--- a/src/tools/qglobal.h
+++ b/src/tools/qglobal.h
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@
    supposedly know what you are doing.) */
 #  if (defined(__arm__) || defined(__ARMEL__)) && !defined(QT_MOC_CPP)
 #    define Q_PACKED __attribute__ ((packed))
-#    if __GNUC__ == 3 && __GNUC_MINOR__ >= 4
+#    if __GNUC__ == 3 && __GNUC_MINOR__ >= 4 || __GNUC__ > 3
 #      define Q_NO_PACKED_REFERENCE
 #    endif
 #  endif
--- a/src/tools/qstring.h
+++ b/src/tools/qstring.h
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ public:
     char latin1() const { return ucs > 0xff ? 0 : (char) ucs; }
     ushort unicode() const { return ucs; }
 #ifdef Q_NO_PACKED_REFERENCE
-    ushort &unicode() { return *(&ucs); }
+    ushort &unicode() { return *((ushort*)&ucs); }
 #else
     ushort &unicode() { return ucs; }
 #endif