diff --git a/kaitai/kaitaistream.cpp b/kaitai/kaitaistream.cpp
index bd914c3..d3b2fcd 100644
--- a/kaitai/kaitaistream.cpp
+++ b/kaitai/kaitaistream.cpp
@@ -32,10 +32,57 @@
 #include <byteswap.h>
 #endif
 
+#include <cstring> // std::memcpy
 #include <iostream>
 #include <vector>
 #include <stdexcept>
 
+#ifdef KAITAI_STREAM_H_CPP11_SUPPORT
+#include <type_traits> // std::enable_if, std::is_trivially_copyable, std::is_trivially_constructible
+
+// Taken from https://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/numeric/bit_cast#Possible_implementation
+// (only adjusted for C++11 compatibility)
+template<class To, class From>
+typename std::enable_if<
+        sizeof(To) == sizeof(From) &&
+        std::is_trivially_copyable<From>::value &&
+        std::is_trivially_copyable<To>::value,
+        To
+>::type
+// constexpr support needs compiler magic
+static bit_cast(const From &src) noexcept
+{
+    static_assert(std::is_trivially_constructible<To>::value,
+                  "This implementation additionally requires "
+                  "destination type to be trivially constructible");
+
+    To dst;
+    std::memcpy(&dst, &src, sizeof(To));
+    return dst;
+}
+#else
+// The following implementation of `StaticAssert` was inspired by https://stackoverflow.com/a/6765840
+
+// empty default template
+template <bool b>
+struct StaticAssert;
+
+// template specialized on true
+template <>
+struct StaticAssert<true> {};
+
+template<class To, class From>
+To
+static bit_cast(const From &src)
+{
+    StaticAssert<sizeof(To) == sizeof(From)>();
+
+    To dst;
+    std::memcpy(&dst, &src, sizeof(To));
+    return dst;
+}
+#endif
+
 kaitai::kstream::kstream(std::istream *io) {
     m_io = io;
     init();
@@ -263,7 +310,7 @@ float kaitai::kstream::read_f4be() {
 #if __BYTE_ORDER == __LITTLE_ENDIAN
     t = bswap_32(t);
 #endif
-    return reinterpret_cast<float &>(t);
+    return bit_cast<float>(t);
 }
 
 double kaitai::kstream::read_f8be() {
@@ -272,7 +319,7 @@ double kaitai::kstream::read_f8be() {
 #if __BYTE_ORDER == __LITTLE_ENDIAN
     t = bswap_64(t);
 #endif
-    return reinterpret_cast<double &>(t);
+    return bit_cast<double>(t);
 }
 
 // ........................................................................
@@ -285,7 +332,7 @@ float kaitai::kstream::read_f4le() {
 #if __BYTE_ORDER == __BIG_ENDIAN
     t = bswap_32(t);
 #endif
-    return reinterpret_cast<float &>(t);
+    return bit_cast<float>(t);
 }
 
 double kaitai::kstream::read_f8le() {
@@ -294,7 +341,7 @@ double kaitai::kstream::read_f8le() {
 #if __BYTE_ORDER == __BIG_ENDIAN
     t = bswap_64(t);
 #endif
-    return reinterpret_cast<double &>(t);
+    return bit_cast<double>(t);
 }
 
 // ========================================================================
diff --git a/kaitai/kaitaistream.h b/kaitai/kaitaistream.h
index c8b5a3a..d58ae8e 100644
--- a/kaitai/kaitaistream.h
+++ b/kaitai/kaitaistream.h
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@
 // Kaitai Struct runtime API version: x.y.z = 'xxxyyyzzz' decimal
 #define KAITAI_STRUCT_VERSION 11000L
 
+// check for C++11 support - https://stackoverflow.com/a/40512515
+#if __cplusplus >= 201103L || (defined(_MSC_VER) && _MSC_VER >= 1900)
+#define KAITAI_STREAM_H_CPP11_SUPPORT
+#endif
+
 #include <istream>
 #include <sstream>
 #include <stdint.h>