diff --git a/src/d_clisrv.h b/src/d_clisrv.h
index 908514c09..f607c6ebe 100644
--- a/src/d_clisrv.h
+++ b/src/d_clisrv.h
@@ -357,8 +357,8 @@ typedef struct
 		servertics_pak serverpak;           //      132495 bytes (more around 360, no?)
 		serverconfig_pak servercfg;         //         773 bytes
 		UINT8 textcmd[MAXTEXTCMD+1];        //       66049 bytes (wut??? 64k??? More like 257 bytes...)
-		filetx_pak filetxpak;               //         139 bytes
-		fileack_pak fileack;
+		char filetxpak[sizeof (filetx_pak)];//         139 bytes
+		char fileack[sizeof (fileack_pak)];
 		UINT8 filereceived;
 		clientconfig_pak clientcfg;         //         136 bytes
 		UINT8 md5sum[16];
diff --git a/src/d_net.c b/src/d_net.c
index 3e8d27c9b..426837617 100644
--- a/src/d_net.c
+++ b/src/d_net.c
@@ -913,11 +913,13 @@ static void DebugPrintpacket(const char *header)
 		case PT_SERVERREFUSE:
 			fprintf(debugfile, "    reason %s\n", netbuffer->u.serverrefuse.reason);
 			break;
-		case PT_FILEFRAGMENT:
+		case PT_FILEFRAGMENT: {
+			filetx_pak *pak = (void*)&netbuffer->u.filetxpak;
 			fprintf(debugfile, "    fileid %d datasize %d position %u\n",
-				netbuffer->u.filetxpak.fileid, (UINT16)SHORT(netbuffer->u.filetxpak.size),
-				(UINT32)LONG(netbuffer->u.filetxpak.position));
+				pak->fileid, (UINT16)SHORT(pak->size),
+				(UINT32)LONG(pak->position));
 			break;
+		}
 		case PT_REQUESTFILE:
 		default: // write as a raw packet
 			fprintfstringnewline((char *)netbuffer->u.textcmd,
diff --git a/src/d_netfil.c b/src/d_netfil.c
index fcfba62d9..3c269f63a 100644
--- a/src/d_netfil.c
+++ b/src/d_netfil.c
@@ -1124,7 +1124,7 @@ void FileSendTicker(void)
 		}
 
 		// Build a packet containing a file fragment
-		p = &netbuffer->u.filetxpak;
+		p = (void*)&netbuffer->u.filetxpak;
 		fragmentsize = FILEFRAGMENTSIZE;
 		if (f->size-transfer[i].position < fragmentsize)
 			fragmentsize = f->size-transfer[i].position;
@@ -1166,7 +1166,7 @@ void FileSendTicker(void)
 
 void PT_FileAck(void)
 {
-	fileack_pak *packet = &netbuffer->u.fileack;
+	fileack_pak *packet = (void*)&netbuffer->u.fileack;
 	INT32 node = doomcom->remotenode;
 	filetran_t *trans = &transfer[node];
 	INT32 i, j;
@@ -1310,10 +1310,11 @@ void FileReceiveTicker(void)
 
 void PT_FileFragment(void)
 {
-	INT32 filenum = netbuffer->u.filetxpak.fileid;
+	filetx_pak *pak = (void*)&netbuffer->u.filetxpak;
+	INT32 filenum = pak->fileid;
 	fileneeded_t *file = &fileneeded[filenum];
-	UINT32 fragmentpos = LONG(netbuffer->u.filetxpak.position);
-	UINT16 fragmentsize = SHORT(netbuffer->u.filetxpak.size);
+	UINT32 fragmentpos = LONG(pak->position);
+	UINT16 fragmentsize = SHORT(pak->size);
 	UINT16 boundedfragmentsize = doomcom->datalength - BASEPACKETSIZE - sizeof(netbuffer->u.filetxpak);
 	char *filename;
 
@@ -1381,7 +1382,7 @@ void PT_FileFragment(void)
 			CONS_Printf("\r%s...\n",filename);
 
 			file->currentsize = 0;
-			file->totalsize = LONG(netbuffer->u.filetxpak.filesize);
+			file->totalsize = LONG(pak->filesize);
 			file->ackresendposition = UINT32_MAX; // Only used for resumed downloads
 
 			file->receivedfragments = calloc(file->totalsize / fragmentsize + 1, sizeof(*file->receivedfragments));
@@ -1397,7 +1398,7 @@ void PT_FileFragment(void)
 		if (fragmentpos >= file->totalsize)
 			I_Error("Invalid file fragment\n");
 
-		file->iteration = max(file->iteration, netbuffer->u.filetxpak.iteration);
+		file->iteration = max(file->iteration, pak->iteration);
 
 		if (!file->receivedfragments[fragmentpos / fragmentsize]) // Not received yet
 		{
@@ -1405,7 +1406,7 @@ void PT_FileFragment(void)
 
 			// We can receive packets in the wrong order, anyway all OSes support gaped files
 			fseek(file->file, fragmentpos, SEEK_SET);
-			if (fragmentsize && fwrite(netbuffer->u.filetxpak.data, boundedfragmentsize, 1, file->file) != 1)
+			if (fragmentsize && fwrite(pak->data, boundedfragmentsize, 1, file->file) != 1)
 				I_Error("Can't write to %s: %s\n",filename, M_FileError(file->file));
 			file->currentsize += boundedfragmentsize;