diff --git a/build/jam/BuildSetup b/build/jam/BuildSetup
index 7c8ae46f60..194d88aa4f 100644
--- a/build/jam/BuildSetup
+++ b/build/jam/BuildSetup
@@ -181,15 +181,25 @@ switch $(HAIKU_DISTRO_COMPATIBILITY) {
 
 # analyze the gcc machine spec to determine HAIKU_CPU
 switch $(HAIKU_GCC_MACHINE) {
-	case i386-*		: HAIKU_CPU = x86 ;
-	case i486-*		: HAIKU_CPU = x86 ;
-	case i586-*		: HAIKU_CPU = x86 ;
-	case i686-*		: HAIKU_CPU = x86 ;
+	case i?86-*		: HAIKU_CPU = x86 ;
 	case powerpc-*	: HAIKU_CPU = ppc ;
-	case m68k-*	: HAIKU_CPU = m68k ;
+	case m68k-*		: HAIKU_CPU = m68k ;
 	case mipsel-*	: HAIKU_CPU = mipsel ;
-	case arm-*	: HAIKU_CPU = arm ;
-	case * : Exit "Unsupported gcc target machine:" $(HAIKU_GCC_MACHINE) ;
+	case arm-*		: HAIKU_CPU = arm ;
+	case *			: Exit "Unsupported gcc target machine:" 
+						$(HAIKU_GCC_MACHINE) ;
+}
+
+# determine the endianness of the host
+switch $(HOST_GCC_MACHINE) {
+	case i?86-*		: HAIKU_HOST_IS_BIG_ENDIAN = 0 ;
+	case x86_64-*	: HAIKU_HOST_IS_BIG_ENDIAN = 0 ;
+	case powerpc-*	: HAIKU_HOST_IS_BIG_ENDIAN = 1 ;
+	# the following are rather unlikely as hosts ...
+	case m68k-*		: HAIKU_HOST_IS_BIG_ENDIAN = 1 ;
+	case mipsel-*	: HAIKU_HOST_IS_BIG_ENDIAN = 0 ;
+	case arm-*		: HAIKU_HOST_IS_BIG_ENDIAN = 0 ;
+	case *			: Exit "Unsupported gcc host machine:" $(HOST_GCC_MACHINE) ;
 }
 
 switch $(HAIKU_CPU) {
diff --git a/src/libs/icu/source/data/Jamfile b/src/libs/icu/source/data/Jamfile
index dcca8d90bf..5ef27e25e3 100644
--- a/src/libs/icu/source/data/Jamfile
+++ b/src/libs/icu/source/data/Jamfile
@@ -3,11 +3,18 @@ SubDir HAIKU_TOP src libs icu source data ;
 ICU_UNICODE_VERSION = 5.1 ;
 ICU_CLDR_VERSION = $(ICU_GENRB_CLDR_VERSION) ;
 ICU_DAT_FILES = pnames.icu unames.icu cnvalias.icu ucadata.icu invuca.icu ;
-ICU_DATA_DIR = [ FDirName $(HOST_COMMON_DEBUG_OBJECT_DIR) icudt42l ] ;
 ICU_VERSION = 42.1 ;
 ICU_DATA_SYMBOL = icudt42 ;
-ICU_ENDIANNESS_INDICATOR = l ;	# TODO: little endian is hardcoded, for now
+# ICU is endianness-aware, so we need to set the endianness indicator such
+# that it matches the endianness of the host platform
+if $(HAIKU_HOST_IS_BIG_ENDIAN) = 1 {
+	ICU_ENDIANNESS_INDICATOR = b ;
+} else {
+	ICU_ENDIANNESS_INDICATOR = l ;
+}
 ICU_DATA_VERSION = icudt42$(ICU_ENDIANNESS_INDICATOR) ;
+ICU_DATA_DIR 
+	= [ FDirName $(HOST_COMMON_DEBUG_OBJECT_DIR) $(ICU_DATA_VERSION) ] ;
 
 rule MakeLocateICUData files : subdir
 {