diff --git a/pandas/core/common.py b/pandas/core/common.py
index 30f6b66a2b7d3..b5529eea11b0a 100644
--- a/pandas/core/common.py
+++ b/pandas/core/common.py
@@ -604,6 +604,15 @@ def ensure_float(arr):
 
     return arr
 
+def assert_ndarray_endianess(ar):
+    import sys
+    little_endian = (sys.byteorder == 'little')
+    if not isinstance(ar,np.ndarray):
+        return
+
+    if ((ar.dtype.byteorder == '>' and little_endian) or
+        (ar.dtype.byteorder == '<' and not little_endian)):
+        raise ValueError(u"Non-native byte order not supported")
 
 def _mut_exclusive(arg1, arg2):
     if arg1 is not None and arg2 is not None:
diff --git a/pandas/core/frame.py b/pandas/core/frame.py
index f7f296e822e15..0379c5f65d737 100644
--- a/pandas/core/frame.py
+++ b/pandas/core/frame.py
@@ -370,6 +370,9 @@ def __init__(self, data=None, index=None, columns=None, dtype=None,
         if data is None:
             data = {}
 
+        for x in (data, index, columns):
+            com.assert_ndarray_endianess(x)
+
         if isinstance(data, DataFrame):
             data = data._data
 
diff --git a/pandas/core/index.py b/pandas/core/index.py
index b7792309f66ff..8ba65fdd2f978 100644
--- a/pandas/core/index.py
+++ b/pandas/core/index.py
@@ -81,6 +81,9 @@ class Index(np.ndarray):
 
     def __new__(cls, data, dtype=None, copy=False, name=None):
         if isinstance(data, np.ndarray):
+
+            com.assert_ndarray_endianess(data)
+
             if issubclass(data.dtype.type, np.datetime64):
                 from pandas.tseries.index import DatetimeIndex
                 result = DatetimeIndex(data, copy=copy, name=name)
diff --git a/pandas/core/panel.py b/pandas/core/panel.py
index 2dca8a2aef801..df4146e8b0a54 100644
--- a/pandas/core/panel.py
+++ b/pandas/core/panel.py
@@ -212,6 +212,9 @@ def __init__(self, data=None, items=None, major_axis=None, minor_axis=None,
         if data is None:
             data = {}
 
+        for x in (data, items, major_axis,minor_axis):
+            com.assert_ndarray_endianess(x)
+
         passed_axes = [items, major_axis, minor_axis]
         axes = None
         if isinstance(data, BlockManager):
diff --git a/pandas/core/series.py b/pandas/core/series.py
index 3241044a63c68..5d90ec862ae8d 100644
--- a/pandas/core/series.py
+++ b/pandas/core/series.py
@@ -409,7 +409,9 @@ def __init__(self, data=None, index=None, dtype=None, name=None,
     input data
 copy : boolean, default False
         """
-        pass
+
+        for x in (data, index):
+            com.assert_ndarray_endianess(x)
 
     @property
     def _constructor(self):
diff --git a/pandas/sparse/frame.py b/pandas/sparse/frame.py
index c38936b55696f..0cd966ddc6884 100644
--- a/pandas/sparse/frame.py
+++ b/pandas/sparse/frame.py
@@ -75,6 +75,9 @@ def __init__(self, data=None, index=None, columns=None,
         self.default_kind = default_kind
         self.default_fill_value = default_fill_value
 
+        for x in (data, index, columns):
+            com.assert_ndarray_endianess(x)
+
         if isinstance(data, dict):
             sdict, columns, index = self._init_dict(data, index, columns)
         elif isinstance(data, (np.ndarray, list)):
diff --git a/pandas/sparse/panel.py b/pandas/sparse/panel.py
index bd5a2785aba2b..23a79c474a181 100644
--- a/pandas/sparse/panel.py
+++ b/pandas/sparse/panel.py
@@ -76,6 +76,9 @@ def __init__(self, frames, items=None, major_axis=None, minor_axis=None,
         self.default_fill_value = fill_value = default_fill_value
         self.default_kind = kind = default_kind
 
