diff --git a/Eigen/src/Core/util/Meta.h b/Eigen/src/Core/util/Meta.h
index fe9550d71..2153f2c0d 100755
--- a/Eigen/src/Core/util/Meta.h
+++ b/Eigen/src/Core/util/Meta.h
@@ -612,6 +612,16 @@ template<typename T, typename U> struct scalar_product_traits
 // typedef typename scalar_product_traits<typename remove_all<ArgType0>::type, typename remove_all<ArgType1>::type>::ReturnType type;
 // };
 
+/** \internal Obtains a POD type suitable to use as storage for an object of a size
+  * of at most Len bytes, aligned as specified by \c Align.
+  */
+template<unsigned Len, unsigned Align>
+struct aligned_storage {
+  struct type {
+    EIGEN_ALIGN_TO_BOUNDARY(Align) unsigned char data[Len];
+  };
+};
+
 } // end namespace internal
 
 namespace numext {
diff --git a/Eigen/src/SparseCore/SparseRef.h b/Eigen/src/SparseCore/SparseRef.h
index d91f38f97..748f87d62 100644
--- a/Eigen/src/SparseCore/SparseRef.h
+++ b/Eigen/src/SparseCore/SparseRef.h
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ class Ref<const SparseMatrix<MatScalar,MatOptions,MatIndex>, Options, StrideType
 
     ~Ref() {
       if(m_hasCopy) {
-        TPlainObjectType* obj = reinterpret_cast<TPlainObjectType*>(m_object_bytes);
+        TPlainObjectType* obj = reinterpret_cast<TPlainObjectType*>(&m_storage);
         obj->~TPlainObjectType();
       }
     }
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ class Ref<const SparseMatrix<MatScalar,MatOptions,MatIndex>, Options, StrideType
     {
       if((Options & int(StandardCompressedFormat)) && (!expr.isCompressed()))
       {
-        TPlainObjectType* obj = reinterpret_cast<TPlainObjectType*>(m_object_bytes);
+        TPlainObjectType* obj = reinterpret_cast<TPlainObjectType*>(&m_storage);
         ::new (obj) TPlainObjectType(expr);
         m_hasCopy = true;
         Base::construct(*obj);
@@ -227,14 +227,14 @@ class Ref<const SparseMatrix<MatScalar,MatOptions,MatIndex>, Options, StrideType
     template<typename Expression>
     void construct(const Expression& expr, internal::false_type)
     {
-      TPlainObjectType* obj = reinterpret_cast<TPlainObjectType*>(m_object_bytes);
+      TPlainObjectType* obj = reinterpret_cast<TPlainObjectType*>(&m_storage);
       ::new (obj) TPlainObjectType(expr);
       m_hasCopy = true;
       Base::construct(*obj);
     }
 
   protected:
-    char m_object_bytes[sizeof(TPlainObjectType)];
+    typename internal::aligned_storage<sizeof(TPlainObjectType), EIGEN_ALIGNOF(TPlainObjectType)>::type m_storage;
     bool m_hasCopy;
 };
 
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ class Ref<const SparseVector<MatScalar,MatOptions,MatIndex>, Options, StrideType
 
     ~Ref() {
       if(m_hasCopy) {
-        TPlainObjectType* obj = reinterpret_cast<TPlainObjectType*>(m_object_bytes);
+        TPlainObjectType* obj = reinterpret_cast<TPlainObjectType*>(&m_storage);
         obj->~TPlainObjectType();
       }
     }
@@ -335,14 +335,14 @@ class Ref<const SparseVector<MatScalar,MatOptions,MatIndex>, Options, StrideType
     template<typename Expression>
     void construct(const Expression& expr, internal::false_type)
     {
-      TPlainObjectType* obj = reinterpret_cast<TPlainObjectType*>(m_object_bytes);
+      TPlainObjectType* obj = reinterpret_cast<TPlainObjectType*>(&m_storage);
       ::new (obj) TPlainObjectType(expr);
       m_hasCopy = true;
       Base::construct(*obj);
     }
 
   protected:
-    char m_object_bytes[sizeof(TPlainObjectType)];
+    typename internal::aligned_storage<sizeof(TPlainObjectType), EIGEN_ALIGNOF(TPlainObjectType)>::type m_storage;
     bool m_hasCopy;
 };
 
diff --git a/test/packetmath.cpp b/test/packetmath.cpp
index 64dd3dbf6..00f5f042b 100644
--- a/test/packetmath.cpp
+++ b/test/packetmath.cpp
@@ -39,9 +39,12 @@ bits(const T& x) {
 // The following implement bitwise operations on floating point types
 template<typename T,typename Bits,typename Func>
 T apply_bit_op(Bits a, Bits b, Func f) {
-  Array<unsigned char,sizeof(T),1> res;
-  for(Index i=0; i<res.size();++i) res[i] = f(a[i],b[i]);
-  return *reinterpret_cast<T*>(&res);
+  Array<unsigned char,sizeof(T),1> data;
+  T res;
+  for(Index i = 0; i < data.size(); ++i)
+    data[i] = f(a[i], b[i]);
+  std::memcpy(&res, &data, sizeof(T));
+  return res;
 }
 
 #define EIGEN_TEST_MAKE_BITWISE2(OP,FUNC,T)             \