diff --git a/src/gmio_core/endian.h b/src/gmio_core/endian.h
index 4ed067f..1d3a615 100644
--- a/src/gmio_core/endian.h
+++ b/src/gmio_core/endian.h
@@ -25,27 +25,32 @@
 /*! This enum identifies common endianness (byte order) of computer memory */
 enum gmio_endianness
 {
+    /*! The least significant byte is stored at the lowest address. The other
+     *  bytes follow in increasing order of significance */
     GMIO_LITTLE_ENDIAN,
+
+    /*! The most significant byte is stored at the lowest address. The other
+     *  bytes follow in decreasing order of significance */
     GMIO_BIG_ENDIAN,
-    GMIO_OTHER_ENDIAN
-};
 
-typedef enum gmio_endianness gmio_endianness_t;
+    /*! Other (unknown) byte-order */
+    GMIO_OTHER_ENDIAN,
 
-/*! Constants for host endianness */
-enum {
 #ifdef GMIO_HOST_IS_BIG_ENDIAN
     GMIO_HOST_ENDIANNESS = GMIO_BIG_ENDIAN
 #else
-    /*! Defines the endianness(byte order) used by the host computer for storing
-     *  data in memory.
+    /*! Defines the endianness(byte order) used by the host computer for
+     *  storing data in memory.
      *
-     * It is set at configure-time to one of the value of gmio_endianness
+     *  It is set at configure-time to either GMIO_LITTLE_ENDIAN or
+     *  GMIO_BIG_ENDIAN
      */
     GMIO_HOST_ENDIANNESS = GMIO_LITTLE_ENDIAN
 #endif
 };
 
+typedef enum gmio_endianness gmio_endianness_t;
+
 GMIO_C_LINKAGE_BEGIN
 
 /*! Returns endianness (byte order) of the host's CPU architecture */
diff --git a/src/gmio_stl/stlb_read.c b/src/gmio_stl/stlb_read.c
index 65f7702..9df1aa1 100644
--- a/src/gmio_stl/stlb_read.c
+++ b/src/gmio_stl/stlb_read.c
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ int gmio_stlb_read(
         const gmio_stlb_read_options_t* options)
 {
     /* Constants */
-    const int byte_order =
+    const gmio_endianness_t byte_order =
             options != NULL ? options->byte_order : GMIO_HOST_ENDIANNESS;
     const uint32_t max_facet_count_per_read =
             trsf != NULL ?
diff --git a/src/gmio_stl/stlb_write.c b/src/gmio_stl/stlb_write.c
index 7cca05e..7b95c59 100644
--- a/src/gmio_stl/stlb_write.c
+++ b/src/gmio_stl/stlb_write.c
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ int gmio_stlb_write(
         const gmio_stlb_write_options_t* options)
 {
     /* Constants */
-    const int byte_order =
+    const gmio_endianness_t byte_order =
             options != NULL ? options->byte_order : GMIO_HOST_ENDIANNESS;
     const uint8_t* header_data =
             options != NULL ? options->header_data : NULL;