diff --git a/lib/capnp_c.h b/lib/capnp_c.h
index 29bb9f7..9fa2718 100644
--- a/lib/capnp_c.h
+++ b/lib/capnp_c.h
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
-#include <string.h>
 #if defined(unix) && !defined(__APPLE__)
 #include <endian.h>
 #endif
@@ -286,12 +285,10 @@ CAPN_INLINE uint16_t capn_flip16(uint16_t v) {
       defined(__GNUC__) && __GNUC__ >= 4 && __GNUC_MINOR__ >= 8
 	return __builtin_bswap16(v);
 #else
-	uint8_t sv[2];
-	uint16_t ret;
-	sv[0] = (uint8_t)v;
-	sv[1] = (uint8_t)(v>>8);
-	memcpy(&ret, sv, sizeof(ret));
-	return ret;
+	union { uint16_t u; uint8_t v[2]; } s;
+	s.v[0] = (uint8_t)v;
+	s.v[1] = (uint8_t)(v>>8);
+	return s.u;
 #endif
 }
 CAPN_INLINE uint32_t capn_flip32(uint32_t v) {
@@ -301,14 +298,12 @@ CAPN_INLINE uint32_t capn_flip32(uint32_t v) {
       defined(__GNUC__) && __GNUC__ >= 4 && __GNUC_MINOR__ >= 8
 	return __builtin_bswap32(v);
 #else
-	uint8_t sv[4];
-	uint32_t ret;
-	sv[0] = (uint8_t)v;
-	sv[1] = (uint8_t)(v>>8);
-	sv[2] = (uint8_t)(v>>16);
-	sv[3] = (uint8_t)(v>>24);
-	memcpy(&ret, sv, sizeof(ret));
-	return ret;
+	union { uint32_t u; uint8_t v[4]; } s;
+	s.v[0] = (uint8_t)v;
+	s.v[1] = (uint8_t)(v>>8);
+	s.v[2] = (uint8_t)(v>>16);
+	s.v[3] = (uint8_t)(v>>24);
+	return s.u;
 #endif
 }
 CAPN_INLINE uint64_t capn_flip64(uint64_t v) {
@@ -318,18 +313,16 @@ CAPN_INLINE uint64_t capn_flip64(uint64_t v) {
       defined(__GNUC__) && __GNUC__ >= 4 && __GNUC_MINOR__ >= 8
 	return __builtin_bswap64(v);
 #else
-	uint8_t sv[8];
-	uint64_t ret;
-	sv[0] = (uint8_t)v;
-	sv[1] = (uint8_t)(v>>8);
-	sv[2] = (uint8_t)(v>>16);
-	sv[3] = (uint8_t)(v>>24);
-	sv[4] = (uint8_t)(v>>32);
-	sv[5] = (uint8_t)(v>>40);
-	sv[6] = (uint8_t)(v>>48);
-	sv[7] = (uint8_t)(v>>56);
-	memcpy(&ret, sv, sizeof(ret));
-	return ret;
+	union { uint64_t u; uint8_t v[8]; } s;
+	s.v[0] = (uint8_t)v;
+	s.v[1] = (uint8_t)(v>>8);
+	s.v[2] = (uint8_t)(v>>16);
+	s.v[3] = (uint8_t)(v>>24);
+	s.v[4] = (uint8_t)(v>>32);
+	s.v[5] = (uint8_t)(v>>40);
+	s.v[6] = (uint8_t)(v>>48);
+	s.v[7] = (uint8_t)(v>>56);
+	return s.u;
 #endif
 }