+        for x in (items, major_axis,minor_axis):
+            com.assert_ndarray_endianess(x)
+
         # pre-filter, if necessary
         if items is None:
             items = Index(sorted(frames.keys()))
diff --git a/pandas/sparse/series.py b/pandas/sparse/series.py
index 8be9e2b5c7d75..39dc201583fff 100644
--- a/pandas/sparse/series.py
+++ b/pandas/sparse/series.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 from pandas.core.index import Index, _ensure_index
 from pandas.core.series import Series, TimeSeries, _maybe_match_name
 from pandas.core.frame import DataFrame
-import pandas.core.common as common
+import pandas.core.common as com
 import pandas.core.datetools as datetools
 
 from pandas.util import py3compat
@@ -82,6 +82,9 @@ class SparseSeries(SparseArray, Series):
     def __new__(cls, data, index=None, sparse_index=None, kind='block',
                 fill_value=None, name=None, copy=False):
 
+        for x in (data, index):
+            com.assert_ndarray_endianess(x)
+
         is_sparse_array = isinstance(data, SparseArray)
         if fill_value is None:
             if is_sparse_array:
@@ -412,7 +415,7 @@ def reindex(self, index=None, method=None, copy=True, limit=None):
 
         new_index, fill_vec = self.index.reindex(index, method=method,
                                                  limit=limit)
-        new_values = common.take_1d(self.values, fill_vec)
+        new_values = com.take_1d(self.values, fill_vec)
         return SparseSeries(new_values, index=new_index,
                             fill_value=self.fill_value, name=self.name)
 
diff --git a/pandas/tests/test_common.py b/pandas/tests/test_common.py
index 44c40b6930784..0f04419837d80 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/test_common.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/test_common.py
@@ -14,6 +14,20 @@
 
 from pandas.util import py3compat
 
+def test_assert_endianess():
+    little_endian = (sys.byteorder == 'little')
+    if little_endian:
+        arr = np.array([1], dtype='>i8')
+    else:
+        arr = np.array([1], dtype='<i8')
+
+    try:
+        DataFrame(arr)
+    except:
+        pass
+    else:
+        assert False,"did not raise ValueError on wrong endianess"
+
 def test_is_sequence():
     is_seq=com._is_sequence
     assert(is_seq((1,2)))
diff --git a/pandas/tests/test_frame.py b/pandas/tests/test_frame.py
index fea84f5a86e36..09df9331c8b57 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/test_frame.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/test_frame.py
@@ -1519,6 +1519,10 @@ def setUp(self):
         self.simple = DataFrame(arr, columns=['one', 'two', 'three'],
                                  index=['a', 'b', 'c'])
 
+    def test_wrong_endianess_caught(self):
+        arr = np.array([1], dtype='>i8')
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError,DataFrame,arr)
+
     def test_get_axis(self):
         self.assert_(DataFrame._get_axis_name(0) == 'index')
         self.assert_(DataFrame._get_axis_name(1) == 'columns')
diff --git a/pandas/tests/test_index.py b/pandas/tests/test_index.py
index b94840d0dfd85..4f6c112705569 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/test_index.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/test_index.py
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@ def setUp(self):
         self.empty = Index([])
         self.tuples = Index(zip(['foo', 'bar', 'baz'], [1, 2, 3]))
 
+    def test_wrong_endianess_caught(self):
+        arr = np.array([1], dtype='>i8')
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError,Index,arr)
+
     def test_hash_error(self):
         self.assertRaises(TypeError, hash, self.strIndex)
 
@@ -864,6 +868,7 @@ def setUp(self):
                                 labels=[major_labels, minor_labels],
                                 names=['first', 'second'])
 
+
     def test_constructor_single_level(self):
         single_level = MultiIndex(levels=[['foo', 'bar', 'baz', 'qux']],
                                   labels=[[0, 1, 2, 3]],
diff --git a/pandas/tests/test_series.py b/pandas/tests/test_series.py
index a906489e67b57..89c5d3410aa6a 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/test_series.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/test_series.py
@@ -232,6 +232,10 @@ def setUp(self):
 
         self.empty = Series([], index=[])
 
+    def test_wrong_endianess_caught(self):
+        arr = np.array([1], dtype='>i8')
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError,Series,arr)
+
     def test_constructor(self):
         # Recognize TimeSeries
         self.assert_(isinstance(self.ts, TimeSeries))