diff --git a/client/dump/sql_formatter.cc b/client/dump/sql_formatter.cc
index c13698bf261..cd9ec2a1cda 100644
--- a/client/dump/sql_formatter.cc
+++ b/client/dump/sql_formatter.cc
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ void Sql_formatter::format_dump_start(
     << this->get_charset()->csname
     << ";\n";
   if (dump_start_dump_task->m_gtid_mode == "OFF" &&
-      *((ulong*)&m_options->m_gtid_purged) == ((ulong)GTID_PURGED_ON))
+      m_options->m_gtid_purged == GTID_PURGED_ON)
   {
     m_options->m_mysql_chain_element_options->get_program()->error(
       Mysql::Tools::Base::Message_data(1, "Server has GTIDs disabled.\n",
@@ -311,14 +311,8 @@ void Sql_formatter::format_dump_start(
   }
   if (dump_start_dump_task->m_gtid_mode != "OFF")
   {
-    /*
-     value for m_gtid_purged is set by typecasting its address to ulong*
-     however below conditions fails if we do direct comparison without
-     typecasting on solaris sparc. Guessing that this is due to differnt
-     endianess.
-    */
-    if (*((ulong*)&m_options->m_gtid_purged) == ((ulong)GTID_PURGED_ON) ||
-        *((ulong*)&m_options->m_gtid_purged) == ((ulong)GTID_PURGED_AUTO))
+    if (m_options->m_gtid_purged == GTID_PURGED_ON ||
+        m_options->m_gtid_purged == GTID_PURGED_AUTO)
     {
       if (!m_mysqldump_tool_options->m_dump_all_databases &&
           *((ulong*)&m_options->m_gtid_purged) == ((ulong)GTID_PURGED_AUTO))
diff --git a/client/dump/sql_formatter_options.h b/client/dump/sql_formatter_options.h
index 6155e7ef926..0fbbe6207eb 100644
--- a/client/dump/sql_formatter_options.h
+++ b/client/dump/sql_formatter_options.h
@@ -56,7 +56,12 @@ public:
   bool m_suppress_create_database;
   bool m_timezone_consistent;
   bool m_skip_definer;
-  enum enum_gtid_purged_mode m_gtid_purged;
+  // Storing m_gtid_purged as an ulong, because its setter code treats it as a
+  // long variable.
+  // Storing it as an enum causes issues on some systems beacuse of endianness,
+  // and only works because of the alignment of the next pointer on 64 bit
+  // systems.
+  ulong m_gtid_purged;
   const Mysql_chain_element_options* m_mysql_chain_element_options;
 
   const TYPELIB* get_gtid_purged_mode_typelib()