diff --git a/basis/classes/struct/bit-accessors/bit-accessors.factor b/basis/classes/struct/bit-accessors/bit-accessors.factor
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9d625beab3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/basis/classes/struct/bit-accessors/bit-accessors.factor
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+! Copyright (C) 2009 Daniel Ehrenberg
+! See http://factorcode.org/license.txt for BSD license.
+USING: kernel sequences math fry locals math.order alien.accessors ;
+IN: classes.struct.bit-accessors
+
+! Bitfield accessors are little-endian on all platforms
+! Why not? It's platform-dependent in C
+
+: ones-between ( start end -- n )
+    [ 2^ 1 - ] bi@ swap bitnot bitand ;
+
+:: read-bits ( offset bits -- quot: ( byte-array -- n ) shift-amount offset' bits' )
+    offset 8 /mod :> start-bit :> i
+    start-bit bits + 8 min :> end-bit
+    start-bit end-bit ones-between :> mask
+    end-bit start-bit - :> used-bits
+
+    ! The code generated for this isn't optimal
+    ! To improve the code, algebraic simplifications should
+    ! have interval information available
+    [ i alien-unsigned-1 mask bitand start-bit neg shift ]
+    used-bits
+    i 1 + 8 *
+    bits used-bits - ;
+
+: bit-reader ( offset bits -- quot: ( alien -- n ) )
+    read-bits dup zero? [ 3drop ] [
+        bit-reader swap '[ _ _ bi _ shift bitor ]
+    ] if ;
diff --git a/basis/classes/struct/struct.factor b/basis/classes/struct/struct.factor
index df0e07c964..6593e8350d 100755
--- a/basis/classes/struct/struct.factor
+++ b/basis/classes/struct/struct.factor
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ combinators.smart cpu.architecture definitions functors.backend
 fry generalizations generic.parser kernel kernel.private lexer
 libc locals macros make math math.order parser quotations
 sequences slots slots.private specialized-arrays vectors words
-summary namespaces assocs vocabs.parser math.functions bit-arrays ;
+summary namespaces assocs vocabs.parser math.functions
+classes.struct.bit-accessors bit-arrays ;
 QUALIFIED: math
 IN: classes.struct
 
@@ -89,23 +90,14 @@ MACRO: <struct-boa> ( class -- quot: ( ... -- struct ) )
 : pad-struct-slots ( values class -- values' class )
     [ struct-slots [ initial>> ] map over length tail append ] keep ;
 
-: bits@ ( slot -- beginning end )
-    [ offset>> ] [ bits>> ] bi dupd + ;
-
-QUALIFIED: math.bits
-
-: bytes>bits ( byte-array -- bit-array )
-    [ 8 math.bits:<bits> ] { } map-as ?{ } join ;
-
-: read-bits ( beginning end byte-array -- n )
-    ! This is absurdly inefficient
-    bytes>bits subseq bit-array>integer ;
-
 : sign-extend ( n bits -- n' )
     ! formula from:
     ! http://guru.multimedia.cx/fast-sign-extension/
     1 - -1 swap shift [ + ] keep bitxor ; inline
 
+: sign-extender ( signed? bits -- quot )
+    '[ _ [ _ sign-extend ] when ] ;
+
 GENERIC: (reader-quot) ( slot -- quot )
 
 M: struct-slot-spec (reader-quot)
@@ -113,10 +105,10 @@ M: struct-slot-spec (reader-quot)
     [ offset>> [ >c-ptr ] swap suffix ] bi prepend ;
 
 M: struct-bit-slot-spec (reader-quot)
-    [ bits@ ] [ signed?>> ] [ bits>> ] tri '[
-        [ _ _ ] dip (underlying)>> read-bits
-        _ [ _ sign-extend ] when
-    ] ;
+    [ [ offset>> ] [ bits>> ] bi bit-reader ]
+    [ [ signed?>> ] [ bits>> ] bi sign-extender ]
+    bi compose
+    [ >c-ptr ] prepose ;
 
 GENERIC: (writer-quot) ( slot -- quot )
 
@@ -124,6 +116,11 @@ M: struct-slot-spec (writer-quot)
     [ type>> c-setter ]
     [ offset>> [ >c-ptr ] swap suffix ] bi prepend ;
 
+QUALIFIED: math.bits
+
+: bytes>bits ( byte-array -- bit-array )
+    [ 8 math.bits:<bits> ] { } map-as ?{ } join ;
+
 : (write-bits) ( value offset end byte-array -- )
     ! This is absurdly inefficient
     [
@@ -131,6 +128,9 @@ M: struct-slot-spec (writer-quot)
         replace-slice ?{ } like underlying>>
     ] keep 0 swap copy ;
 
+: bits@ ( slot -- beginning end )
+    [ offset>> ] [ bits>> ] bi dupd + ;
+
 M: struct-bit-slot-spec (writer-quot) ( slot -- quot )
     bits@ '[ [ _ _ ] dip (underlying)>> (write-bits) ] ;