diff --git a/imbecile.cc b/imbecile.cc
index 4bc372f..fe349b9 100644
--- a/imbecile.cc
+++ b/imbecile.cc
@@ -44,11 +44,5 @@ int main(int argc, char * argv[])
         return 1;
     }
 
-    cout << "Size: " << ucs_str->size() << endl;
-    for (int i = 0; i < ucs_str->size(); i++)
-    {
-        cout << dec << (*ucs_str)[i] << " (0x" << hex << (*ucs_str)[i] << "): '" << (char) ((*ucs_str)[i] & 0xFF) << "'" << endl;
-    }
-
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/serialize.cc b/serialize.cc
index dedfc7a..d536b06 100644
--- a/serialize.cc
+++ b/serialize.cc
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include <iconv.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <errno.h>
+#include <endian.h>
 using namespace std;
 
 refptr< vector<unichar_t> > deserialize(const char * encoding, istream & in)
@@ -15,15 +16,14 @@ refptr< vector<unichar_t> > deserialize(const char * encoding, istream & in)
     unichar_t * outbuf = new unichar_t[buf_size];
     char * outbuf_ptr;
     size_t chars_converted, inbytesleft = 0, outbytesleft;
-    const char * to_encoding;
+    const char * to_encoding
+#if __BYTE_ORDER == __LITTLE_ENDIAN
+        = "UCS-4LE";
+#else
+        = "UCS-4BE";
+#endif
     refptr< vector<unichar_t> > ucs = new vector<unichar_t>();
 
-    {
-        uint32_t endianness_test = 1u;
-        uint8_t * p = (uint8_t *) &endianness_test;
-        to_encoding = (*p == 1) ? "UCS-4LE" : "UCS-4BE";
-    }
-
     iconv_t cd = iconv_open(/* to */ to_encoding, /* from */ encoding);
     if (cd == (iconv_t) -1)
     {
@@ -34,45 +34,22 @@ refptr< vector<unichar_t> > deserialize(const char * encoding, istream & in)
     outbuf_ptr = (char *) &outbuf[0];
     outbytesleft = buf_size * sizeof(outbuf[0]);
     iconv(cd, NULL, NULL, &outbuf_ptr, &outbytesleft);
-    cout << "initial outbytesleft: " << outbytesleft << endl;
 
     for (;;)
     {
         in.read(inbuf_ptr, buf_size * sizeof(inbuf[0]) - inbytesleft);
         num_read = in.gcount();
-        cout << "num_read: " << num_read << endl;
         if (num_read <= 0)
             break;
         inbytesleft += num_read;
         outbuf_ptr = (char *) &outbuf[0];
         outbytesleft = buf_size * sizeof(outbuf[0]);
-        cout << "before inbytesleft: " << inbytesleft << ", outbytesleft: " << outbytesleft << endl;
-//        cout << "inbuf_ptr: " << inbuf_ptr << endl;
         chars_converted = iconv(cd, &inbuf_ptr, &inbytesleft,
                 &outbuf_ptr, &outbytesleft);
         if (chars_converted == (size_t) -1)
         {
-            int err = errno;
-            perror("iconv() error");
-            switch (err)
-            {
-                case EINVAL:
-                    cerr << "EINVAL" << endl;
-                    break;
-                case EILSEQ:
-                    cerr << "EILSEQ" << endl;
-                    printf("inbuf: %p, inbuf_ptr: %p\n", inbuf, inbuf_ptr);
-                    for (int i = 0; i < 6; i++)
-                        printf("%02x ", inbuf_ptr[i]);
-                    cout << endl;
-                    break;
-                case E2BIG:
-                    cerr << "E2BIG" << endl;
-                    break;
-            }
+            perror("iconv()");
         }
-        cout << "chars_converted: " << chars_converted << endl;
-        cout << "after inbytesleft: " << inbytesleft << ", outbytesleft: " << outbytesleft << endl;
         if (inbytesleft > 0)
         {
             memmove(&inbuf[0], inbuf_ptr, inbytesleft);
@@ -94,4 +71,3 @@ refptr< vector<unichar_t> > deserialize(const char * encoding, istream & in)
     iconv_close(cd);
     return ucs;
 }
-