diff --git a/hyracks/hyracks-dataflow-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/dataflow/common/comm/io/FrameTupleAccessor.java b/hyracks/hyracks-dataflow-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/dataflow/common/comm/io/FrameTupleAccessor.java
index ce4c74c..ac44c11 100644
--- a/hyracks/hyracks-dataflow-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/dataflow/common/comm/io/FrameTupleAccessor.java
+++ b/hyracks/hyracks-dataflow-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/dataflow/common/comm/io/FrameTupleAccessor.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.api.dataflow.value.RecordDescriptor;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.api.exceptions.HyracksDataException;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.dataflow.common.comm.util.ByteBufferInputStream;
+import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.dataflow.common.util.IntSerDeUtils;
 
 /**
  * FrameTupleCursor is used to navigate over tuples in a Frame. A frame is
@@ -57,27 +58,28 @@
 
     @Override
     public int getTupleCount() {
-        return buffer.getInt(FrameHelper.getTupleCountOffset(frameSize));
+        return IntSerDeUtils.getInt(buffer.array(), FrameHelper.getTupleCountOffset(frameSize));
     }
 
     @Override
     public int getTupleStartOffset(int tupleIndex) {
-        return tupleIndex == 0 ? 0 : buffer.getInt(FrameHelper.getTupleCountOffset(frameSize) - 4 * tupleIndex);
+        return tupleIndex == 0 ? 0 : IntSerDeUtils.getInt(buffer.array(), FrameHelper.getTupleCountOffset(frameSize)
+                - 4 * tupleIndex);
     }
 
     @Override
     public int getTupleEndOffset(int tupleIndex) {
-        return buffer.getInt(FrameHelper.getTupleCountOffset(frameSize) - 4 * (tupleIndex + 1));
+        return IntSerDeUtils.getInt(buffer.array(), FrameHelper.getTupleCountOffset(frameSize) - 4 * (tupleIndex + 1));
     }
 
     @Override
     public int getFieldStartOffset(int tupleIndex, int fIdx) {
-        return fIdx == 0 ? 0 : buffer.getInt(getTupleStartOffset(tupleIndex) + (fIdx - 1) * 4);
+        return fIdx == 0 ? 0 : IntSerDeUtils.getInt(buffer.array(), getTupleStartOffset(tupleIndex) + (fIdx - 1) * 4);
     }
 
     @Override
     public int getFieldEndOffset(int tupleIndex, int fIdx) {
-        return buffer.getInt(getTupleStartOffset(tupleIndex) + fIdx * 4);
+        return IntSerDeUtils.getInt(buffer.array(), getTupleStartOffset(tupleIndex) + fIdx * 4);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/hyracks/hyracks-dataflow-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/dataflow/common/util/IntSerDeUtils.java b/hyracks/hyracks-dataflow-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/dataflow/common/util/IntSerDeUtils.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9faef09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hyracks/hyracks-dataflow-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/dataflow/common/util/IntSerDeUtils.java
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2009-2013 by The Regents of the University of California
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * you may obtain a copy of the License from
+ * 
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ * 
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package edu.uci.ics.hyracks.dataflow.common.util;
+
+public class IntSerDeUtils {
+
+    public static int getInt(byte[] bytes, int offset) {
+        return ((bytes[offset] & 0xff) << 24) + ((bytes[offset + 1] & 0xff) << 16) + ((bytes[offset + 2] & 0xff) << 8)
+                + ((bytes[offset + 3] & 0xff) << 0);
+    }
+
+}
diff --git a/hyracks/hyracks-dataflow-std/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/dataflow/std/sort/FrameSorter.java b/hyracks/hyracks-dataflow-std/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/dataflow/std/sort/FrameSorter.java
index f71ee1d..a6bb4e2 100644
--- a/hyracks/hyracks-dataflow-std/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/dataflow/std/sort/FrameSorter.java
+++ b/hyracks/hyracks-dataflow-std/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/dataflow/std/sort/FrameSorter.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.dataflow.common.comm.io.FrameTupleAccessor;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.dataflow.common.comm.io.FrameTupleAppender;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.dataflow.common.comm.util.FrameUtils;
+import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.dataflow.common.util.IntSerDeUtils;
 
 public class FrameSorter {
     private final IHyracksTaskContext ctx;
@@ -167,7 +168,7 @@
         }
     }
 
-    /** Merge two subarrays into one*/
+    /** Merge two subarrays into one */
     private void merge(int start1, int start2, int len1, int len2) {
         int targetPos = start1;
         int pos1 = start1;
@@ -224,12 +225,12 @@
         fta2.reset(buf2);
         for (int f = 0; f < comparators.length; ++f) {
             int fIdx = sortFields[f];
-            int f1Start = fIdx == 0 ? 0 : buf1.getInt(j1 + (fIdx - 1) * 4);
-            int f1End = buf1.getInt(j1 + fIdx * 4);
+            int f1Start = fIdx == 0 ? 0 : IntSerDeUtils.getInt(buf1.array(), j1 + (fIdx - 1) * 4);
+            int f1End = IntSerDeUtils.getInt(buf1.array(), j1 + fIdx * 4);
             int s1 = j1 + fta1.getFieldSlotsLength() + f1Start;
             int l1 = f1End - f1Start;
-            int f2Start = fIdx == 0 ? 0 : buf2.getInt(j2 + (fIdx - 1) * 4);
-            int f2End = buf2.getInt(j2 + fIdx * 4);
+            int f2Start = fIdx == 0 ? 0 : IntSerDeUtils.getInt(buf2.array(), j2 + (fIdx - 1) * 4);
+            int f2End = IntSerDeUtils.getInt(buf2.array(), j2 + fIdx * 4);
             int s2 = j2 + fta2.getFieldSlotsLength() + f2Start;
             int l2 = f2End - f2Start;
             int c = comparators[f].compare(b1, s1, l1, b2, s2, l2);