diff --git a/src/literal.h b/src/literal.h
index 9eb27177d75..52970ee11f7 100644
--- a/src/literal.h
+++ b/src/literal.h
@@ -823,7 +823,8 @@ template<> struct hash<wasm::Literal> {
           return digest;
         case wasm::Type::v128:
           uint64_t chunks[2];
-          memcpy(&chunks, a.getv128Ptr(), 16);
+          chunks[0] = wasm::readLE<uint64_t>(a.getv128Ptr());
+          chunks[1] = wasm::readLE<uint64_t>(&a.getv128Ptr()[8]);
           wasm::rehash(digest, chunks[0]);
           wasm::rehash(digest, chunks[1]);
           return digest;
diff --git a/src/shell-interface.h b/src/shell-interface.h
index 9a16499f4e3..e25c3412748 100644
--- a/src/shell-interface.h
+++ b/src/shell-interface.h
@@ -33,20 +33,9 @@
 namespace wasm {
 
 struct ShellExternalInterface : ModuleRunner::ExternalInterface {
-  // The underlying memory can be accessed through unaligned pointers which
-  // isn't well-behaved in C++. WebAssembly nonetheless expects it to behave
-  // properly. Avoid emitting unaligned load/store by checking for alignment
-  // explicitly, and performing memcpy if unaligned.
-  //
-  // The allocated memory tries to have the same alignment as the memory being
-  // simulated.
   class Memory {
     // Use char because it doesn't run afoul of aliasing rules.
     std::vector<char> memory;
-    template<typename T> static bool aligned(const char* address) {
-      static_assert(!(sizeof(T) & (sizeof(T) - 1)), "must be a power of 2");
-      return 0 == (reinterpret_cast<uintptr_t>(address) & (sizeof(T) - 1));
-    }
 
   public:
     Memory() = default;
@@ -65,20 +54,10 @@ struct ShellExternalInterface : ModuleRunner::ExternalInterface {
       }
     }
     template<typename T> void set(size_t address, T value) {
-      if (aligned<T>(&memory[address])) {
-        *reinterpret_cast<T*>(&memory[address]) = value;
-      } else {
-        std::memcpy(&memory[address], &value, sizeof(T));
-      }
+      writeLE<T>(value, &memory[address]);
     }
     template<typename T> T get(size_t address) {
-      if (aligned<T>(&memory[address])) {
-        return *reinterpret_cast<T*>(&memory[address]);
-      } else {
-        T loaded;
-        std::memcpy(&loaded, &memory[address], sizeof(T));
-        return loaded;
-      }
+      return readLE<T>(&memory[address]);
     }
   };
 
diff --git a/src/support/utilities.h b/src/support/utilities.h
index ca2e1b89ba0..864b694fa3b 100644
--- a/src/support/utilities.h
+++ b/src/support/utilities.h
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include "compiler-support.h"
 
 #include <cassert>
+#include <climits>
 #include <cstdint>
 #include <cstring>
 #include <iostream>
@@ -103,6 +104,38 @@ class Fatal {
 #define WASM_UNREACHABLE(msg) wasm::handle_unreachable()
 #endif
 
+template<typename T, typename std::enable_if<std::is_same<T, typename std::array<uint8_t, std::tuple_size<T>::value>>::value, bool>::type = true>
+void writeLE(T val, void *ptr) {
+  memcpy(ptr, val.data(), sizeof(T));
+}
+
+template<typename T, typename std::enable_if<std::is_integral<T>::value, bool>::type = true>
+void writeLE(T val, void *ptr) {
+  auto v = typename std::conditional<std::is_signed<T>::value, typename std::make_unsigned<T>::type, T>::type(val);
+  unsigned char *buf = reinterpret_cast<unsigned char *>(ptr);
+#pragma GCC unroll 10
+  for (size_t i = 0; i < sizeof(T); ++i)
+    buf[i] = v >> (CHAR_BIT * i);
+}
+
+template<typename T, typename std::enable_if<std::is_same<T, typename std::array<uint8_t, std::tuple_size<T>::value>>::value, bool>::type = true>
+T readLE(const void *ptr) {
+  T v;
+  memcpy(v.data(), ptr, sizeof(T));
+  return v;
+}
+
+template<typename T, typename std::enable_if<std::is_integral<T>::value, bool>::type = true>
+T readLE(const void *ptr) {
+	using TU = typename std::conditional<std::is_signed<T>::value, typename std::make_unsigned<T>::type, T>::type;
+  TU v = 0;
+  const unsigned char *buf = reinterpret_cast<const unsigned char *>(ptr);
+#pragma GCC unroll 10
+  for (size_t i = 0; i < sizeof(T); ++i)
+    v += (TU)buf[i] << (CHAR_BIT * i);
+  return v;
+}
+
 } // namespace wasm
 
