diff --git a/tools/src/bin/read-tags.rs b/tools/src/bin/read-tags.rs
index 6613a91cb..1f2121cdc 100644
--- a/tools/src/bin/read-tags.rs
+++ b/tools/src/bin/read-tags.rs
@@ -6,29 +6,46 @@ use std::io::prelude::*;
 use std::path::Path;
 use std::process;
 use std::slice;
-// use tools::make_type;
+
+fn read_u32_from_ptr(p: *const u8) -> u32 {
+    let sl = unsafe { slice::from_raw_parts(p, 4) };
+    let mut arr: [u8; 4] = Default::default();
+    arr.copy_from_slice(sl);
+    u32::from_le_bytes(arr)
+}
+
+fn read_u16_from_ptr(p: *const u8) -> u16 {
+    let sl = unsafe { slice::from_raw_parts(p, 2) };
+    let mut arr: [u8; 2] = Default::default();
+    arr.copy_from_slice(sl);
+    u16::from_le_bytes(arr)
+}
 
 fn read_next_tag(b8: *mut u8, byte_offset: &mut usize) -> Result<(u32, u16, u32), ()> {
-    let tag_name = u32::from_le(unsafe { (b8 as *mut u32).add(*byte_offset / 4).read() }) as u32;
+    let tag_name = read_u32_from_ptr(b8.wrapping_add(*byte_offset));
     *byte_offset += 4;
-    let crc = u16::from_le(unsafe { (b8 as *mut u16).add(*byte_offset / 2).read() }) as u16;
+
+    let crc = read_u16_from_ptr(b8.wrapping_add(*byte_offset));
     *byte_offset += 2;
-    let size = u16::from_le(unsafe { (b8 as *mut u16).add(*byte_offset / 2).read() }) as u32 * 4;
+
+    let size = read_u16_from_ptr(b8.wrapping_add(*byte_offset)) as u32 * 4;
     *byte_offset += 2;
+
     Ok((tag_name, crc, size))
 }
 
 fn print_tag(b8: *mut u8, size: u32, crc: u16, byte_offset: &mut usize) -> Result<(), ()> {
     let data = unsafe { slice::from_raw_parts(b8.add(*byte_offset) as *const u8, size as usize) };
-    let data_32 =
-        unsafe { slice::from_raw_parts(b8.add(*byte_offset) as *const u32, size as usize / 4) };
     *byte_offset += size as usize;
 
     let mut digest = crc16::Digest::new(crc16::X25);
     digest.write(data);
 
-    for byte in data_32 {
-        print!(" {:08x}", byte);
+    let mut word_arr: [u8; 4] = Default::default();
+    for bytes in data.chunks(4) {
+        word_arr.copy_from_slice(bytes);
+        let word = u32::from_le_bytes(word_arr);
+        print!(" {:08x}", word);
     }
 
     if digest.sum16() == crc {
@@ -47,7 +64,7 @@ fn process_tags(b8: *mut u8) {
         let (tag_name, crc, size) =
             read_next_tag(b8, &mut byte_offset).expect("couldn't read next tag");
         if tag_name == u32::from_le_bytes(*b"XArg") && size == 20 {
-            total_words = unsafe { (b8 as *mut u32).add(byte_offset / 4).read() } * 4;
+            total_words = read_u32_from_ptr(b8.wrapping_add(byte_offset)) * 4;
             println!(
                 "Found Xous Args Size at offset {}, setting total_words to {}",
                 byte_offset, total_words