diff --git a/dlls/kernel/console.c b/dlls/kernel/console.c
index 7cbb40b494f..934476b7a29 100644
--- a/dlls/kernel/console.c
+++ b/dlls/kernel/console.c
@@ -796,10 +796,13 @@ DWORD WINAPI GetConsoleTitleW(LPWSTR title, DWORD size)
 #undef GetLargestConsoleWindowSize
 DWORD WINAPI GetLargestConsoleWindowSize(HANDLE hConsoleOutput)
 {
-    COORD c;
-    c.X = 80;
-    c.Y = 24;
-    return *(DWORD *)&c;
+    union {
+	COORD c;
+	DWORD w;
+    } x;
+    x.c.X = 80;
+    x.c.Y = 24;
+    return x.w;
 }
 #endif /* defined(__i386__) */
 
diff --git a/include/wincon.h b/include/wincon.h
index e538af6d83c..b94da20d81e 100644
--- a/include/wincon.h
+++ b/include/wincon.h
@@ -180,12 +180,12 @@ DWORD WINAPI GetLargestConsoleWindowSize(HANDLE);
 
 inline static COORD __wine_GetLargestConsoleWindowSize_wrapper(HANDLE h)
 {
-    COORD c;
-    DWORD dw = GetLargestConsoleWindowSize(h);
-
-    c.X = LOWORD(dw);
-    c.Y = HIWORD(dw);
-    return c;
+    union {
+      COORD c;
+      DWORD dw;
+    } u;
+    u.dw = GetLargestConsoleWindowSize(h);
+    return u.c;
 }
 #define GetLargestConsoleWindowSize(h) __wine_GetLargestConsoleWindowSize_wrapper(h)