diff --git a/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.cpp b/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.cpp
index b7e0faaf0a..8a743ebc00 100644
--- a/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.cpp
+++ b/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.cpp
@@ -856,22 +856,22 @@ void AudioClient::handleAudioInput() {
             _audioPacket->reset();
 
             // write sequence number
-            _audioPacket->write(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&_outgoingAvatarAudioSequenceNumber), sizeof(quint16));
+            _audioPacket->write(_outgoingAvatarAudioSequenceNumber);
 
             if (_audioPacket->getPacketType() == PacketType::SilentAudioFrame) {
                 // pack num silent samples
                 quint16 numSilentSamples = numNetworkSamples;
-                _audioPacket->write(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&numSilentSamples), sizeof(quint16));
+                _audioPacket->write(numSilentSamples);
             } else {
                 // set the mono/stereo byte
-                _audioPacket->write(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&isStereo), sizeof(isStereo));
+                _audioPacket->write(isStereo);
             }
 
             // pack the three float positions
-            _audioPacket->write(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&headPosition), sizeof(headPosition));
+            _audioPacket->write(headPosition);
 
             // pack the orientation
-            _audioPacket->write(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&headOrientation), sizeof(headOrientation));
+            _audioPacket->write(headOrientation);
 
             if (_audioPacket->getPacketType() != PacketType::SilentAudioFrame) {
                 // audio samples have already been packed (written to networkAudioSamples)
@@ -912,12 +912,12 @@ void AudioClient::sendMuteEnvironmentPacket() {
 
     auto mutePacket = NLPacket::create(PacketType::MuteEnvironment, dataSize);
 
-    float MUTE_RADIUS = 50;
+    const float MUTE_RADIUS = 50;
 
     glm::vec3 currentSourcePosition = _positionGetter();
 
-    mutePacket->write(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&currentSourcePosition), sizeof(currentSourcePosition));
-    mutePacket->write(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&MUTE_RADIUS), sizeof(MUTE_RADIUS));
+    mutePacket->write(currentSourcePosition);
+    mutePacket->write(MUTE_RADIUS);
 
     // grab our audio mixer from the NodeList, if it exists
     SharedNodePointer audioMixer = nodeList->soloNodeOfType(NodeType::AudioMixer);
diff --git a/libraries/audio/src/AudioInjector.cpp b/libraries/audio/src/AudioInjector.cpp
index c23b5856a6..16a5bfc5e0 100644
--- a/libraries/audio/src/AudioInjector.cpp
+++ b/libraries/audio/src/AudioInjector.cpp
@@ -216,17 +216,17 @@ void AudioInjector::injectToMixer() {
             _loudness /= (float)(bytesToCopy / sizeof(int16_t));
 
             audioPacket->seek(positionOptionOffset);
-            audioPacket->write(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&_options.position), sizeof(_options.position));
-            audioPacket->write(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&_options.orientation), sizeof(_options.orientation));
+            audioPacket->write(_options.position);
+            audioPacket->write(_options.orientation);
 
             volume = MAX_INJECTOR_VOLUME * _options.volume;
             audioPacket->seek(volumeOptionOffset);
-            audioPacket->write(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&volume), sizeof(volume));
+            audioPacket->write(volume);
 
             audioPacket->seek(audioDataOffset);
 
             // pack the sequence number
-            audioPacket->write(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&outgoingInjectedAudioSequenceNumber), sizeof(quint16));
+            audioPacket->write(outgoingInjectedAudioSequenceNumber);
 
             // copy the next NETWORK_BUFFER_LENGTH_BYTES_PER_CHANNEL bytes to the packet
             audioPacket->write(_audioData.data() + _currentSendPosition, bytesToCopy);
diff --git a/libraries/networking/src/Packet.cpp b/libraries/networking/src/Packet.cpp
index b11564428f..0a48ae9800 100644
--- a/libraries/networking/src/Packet.cpp
+++ b/libraries/networking/src/Packet.cpp
@@ -156,6 +156,14 @@ void Packet::writeSequenceNumber(SequenceNumber seqNum) {
            &seqNum, sizeof(seqNum));
 }
 
+template<typename T> qint64 Packet::read(T* data) {
+    return QIODevice::read(reinterpret_cast<char*>(data), sizeof(T));
+}
+
+template<typename T> qint64 Packet::write(const T& data) {
+    return QIODevice::write(reinterpret_cast<const char*>(&data), sizeof(T));
+}
+
 static const qint64 PACKET_WRITE_ERROR = -1;
 qint64 Packet::writeData(const char* data, qint64 maxSize) {
     // make sure we have the space required to write this block
diff --git a/libraries/networking/src/Packet.h b/libraries/networking/src/Packet.h
index 471237b212..f05feab2ea 100644
--- a/libraries/networking/src/Packet.h
+++ b/libraries/networking/src/Packet.h
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ public:
     virtual bool reset() { setSizeUsed(0); return QIODevice::reset(); }
     virtual qint64 size() const { return _capacity; }
     
+    template<typename T> qint64 read(T* data);
+    template<typename T> qint64 write(const T& data);
+    
 protected:
     Packet(PacketType::Value type, int64_t size);
     Packet(const Packet& other);
diff --git a/libraries/octree/src/JurisdictionSender.cpp b/libraries/octree/src/JurisdictionSender.cpp
index 9493061354..b3c9794fcf 100644
--- a/libraries/octree/src/JurisdictionSender.cpp
+++ b/libraries/octree/src/JurisdictionSender.cpp
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ JurisdictionSender::JurisdictionSender(JurisdictionMap* map, NodeType_t type) :
 JurisdictionSender::~JurisdictionSender() {
 }
 
-
 void JurisdictionSender::processPacket(const SharedNodePointer& sendingNode, const QByteArray& packet) {
     if (packetTypeForPacket(packet) == PacketType::JurisdictionRequest) {
         if (sendingNode) {