 #endif // wasm_support_utilities_h
diff --git a/src/tools/wasm-ctor-eval.cpp b/src/tools/wasm-ctor-eval.cpp
index 9b2800a2d84..5968df7ace7 100644
--- a/src/tools/wasm-ctor-eval.cpp
+++ b/src/tools/wasm-ctor-eval.cpp
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 #include "support/insert_ordered.h"
 #include "support/string.h"
 #include "support/topological_sort.h"
+#include "support/utilities.h"
 #include "tool-options.h"
 #include "wasm-builder.h"
 #include "wasm-interpreter.h"
@@ -497,15 +498,11 @@ struct CtorEvalExternalInterface : EvallingModuleRunner::ExternalInterface {
   }
 
   template<typename T> void doStore(Address address, T value, Name memoryName) {
-    // Use memcpy to avoid UB if unaligned.
-    memcpy(getMemory(address, memoryName, sizeof(T)), &value, sizeof(T));
+    writeLE<T>(value, getMemory(address, memoryName, sizeof(T)));
   }
 
   template<typename T> T doLoad(Address address, Name memoryName) {
-    // Use memcpy to avoid UB if unaligned.
-    T ret;
-    memcpy(&ret, getMemory(address, memoryName, sizeof(T)), sizeof(T));
-    return ret;
+    return readLE<T>(getMemory(address, memoryName, sizeof(T)));
   }
 
   // Clear the state of the operation of applying the interpreter's runtime
diff --git a/src/tools/wasm-fuzz-lattices.cpp b/src/tools/wasm-fuzz-lattices.cpp
index a6231cd42ea..25d09c1392d 100644
--- a/src/tools/wasm-fuzz-lattices.cpp
+++ b/src/tools/wasm-fuzz-lattices.cpp
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 #include "analysis/transfer-function.h"
 
 #include "support/command-line.h"
+#include "support/utilities.h"
 #include "tools/fuzzing.h"
 #include "tools/fuzzing/random.h"
 
@@ -995,7 +996,7 @@ struct Fuzzer {
     // Fewer bytes are needed to generate three random lattices.
     std::vector<char> funcBytes(128);
     for (size_t i = 0; i < funcBytes.size(); i += sizeof(uint64_t)) {
-      *(uint64_t*)(funcBytes.data() + i) = getFuncRand();
+      writeLE<uint64_t>(getFuncRand(), funcBytes.data() + i);
     }
 
     Random rand(std::move(funcBytes));
@@ -1030,7 +1031,7 @@ struct Fuzzer {
     // 4kb of random bytes should be enough for anyone!
     std::vector<char> bytes(4096);
     for (size_t i = 0; i < bytes.size(); i += sizeof(uint64_t)) {
-      *(uint64_t*)(bytes.data() + i) = getRand();
+      writeLE<uint64_t>(getRand(), bytes.data() + i);
     }
 
     Module testModule;
diff --git a/src/tools/wasm-fuzz-types.cpp b/src/tools/wasm-fuzz-types.cpp
index dc04ae96733..bca4745fdae 100644
--- a/src/tools/wasm-fuzz-types.cpp
+++ b/src/tools/wasm-fuzz-types.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <variant>
 
