diff --git a/cf/krb-bigendian.m4 b/cf/krb-bigendian.m4
index 5d4fc6aa4..b1e349e7b 100644
--- a/cf/krb-bigendian.m4
+++ b/cf/krb-bigendian.m4
@@ -22,34 +22,30 @@ krb_cv_c_bigendian_compile,
 #if !BYTE_ORDER || !BIG_ENDIAN || !LITTLE_ENDIAN
  bogus endian macros
 #endif], krb_cv_c_bigendian_compile=yes, krb_cv_c_bigendian_compile=no)])
-if test "$krb_cv_c_bigendian_compile" = "no"; then
-  AC_CACHE_CHECK(whether byte ordering is bigendian, krb_cv_c_bigendian,[
-  if test "$krb_cv_c_bigendian" = ""; then
-    krb_cv_c_bigendian=unknown
-  fi
-  AC_TRY_COMPILE([
+AC_CACHE_CHECK(whether byte ordering is bigendian, krb_cv_c_bigendian,[
+  if test "$krb_cv_c_bigendian_compile" = "yes"; then
+    AC_TRY_COMPILE([
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/param.h>],[
 #if BYTE_ORDER != BIG_ENDIAN
   not big endian
 #endif], krb_cv_c_bigendian=yes, krb_cv_c_bigendian=no)
-  if test "$krb_cv_c_bigendian" = "unknown"; then
+  else
     AC_TRY_RUN([main () {
       /* Are we little or big endian?  From Harbison&Steele.  */
       union
       {
 	long l;
 	char c[sizeof (long)];
-      } u;
-      u.l = 1;
-      exit (u.c[sizeof (long) - 1] == 1);
-    }], krb_cv_c_bigendian=no, krb_cv_c_bigendian=yes,
-    AC_MSG_ERROR([specify either --enable-bigendian or --enable-littleendian]))
-  fi
-  ])
-  if test "$krb_cv_c_bigendian" = "yes"; then
-    AC_DEFINE(WORDS_BIGENDIAN, 1, [define if target is big endian])dnl
+    } u;
+    u.l = 1;
+    exit (u.c[sizeof (long) - 1] == 1);
+  }], krb_cv_c_bigendian=no, krb_cv_c_bigendian=yes,
+  AC_MSG_ERROR([specify either --enable-bigendian or --enable-littleendian]))
   fi
+])
+if test "$krb_cv_c_bigendian" = "yes"; then
+  AC_DEFINE(WORDS_BIGENDIAN, 1, [define if target is big endian])dnl
 fi
 if test "$krb_cv_c_bigendian_compile" = "yes"; then
   AC_DEFINE(ENDIANESS_IN_SYS_PARAM_H, 1, [define if sys/param.h defines the endiness])dnl