diff --git a/dhcp.c b/dhcp.c
index b8a687a..5fe9112 100644
--- a/dhcp.c
+++ b/dhcp.c
@@ -358,13 +358,21 @@ static void rfc951_sleep(int exp)
 	static long seed = 0;
 	long q;
 	unsigned long tmo;
+
+	union {
+		char	c[sizeof(gen_hwaddr)];
+		long	l;
+		short	s[3];
+	} hw;
 	
 	if (exp > BACKOFF_LIMIT)
 		exp = BACKOFF_LIMIT;
 	
-	if (!seed)
+	if (!seed) {
 		/* Initialize linear congruential generator.  */
-		seed = (currticks () + *(long *) &gen_hwaddr + ((short *) gen_hwaddr)[2]);
+		memcpy(&hw.c, &gen_hwaddr, sizeof(gen_hwaddr));
+		seed = currticks() + hw.l + hw.s[2];
+	}
   
 	/* Simplified version of the LCG given in Bruce Scheier's
 	   "Applied Cryptography".  */