 #include "support/command-line.h"
+#include "support/utilities.h"
 #include "tools/fuzzing/heap-types.h"
 #include "tools/fuzzing/random.h"
 #include "wasm-type-printing.h"
@@ -68,7 +69,7 @@ void Fuzzer::run(uint64_t seed) {
   // 4kb of random bytes should be enough for anyone!
   std::vector<char> bytes(4096);
   for (size_t i = 0; i < bytes.size(); i += sizeof(uint64_t)) {
-    *(uint64_t*)(bytes.data() + i) = getRand();
+    writeLE<uint64_t>(getRand(), bytes.data() + i);
   }
   rand = Random(std::move(bytes));
 
diff --git a/src/wasm-interpreter.h b/src/wasm-interpreter.h
index 369745d0b67..cc6feedb3c2 100644
--- a/src/wasm-interpreter.h
+++ b/src/wasm-interpreter.h
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
 #include "support/safe_integer.h"
 #include "support/stdckdint.h"
 #include "support/string.h"
+#include "support/utilities.h"
 #include "wasm-builder.h"
 #include "wasm-limits.h"
 #include "wasm-traversal.h"
@@ -2777,14 +2778,10 @@ class ExpressionRunner : public OverriddenVisitor<SubType, Flow> {
       case Field::NotPacked:
         return Literal::makeFromMemory(p, field.type);
       case Field::i8: {
-        int8_t i;
-        memcpy(&i, p, sizeof(i));
-        return truncateForPacking(Literal(int32_t(i)), field);
+        return truncateForPacking(Literal(int32_t(readLE<int8_t>(p))), field);
       }
       case Field::i16: {
-        int16_t i;
-        memcpy(&i, p, sizeof(i));
-        return truncateForPacking(Literal(int32_t(i)), field);
+        return truncateForPacking(Literal(int32_t(readLE<int16_t>(p))), field);
       }
       case Field::WaitQueue: {
         WASM_UNREACHABLE("waitqueue not implemented");
diff --git a/src/wasm/literal.cpp b/src/wasm/literal.cpp
index 1bf14432c90..a57d486b786 100644
--- a/src/wasm/literal.cpp
+++ b/src/wasm/literal.cpp
@@ -240,8 +240,7 @@ static void extractBytes(uint8_t (&dest)[16], const LaneArray<Lanes>& lanes) {
   for (size_t lane_index = 0; lane_index < Lanes; ++lane_index) {
     uint8_t bits[16];
     lanes[lane_index].getBits(bits);
-    LaneT lane;
-    memcpy(&lane, bits, sizeof(lane));
+    LaneT lane = readLE<LaneT>(bits);
     for (size_t offset = 0; offset < lane_width; ++offset) {
       bytes.at(lane_index * lane_width + offset) =
         uint8_t(lane >> (8 * offset));
@@ -316,24 +315,16 @@ Literal Literal::makeFromMemory(void* p, Type type) {
   assert(type.isNumber());
   switch (type.getBasic()) {
     case Type::i32: {
-      int32_t i;
-      memcpy(&i, p, sizeof(i));
-      return Literal(i);
+      return Literal(readLE<int32_t>(p));
     }
     case Type::i64: {
-      int64_t i;
-      memcpy(&i, p, sizeof(i));
-      return Literal(i);
+      return Literal(readLE<int64_t>(p));
     }
     case Type::f32: {
-      int32_t i;
-      memcpy(&i, p, sizeof(i));
-      return Literal(bit_cast<float>(i));
+      return Literal(bit_cast<float>(readLE<int32_t>(p)));
     }
     case Type::f64: {
-      int64_t i;
-      memcpy(&i, p, sizeof(i));
-      return Literal(bit_cast<double>(i));
+      return Literal(bit_cast<double>(readLE<int64_t>(p)));
     }
     case Type::v128: {
       uint8_t bytes[16];
@@ -460,11 +451,11 @@ void Literal::getBits(uint8_t (&buf)[16]) const {
   switch (type.getBasic()) {
     case Type::i32:
     case Type::f32:
-      memcpy(buf, &i32, sizeof(i32));
+      writeLE<int32_t>(i32, buf);
       break;
     case Type::i64:
     case Type::f64:
-      memcpy(buf, &i64, sizeof(i64));
+      writeLE<int64_t>(i64, buf);
       break;
     case Type::v128:
       memcpy(buf, &v128, sizeof(v128));