diff --git a/arch/powerpc/platforms/ps3/os-area.c b/arch/powerpc/platforms/ps3/os-area.c
index 766685ab26f82b46116c46953bb51286455c7990..b9ea09d9d2fb130056f59d59640eec8554623fa0 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/platforms/ps3/os-area.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/platforms/ps3/os-area.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <linux/workqueue.h>
 #include <linux/fs.h>
 #include <linux/syscalls.h>
+#include <linux/ctype.h>
 
 #include <asm/lmb.h>
 
@@ -37,6 +38,8 @@ enum os_area_ldr_format {
 	HEADER_LDR_FORMAT_GZIP = 1,
 };
 
+#define OS_AREA_HEADER_MAGIC_NUM "cell_ext_os_area"
+
 /**
  * struct os_area_header - os area header segment.
  * @magic_num: Always 'cell_ext_os_area'.
@@ -114,13 +117,11 @@ struct os_area_params {
 	u8 _reserved_5[8];
 };
 
-enum {
-	OS_AREA_DB_MAGIC_NUM = 0x2d64622dU,
-};
+#define OS_AREA_DB_MAGIC_NUM "-db-"
 
 /**
  * struct os_area_db - Shared flash memory database.
- * @magic_num: Always '-db-' = 0x2d64622d.
+ * @magic_num: Always '-db-'.
  * @version: os_area_db format version number.
  * @index_64: byte offset of the database id index for 64 bit variables.
  * @count_64: number of usable 64 bit index entries
@@ -135,7 +136,7 @@ enum {
  */
 
 struct os_area_db {
-	u32 magic_num;
+	u8 magic_num[4];
 	u16 version;
 	u16 _reserved_1;
 	u16 index_64;
@@ -265,12 +266,26 @@ static void __init os_area_get_property(struct device_node *node,
 			prop->name);
 }
 
+static void dump_field(char *s, const u8 *field, int size_of_field)
+{
+#if defined(DEBUG)
+	int i;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < size_of_field; i++)
+		s[i] = isprint(field[i]) ? field[i] : '.';
+	s[i] = 0;
+#endif
+}
+
 #define dump_header(_a) _dump_header(_a, __func__, __LINE__)
 static void _dump_header(const struct os_area_header *h, const char *func,
 	int line)
 {
+	char str[sizeof(h->magic_num) + 1];
+
+	dump_field(str, h->magic_num, sizeof(h->magic_num));
 	pr_debug("%s:%d: h.magic_num:       '%s'\n", func, line,
-		h->magic_num);
+		str);
 	pr_debug("%s:%d: h.hdr_version:     %u\n", func, line,
 		h->hdr_version);
 	pr_debug("%s:%d: h.db_area_offset:  %u\n", func, line,
@@ -311,7 +326,8 @@ static void _dump_params(const struct os_area_params *p, const char *func,
 
 static int verify_header(const struct os_area_header *header)
 {
-	if (memcmp(header->magic_num, "cell_ext_os_area", 16)) {
+	if (memcmp(header->magic_num, OS_AREA_HEADER_MAGIC_NUM,
+		sizeof(header->magic_num))) {
 		pr_debug("%s:%d magic_num failed\n", __func__, __LINE__);
 		return -1;
 	}
@@ -331,7 +347,8 @@ static int verify_header(const struct os_area_header *header)
 
 static int db_verify(const struct os_area_db *db)
 {
-	if (db->magic_num != OS_AREA_DB_MAGIC_NUM) {
+	if (memcmp(db->magic_num, OS_AREA_DB_MAGIC_NUM,
+		sizeof(db->magic_num))) {
 		pr_debug("%s:%d magic_num failed\n", __func__, __LINE__);
 		return -1;
 	}
@@ -484,8 +501,11 @@ static int db_get_rtc_diff(const struct os_area_db *db, int64_t *rtc_diff)
 static void _dump_db(const struct os_area_db *db, const char *func,
 	int line)
 {
+	char str[sizeof(db->magic_num) + 1];
+
+	dump_field(str, db->magic_num, sizeof(db->magic_num));
 	pr_debug("%s:%d: db.magic_num:      '%s'\n", func, line,
-		(const char*)&db->magic_num);
+		str);
 	pr_debug("%s:%d: db.version:         %u\n", func, line,
 		db->version);
 	pr_debug("%s:%d: db.index_64:        %u\n", func, line,
@@ -516,7 +536,7 @@ static void os_area_db_init(struct os_area_db *db)
 
 	memset(db, 0, sizeof(struct os_area_db));
 
-	db->magic_num = OS_AREA_DB_MAGIC_NUM;
+	memcpy(db->magic_num, OS_AREA_DB_MAGIC_NUM, sizeof(db->magic_num));
 	db->version = 1;
 	db->index_64 = HEADER_SIZE;
 	db->count_64 = VALUES_64_COUNT;