*  Communicates with the manageability block.  On success return 0
  *  else return IXGBE_ERR_HOST_INTERFACE_COMMAND.
  **/
-static s32 ixgbe_host_interface_command(struct ixgbe_hw *hw, u8 *buffer,
+static s32 ixgbe_host_interface_command(struct ixgbe_hw *hw, u32 *buffer,
                                        u32 length)
 {
        u32 hicr, i;
         */
        for (i = 0; i < dword_len; i++)
                IXGBE_WRITE_REG_ARRAY(hw, IXGBE_FLEX_MNG,
-                                     i, *((u32 *)buffer + i));
+                                     i, cpu_to_le32(buffer[i]));
 
        /* Setting this bit tells the ARC that a new command is pending. */
        IXGBE_WRITE_REG(hw, IXGBE_HICR, hicr | IXGBE_HICR_C);
        dword_len = hdr_size >> 2;
 
        /* first pull in the header so we know the buffer length */
-       for (i = 0; i < dword_len; i++)
-               *((u32 *)buffer + i) =
-                       IXGBE_READ_REG_ARRAY(hw, IXGBE_FLEX_MNG, i);
+       for (i = 0; i < dword_len; i++) {
+               buffer[i] = IXGBE_READ_REG_ARRAY(hw, IXGBE_FLEX_MNG, i);
+               le32_to_cpus(&buffer[i]);
+       }
 
        /* If there is any thing in data position pull it in */
        buf_len = ((struct ixgbe_hic_hdr *)buffer)->buf_len;
 
        /* Pull in the rest of the buffer (i is where we left off)*/
        for (; i < buf_len; i++)
-               *((u32 *)buffer + i) =
-                       IXGBE_READ_REG_ARRAY(hw, IXGBE_FLEX_MNG, i);
+               buffer[i] = IXGBE_READ_REG_ARRAY(hw, IXGBE_FLEX_MNG, i);
 
 out:
        return ret_val;
        fw_cmd.pad2 = 0;
 
        for (i = 0; i <= FW_CEM_MAX_RETRIES; i++) {
-               ret_val = ixgbe_host_interface_command(hw, (u8 *)&fw_cmd,
+               ret_val = ixgbe_host_interface_command(hw, (u32 *)&fw_cmd,
                                                       sizeof(fw_cmd));
                if (ret_val != 0)
                        continue;