diff --git a/xs/src/admesh/stl.h b/xs/src/admesh/stl.h
index b6e2a0bae..332a5bf2f 100644
--- a/xs/src/admesh/stl.h
+++ b/xs/src/admesh/stl.h
@@ -180,5 +180,4 @@ extern void stl_allocate(stl_file *stl);
 static void stl_read(stl_file *stl, int first_facet, int first);
 static void stl_facet_stats(stl_file *stl, stl_facet facet, int first);
 extern void stl_reallocate(stl_file *stl);
-static int stl_get_little_int(FILE *fp);
 extern void stl_get_size(stl_file *stl);
diff --git a/xs/src/admesh/stlinit.c b/xs/src/admesh/stlinit.c
index 633ff639e..1e8893039 100644
--- a/xs/src/admesh/stlinit.c
+++ b/xs/src/admesh/stlinit.c
@@ -41,17 +41,6 @@ stl_open(stl_file *stl, char *file)
   fclose(stl->fp);
 }
 
-static int
-stl_get_little_int(FILE *fp)
-{
-  int value;
-  value  =  fgetc(fp) & 0xFF;
-  value |= (fgetc(fp) & 0xFF) << 0x08;
-  value |= (fgetc(fp) & 0xFF) << 0x10;
-  value |= (fgetc(fp) & 0xFF) << 0x18;
-  return(value);
-}
-
 
 void
 stl_initialize(stl_file *stl)
@@ -132,7 +121,7 @@ stl_count_facets(stl_file *stl, char *file)
       stl->stats.header[80] = '\0';
 
       /* Read the int following the header.  This should contain # of facets */
-      header_num_facets = stl_get_little_int(stl->fp);
+      fread(&header_num_facets, sizeof(int), 1, stl->fp);
       if(num_facets != header_num_facets)
 	{
 	  fprintf(stderr,