diff --git a/include/exec/cpu-common.h b/include/exec/cpu-common.h
index 8c305aa4fa..b62f0d82e4 100644
--- a/include/exec/cpu-common.h
+++ b/include/exec/cpu-common.h
@@ -36,6 +36,12 @@ enum device_endian {
     DEVICE_LITTLE_ENDIAN,
 };
 
+#if defined(HOST_WORDS_BIGENDIAN)
+#define DEVICE_HOST_ENDIAN DEVICE_BIG_ENDIAN
+#else
+#define DEVICE_HOST_ENDIAN DEVICE_LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#endif
+
 /* address in the RAM (different from a physical address) */
 #if defined(CONFIG_XEN_BACKEND)
 typedef uint64_t ram_addr_t;
diff --git a/memory.c b/memory.c
index d61caee867..573fa6e5f6 100644
--- a/memory.c
+++ b/memory.c
@@ -1182,7 +1182,7 @@ static void memory_region_ram_device_write(void *opaque, hwaddr addr,
 static const MemoryRegionOps ram_device_mem_ops = {
     .read = memory_region_ram_device_read,
     .write = memory_region_ram_device_write,
-    .endianness = DEVICE_NATIVE_ENDIAN,
+    .endianness = DEVICE_HOST_ENDIAN,
     .valid = {
         .min_access_size = 1,
         .max_access_size = 8,