diff --git a/nibabel/brikhead.py b/nibabel/brikhead.py
index deba85bb58..1a12abfbca 100644
--- a/nibabel/brikhead.py
+++ b/nibabel/brikhead.py
@@ -295,8 +295,8 @@ def __init__(self, info):
         --------
         >>> fname = os.path.join(datadir, 'example4d+orig.HEAD')
         >>> header = AFNIHeader(parse_AFNI_header(fname))
-        >>> header.get_data_dtype()
-        dtype('int16')
+        >>> header.get_data_dtype().str
+        '<i2'
         >>> header.get_zooms()
         (3.0, 3.0, 3.0, 3.0)
         >>> header.get_data_shape()
diff --git a/nibabel/streamlines/trk.py b/nibabel/streamlines/trk.py
index 7ff80dc59f..805b44edcf 100644
--- a/nibabel/streamlines/trk.py
+++ b/nibabel/streamlines/trk.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 
 from nibabel.openers import Opener
 from nibabel.py3k import asstr
-from nibabel.volumeutils import (native_code, swapped_code)
+from nibabel.volumeutils import (native_code, swapped_code, endian_codes)
 from nibabel.orientations import (aff2axcodes, axcodes2ornt)
 
 from .array_sequence import create_arraysequences_from_generator
@@ -266,10 +266,14 @@ def is_correct_format(cls, fileobj):
             return magic_number == cls.MAGIC_NUMBER
 
     @classmethod
-    def _default_structarr(cls):
+    def _default_structarr(cls, endianness=None):
         """ Return an empty compliant TRK header as numpy structured array
         """
-        st_arr = np.zeros((), dtype=header_2_dtype)
+        dt = header_2_dtype
+        if endianness is not None:
+            endianness = endian_codes[endianness]
+            dt = dt.newbyteorder(endianness)
+        st_arr = np.zeros((), dtype=dt)
 
         # Default values
         st_arr[Field.MAGIC_NUMBER] = cls.MAGIC_NUMBER
@@ -283,10 +287,10 @@ def _default_structarr(cls):
         return st_arr
 
     @classmethod
-    def create_empty_header(cls):
+    def create_empty_header(cls, endianness=None):
         """ Return an empty compliant TRK header as dict
         """
-        st_arr = cls._default_structarr()
+        st_arr = cls._default_structarr(endianness)
         return dict(zip(st_arr.dtype.names, st_arr.tolist()))
 
     @classmethod
@@ -396,7 +400,7 @@ def save(self, fileobj):
             of the TRK header data).
         """
         # Enforce little-endian byte order for header
-        header = self._default_structarr().newbyteorder('<')
+        header = self._default_structarr(endianness='little')
 
         # Override hdr's fields by those contained in `header`.
         for k, v in self.header.items():