diff --git a/hw/ppc/spapr.c b/hw/ppc/spapr.c
index daf997cea1..dd81398445 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/spapr.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/spapr.c
@@ -1414,7 +1414,11 @@ static bool hpte_is_valid(SpaprMachineState *s, unsigned index)
     return ldq_be_p(hpte_get_ptr(s, index)) & HPTE64_V_VALID;
 }
 
-#define HPTE_DIRTY(_hpte)  (tswap64(*((uint64_t *)(_hpte))) & HPTE64_V_HPTE_DIRTY)
+static bool hpte_is_dirty(SpaprMachineState *s, unsigned index)
+{
+    return ldq_be_p(hpte_get_ptr(s, index)) & HPTE64_V_HPTE_DIRTY;
+}
+
 #define CLEAN_HPTE(_hpte)  ((*(uint64_t *)(_hpte)) &= tswap64(~HPTE64_V_HPTE_DIRTY))
 #define DIRTY_HPTE(_hpte)  ((*(uint64_t *)(_hpte)) |= tswap64(HPTE64_V_HPTE_DIRTY))
 
@@ -2259,7 +2263,7 @@ static int htab_save_later_pass(QEMUFile *f, SpaprMachineState *spapr,
 
         /* Consume non-dirty HPTEs */
         while ((index < htabslots)
-               && !HPTE_DIRTY(hpte_get_ptr(spapr, index))) {
+               && !hpte_is_dirty(spapr, index)) {
             index++;
             examined++;
         }
@@ -2267,7 +2271,7 @@ static int htab_save_later_pass(QEMUFile *f, SpaprMachineState *spapr,
         chunkstart = index;
         /* Consume valid dirty HPTEs */
         while ((index < htabslots) && (index - chunkstart < USHRT_MAX)
-               && HPTE_DIRTY(hpte_get_ptr(spapr, index))
+               && hpte_is_dirty(spapr, index)
                && hpte_is_valid(spapr, index)) {
             CLEAN_HPTE(hpte_get_ptr(spapr, index));
             index++;
@@ -2277,7 +2281,7 @@ static int htab_save_later_pass(QEMUFile *f, SpaprMachineState *spapr,
         invalidstart = index;
         /* Consume invalid dirty HPTEs */
         while ((index < htabslots) && (index - invalidstart < USHRT_MAX)
-               && HPTE_DIRTY(hpte_get_ptr(spapr, index))
+               && hpte_is_dirty(spapr, index)
                && !hpte_is_valid(spapr, index)) {
             CLEAN_HPTE(hpte_get_ptr(spapr, index));
             index++;