diff --git a/public_header.go b/public_header.go
index dcc823b7..0cd11c05 100644
--- a/public_header.go
+++ b/public_header.go
@@ -55,21 +55,12 @@ func ParsePublicHeader(b io.ByteReader) (*PublicHeader, error) {
 	}
 
 	// Version (optional)
+
 	if header.VersionFlag {
-		var b1, b2, b3, b4 uint8
-		if b1, err = b.ReadByte(); err != nil {
+		header.QuicVersion, err = utils.ReadUint32BigEndian(b)
+		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		if b2, err = b.ReadByte(); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		if b3, err = b.ReadByte(); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		if b4, err = b.ReadByte(); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		header.QuicVersion = uint32(b4) + uint32(b3)<<8 + uint32(b2)<<16 + uint32(b1)<<24
 	}
 
 	// Packet number
diff --git a/utils/utils.go b/utils/utils.go
index 5438dbfe..1c2418ce 100644
--- a/utils/utils.go
+++ b/utils/utils.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package utils
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"encoding/binary"
 	"io"
 )
 
@@ -21,34 +22,43 @@ func ReadUintN(b io.ByteReader, length uint8) (uint64, error) {
 
 // ReadUint32 reads a uint32
 func ReadUint32(b io.ByteReader) (uint32, error) {
-	var b1, b2, b3, b4 uint8
-	var err error
-	if b1, err = b.ReadByte(); err != nil {
+	slice, err := readNBytes(b, 4)
+	if err != nil {
 		return 0, err
 	}
-	if b2, err = b.ReadByte(); err != nil {
+	return binary.LittleEndian.Uint32(slice), nil
+}
+
+// ReadUint32BigEndian reads a uint32 Big Endian
+func ReadUint32BigEndian(b io.ByteReader) (uint32, error) {
+	slice, err := readNBytes(b, 4)
+	if err != nil {
 		return 0, err
 	}
-	if b3, err = b.ReadByte(); err != nil {
-		return 0, err
-	}
-	if b4, err = b.ReadByte(); err != nil {
-		return 0, err
-	}
-	return uint32(b1) + uint32(b2)<<8 + uint32(b3)<<16 + uint32(b4)<<24, nil
+	return binary.BigEndian.Uint32(slice), nil
 }
 
 // ReadUint16 reads a uint16
 func ReadUint16(b io.ByteReader) (uint16, error) {
-	var b1, b2 uint8
+	slice, err := readNBytes(b, 2)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	return binary.LittleEndian.Uint16(slice), nil
+}
+
+func readNBytes(b io.ByteReader, n int) ([]byte, error) {
+	slice := make([]byte, n, n)
+	var val uint8
 	var err error
-	if b1, err = b.ReadByte(); err != nil {
-		return 0, err
+	for i := 0; i < n; i++ {
+		val, err = b.ReadByte()
+		if err != nil {
+			return []byte{}, err
+		}
+		slice[i] = val
 	}
-	if b2, err = b.ReadByte(); err != nil {
-		return 0, err
-	}
-	return uint16(b1) + uint16(b2)<<8, nil
+	return slice, nil
 }
 
 // WriteUint64 writes a uint64
@@ -71,6 +81,14 @@ func WriteUint32(b *bytes.Buffer, i uint32) {
 	b.WriteByte(uint8((i >> 24) & 0xff))
 }
 
+// WriteUint32BigEndian writes a uint32
+func WriteUint32BigEndian(b *bytes.Buffer, i uint32) {
+	b.WriteByte(uint8((i >> 24) & 0xff))
+	b.WriteByte(uint8((i >> 16) & 0xff))
+	b.WriteByte(uint8((i >> 8) & 0xff))
+	b.WriteByte(uint8(i & 0xff))
+}
+
 // WriteUint16 writes a uint16
 func WriteUint16(b *bytes.Buffer, i uint16) {
 	b.WriteByte(uint8(i & 0xff))
diff --git a/utils/utils_test.go b/utils/utils_test.go
index 3291c76e..d45550f4 100644
--- a/utils/utils_test.go
+++ b/utils/utils_test.go
@@ -23,21 +23,6 @@ var _ = Describe("Utils", func() {
 		})
 	})
 
-	Context("WriteUint32", func() {
-		It("outputs 4 bytes", func() {
-			b := &bytes.Buffer{}
-			WriteUint32(b, uint32(1))
-			Expect(b.Len()).To(Equal(4))
-		})
-
-		It("outputs a little endian", func() {
-			num := uint32(0xEFAC3512)
-			b := &bytes.Buffer{}
-			WriteUint32(b, num)
-			Expect(b.Bytes()).To(Equal([]byte{0x12, 0x35, 0xAC, 0xEF}))
-		})
-	})
-
 	Context("ReadUint16", func() {
 		It("reads a little endian", func() {
 			b := []byte{0x13, 0xEF}
@@ -68,6 +53,21 @@ var _ = Describe("Utils", func() {
 		})
 	})
 
+	Context("ReadUint32BigEndian", func() {
+		It("reads a big endian", func() {
+			b := []byte{0x12, 0x35, 0xAB, 0xFF}
+			val, err := ReadUint32BigEndian(bytes.NewReader(b))
+			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(val).To(Equal(uint32(0x1235ABFF)))
+		})
+
+		It("throws an error if less than 4 bytes are passed", func() {
+			b := []byte{0x13, 0x34, 0xEA}
+			_, err := ReadUint32(bytes.NewReader(b))
+			Expect(err).To(HaveOccurred())
+		})
+	})
+
 	Context("WriteUint16", func() {
 		It("outputs 2 bytes", func() {
 			b := &bytes.Buffer{}
@@ -82,4 +82,34 @@ var _ = Describe("Utils", func() {
 			Expect(b.Bytes()).To(Equal([]byte{0x11, 0xFF}))
 		})
 	})
+
+	Context("WriteUint32", func() {
+		It("outputs 4 bytes", func() {
+			b := &bytes.Buffer{}
+			WriteUint32(b, uint32(1))
+			Expect(b.Len()).To(Equal(4))
+		})
+
+		It("outputs a little endian", func() {
+			num := uint32(0xEFAC3512)
+			b := &bytes.Buffer{}
+			WriteUint32(b, num)
+			Expect(b.Bytes()).To(Equal([]byte{0x12, 0x35, 0xAC, 0xEF}))
+		})
+	})
+
+	Context("WriteUint32BigEndian", func() {
+		It("outputs 4 bytes", func() {
+			b := &bytes.Buffer{}
+			WriteUint32BigEndian(b, uint32(1))
+			Expect(b.Len()).To(Equal(4))
+		})
+
+		It("outputs a big endian", func() {
+			num := uint32(0xEFAC3512)
+			b := &bytes.Buffer{}
+			WriteUint32BigEndian(b, num)
+			Expect(b.Bytes()).To(Equal([]byte{0xEF, 0xAC, 0x35, 0x12}))
+		})
+	})
 })