diff --git a/SRC/echoping.c b/SRC/echoping.c
index 49a0b87..4025107 100644
--- a/SRC/echoping.c
+++ b/SRC/echoping.c
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ main (argc, argv)
 #endif
   unsigned char fill = ' ';
   unsigned int fill_i;
-  unsigned short fill_requested = 0;
+  boolean fill_requested = 0;
   unsigned int i = 0;
   char *plugin_name, *complete_plugin_name = NULL;
   char *ext;
@@ -92,34 +92,34 @@ main (argc, argv)
   void to_alarm ();		/* our alarm() signal handler */
   void interrupted ();
   unsigned int timeout = 10;
-  unsigned short timeout_requested = 0;
-  unsigned short size_requested = 0;
+  boolean timeout_requested = 0;
+  boolean size_requested = 0;
   char *url = "";
 #if USE_SIGACTION
   struct sigaction mysigaction;
 #endif
 
   char *plugin_port_name, *port_name;
-  unsigned short plugin_raw;
-  unsigned short port_to_use = USE_ECHO;
-  unsigned short http = 0;
-  unsigned short smtp = 0;
-  unsigned short discard = 0;
-  unsigned short chargen = 0;
-  unsigned short udp = 0;
-  unsigned short icp = 0;
+  boolean plugin_raw;
+  boolean port_to_use = USE_ECHO;
+  boolean http = 0;
+  boolean smtp = 0;
+  boolean discard = 0;
+  boolean chargen = 0;
+  boolean udp = 0;
+  boolean icp = 0;
 
-  unsigned short nocache = 0;
+  boolean nocache = 0;
 
 #ifdef ICP
   icp_opcode opcode = ICP_OP_QUERY;
 #endif
 
-  unsigned short ttcp = 0;
-  unsigned short tcp = 0;
-  unsigned short ssl = 0;
+  boolean ttcp = 0;
+  boolean tcp = 0;
+  boolean ssl = 0;
 
-  unsigned short stop_at_newlines = 1;
+  boolean stop_at_newlines = 1;
 
 #ifdef OPENSSL
   SSL_METHOD *meth;
diff --git a/SRC/echoping.h b/SRC/echoping.h
index ddb5c66..2e850c6 100644
--- a/SRC/echoping.h
+++ b/SRC/echoping.h
@@ -112,19 +112,27 @@ typedef union _CHANNEL
 }
 CHANNEL;
 
+#if __sparc__ && __GNUC__
+/* There is a bug in gcc 2.95 and gcc 3.3 on UltraSparc platforms, that is triggered when you give addresses of shorts to the popt library. See
+   for instance Debian bug #254322. Alignment bug? */
+typedef unsigned int boolean;
+#else
+typedef unsigned int boolean;
+#endif
+
 struct result
 {
-  unsigned short valid;
+  boolean valid;
   struct timeval timevalue;
 };
 
-unsigned short timeout_flag;
+boolean timeout_flag;
 struct echoping_struct
 {
-  unsigned short udp; /* Use the UDP protocol (TCP is the default) */
-  unsigned short only_ipv4;
-  unsigned short only_ipv6;
-  unsigned short verbose;
+  boolean udp;			/* Use the UDP protocol (TCP is the default) */
+  boolean only_ipv4;
+  boolean only_ipv6;
+  boolean verbose;
 };
 typedef struct echoping_struct echoping_options;
 #ifndef IN_PLUGIN
@@ -226,7 +234,7 @@ int smtp_read_response_from_server ();
 
 extern char *progname;
 
-extern unsigned short timeout_flag;
+extern boolean timeout_flag;
 
 #ifndef HEADER_INCLUDED
 #define HEADER_INCLUDED