diff --git a/System/Endian.hs b/System/Endian.hs
--- a/System/Endian.hs
+++ b/System/Endian.hs
@@ -12,13 +12,17 @@
     -- little endian to and from cpu
     , fromLE32
     , fromLE64
+    , fromLE16
     , toLE32
     , toLE64
+    , toLE16
     -- big endian to and from cpu
     , fromBE32
     , fromBE64
+    , fromBE16
     , toBE32
     , toBE64
+    , toBE16
     ) where
 
 #include "MachDeps.h"
@@ -60,6 +64,15 @@
 fromLE32 :: Word32 -> Word32
 fromLE32 = if getSystemEndianness == LittleEndian then id else swap32
 
+-- | Convert from a big endian 16 bit value to the cpu endianness
+fromBE16 :: Word16 -> Word16
+fromBE16 = if getSystemEndianness == BigEndian then id else swap16
+
+-- | Convert from a little endian 16 bit value to the cpu endianness
+fromLE16 :: Word16 -> Word16
+fromLE16 = if getSystemEndianness == LittleEndian then id else swap16
+
+
 -- | Convert a 64 bit value in cpu endianess to big endian
 toBE64 :: Word64 -> Word64
 toBE64 = fromBE64
@@ -76,7 +89,36 @@
 toLE32 :: Word32 -> Word32
 toLE32 = fromLE32
 
+-- | Convert a 16 bit value in cpu endianness to big endian
+toBE16 :: Word16 -> Word16
+toBE16 = fromBE16
+
+-- | Convert a 16 bit value in cpu endianness to little endian
+toLE16 :: Word16 -> Word16
+toLE16 = fromLE16
+
+#if MIN_VERSION_base(4,7,0)
+
+-- | Transform a 16 bit value bytes from a.b to b.a
+swap16 :: Word16 -> Word16
+swap16 = byteSwap16
+    
 -- | Transform a 32 bit value bytes from a.b.c.d to d.c.b.a
+swap32 :: Word32 -> Word32
+swap32 = byteSwap32
+
+-- | Transform a 64 bit value bytes from a.b.c.d.e.f.g.h to h.g.f.e.d.c.b.a
+swap64 :: Word64 -> Word64
+swap64 = byteSwap64
+
+#else
+
+-- | Transform a 16 bit value bytes from a.b to b.a
+{-# INLINE swap16 #-}
+swap16 :: Word16 -> Word16
+swap16 = fromIntegral . c_swap16 . fromIntegral
+
+-- | Transform a 32 bit value bytes from a.b.c.d to d.c.b.a
 {-# INLINE swap32 #-}
 swap32 :: Word32 -> Word32
 swap32 = fromIntegral . c_swap32 . fromIntegral
@@ -86,5 +128,10 @@
 swap64 :: Word64 -> Word64
 swap64 = fromIntegral . c_swap64 . fromIntegral
 
-foreign import ccall safe "bitfn_swap32" c_swap32 :: CUInt -> CUInt
-foreign import ccall safe "bitfn_swap64" c_swap64 :: CULLong -> CULLong
+foreign import ccall unsafe "bitfn_swap16" c_swap16 :: CUShort -> CUShort
+foreign import ccall unsafe "bitfn_swap32" c_swap32 :: CUInt -> CUInt
+foreign import ccall unsafe "bitfn_swap64" c_swap64 :: CULLong -> CULLong
+
+#endif
+
+
diff --git a/cbits/endian.c b/cbits/endian.c
--- a/cbits/endian.c
+++ b/cbits/endian.c
@@ -52,3 +52,8 @@
 	        (((uint64_t) bitfn_swap32((uint32_t) a)) << 32);
 }
 #endif
+
+uint16_t bitfn_swap16(uint16_t a)
+{
+  return (a << 8) | (a >> 8);
+}
diff --git a/cpu.cabal b/cpu.cabal
--- a/cpu.cabal
+++ b/cpu.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Name:                cpu
-Version:             0.1.1
+Version:             0.1.2
 Description:         
     Lowlevel cpu routines to get basic properties of the cpu platform, like endianness and architecture.
 License:             BSD3
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 Cabal-Version:       >=1.8
 Homepage:            http://github.com/vincenthz/hs-cpu
 data-files:          README.md
+Extra-source-files:  cbits/endian.c
 
 Flag executable
   Description:       Build the executable
@@ -26,7 +27,8 @@
                      System.Arch
   ghc-options:       -Wall
 
-  C-sources:   cbits/endian.c
+  if impl(ghc < 7.8)
+    C-sources:   cbits/endian.c
 
   if arch(i386)
     Cpp-options: -DARCH_X86