (BYTES_REVERSED || WORDS_REVERSED)
+#if WORDS_REVERSED && !BYTES_REVERSED
 	else	{
 		register int i;
 		i = read(fd, (char *) arhdr, AR_TOTAL);
diff --git a/modules/src/object/wr_arhdr.c b/modules/src/object/wr_arhdr.c
index f7ac67ba..6ad9b99c 100644
--- a/modules/src/object/wr_arhdr.c
+++ b/modules/src/object/wr_arhdr.c
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 wr_arhdr(fd, arhdr)
 	register struct ar_hdr	*arhdr;
 {
-#if ! (BYTES_REVERSED || WORDS_REVERSED)
+#if WORDS_REVERSED && !BYTES_REVERSED
 	if (sizeof (struct ar_hdr) != AR_TOTAL)
 #endif
 	{	
@@ -16,14 +16,16 @@ wr_arhdr(fd, arhdr)
 		while (i--) {
 			*c++ = *p++;
 		}
-		put4(arhdr->ar_date,c); c += 4;
+		put2(arhdr->ar_date>>16,c); c += 2;
+		put2(arhdr->ar_date,c); c += 2;
 		*c++ = arhdr->ar_uid;
 		*c++ = arhdr->ar_gid;
 		put2(arhdr->ar_mode,c); c += 2;
-		put4(arhdr->ar_size,c);
+		put2(arhdr->ar_size>>16,c); c += 2;
+		put2(arhdr->ar_size,c);
 		wr_bytes(fd, buf, (long) AR_TOTAL);
 	}
-#if ! (BYTES_REVERSED || WORDS_REVERSED)
+#if WORDS_REVERSED && !BYTES_REVERSED
 	else	wr_bytes(fd, (char *) arhdr, (long) AR_TOTAL);
 #endif
 }