diff --git a/include/lzf.h b/include/lzf.h
index 9de19ddf03..118aa04101 100644
--- a/include/lzf.h
+++ b/include/lzf.h
@@ -38,8 +38,12 @@
 #define LZF_VERSION 0x0105 /* 1.5, API version */
 #define HLOG        CONFIG_LIBC_LZF_HLOG
 
+#define LZF_TYPE0_HDR      0
+#define LZF_TYPE1_HDR      1
+
 #define LZF_TYPE0_HDR_SIZE 5
 #define LZF_TYPE1_HDR_SIZE 7
+
 #define LZF_MAX_HDR_SIZE   7
 #define LZF_MIN_HDR_SIZE   5
 
@@ -47,6 +51,31 @@
  * Public Types
  ****************************************************************************/
 
+/* LZF headers */
+
+struct lzf_header_s         /* Common data header */
+{
+  uint8_t lzf_magic[2];     /* [0]='Z', [1]='V' */
+  uint8_t lzf_type;         /* LZF_TYPE0_HDR or LZF_TYPE1_HDR */
+};
+
+struct lzf_type0_header_s   /* Uncompressed data header */
+{
+  uint8_t lzf_magic[2];     /* [0]='Z', [1]='V' */
+  uint8_t lzf_type;         /* LZF_TYPE0_HDR */
+  uint8_t lzf_len[2];       /* Data length (big-endian) */
+};
+
+struct lzf_type1_header_s   /* Compressed data header */
+{
+  uint8_t lzf_magic[2];     /* [0]='Z', [1]='V' */
+  uint8_t lzf_type;         /* LZF_TYPE1_HDR */
+  uint8_t lzf_clen[2];      /* Compressed data length (big-endian) */
+  uint8_t lzf_ulen[2];      /* Unompressed data length (big-endian) */
+};
+
+/* LZF hash table */
+
 #if LZF_USE_OFFSETS
 # define LZF_HSLOT_BIAS ((const uint8_t *)in_data)
   typedef unsigned int lzf_hslot_t;
@@ -95,7 +124,7 @@ typedef lzf_hslot_t lzf_state_t[1 << HLOG];
 size_t lzf_compress(FAR const void *const in_data,
                     unsigned int in_len, FAR void *out_data,
                     unsigned int out_len, lzf_state_t htab,
-                    FAR uint8_t **reshdr);
+                    FAR struct lzf_header_s **reshdr);
 
 /****************************************************************************
  * Name: lzf_decompress
diff --git a/libc/lzf/lzf_c.c b/libc/lzf/lzf_c.c
index 1191923fa0..7204ce2ec8 100644
--- a/libc/lzf/lzf_c.c
+++ b/libc/lzf/lzf_c.c
@@ -126,14 +126,13 @@
 size_t lzf_compress(FAR const void *const in_data,
                     unsigned int in_len, FAR void *out_data,
                     unsigned int out_len, lzf_state_t htab,
-                    uint8_t **reshdr)
+                    FAR struct lzf_header_s **reshdr)
 {
   FAR const uint8_t *ip = (const uint8_t *)in_data;
   FAR       uint8_t *op = (uint8_t *)out_data;
   FAR const uint8_t *in_end  = ip + in_len;
   FAR       uint8_t *out_end = op + out_len;
   FAR const uint8_t *ref;
-  FAR uint8_t *header;
   ssize_t cs;
   ssize_t retlen;
 
@@ -420,30 +419,43 @@ size_t lzf_compress(FAR const void *const in_data,
 genhdr:
   if (cs)
     {
-      header    = (uint8_t *)out_data - LZF_TYPE1_HDR_SIZE;
-      header[0] = 'Z';
-      header[1] = 'V';
-      header[2] = 1;
-      header[3] = cs >> 8;
-      header[4] = cs & 0xff;
-      header[5] = in_len >> 8;
-      header[6] = in_len & 0xff;
-      retlen    = cs + LZF_TYPE1_HDR_SIZE;
+      FAR struct lzf_type1_header_s *header;
+
+      /* Write compressed */
+
+      header = (FAR struct lzf_type1_header_s *)
+               ((uintptr_t)out_data - LZF_TYPE1_HDR_SIZE);
+      
+      header->lzf_magic[0] = 'Z';
+      header->lzf_magic[1] = 'V';
+      header->lzf_type     = LZF_TYPE1_HDR;
+      header->lzf_clen[0]  = cs >> 8;
+      header->lzf_clen[1]  = cs & 0xff;
+      header->lzf_ulen[0]  = in_len >> 8;
+      header->lzf_ulen[1]  = in_len & 0xff;
+
+      *reshdr              = (FAR struct lzf_header_s *)header;
+      retlen               = cs + LZF_TYPE1_HDR_SIZE;
     }
   else
     {
+      FAR struct lzf_type0_header_s *header;
+
       /* Write uncompressed */
 
-      header    = (uint8_t *)in_data - LZF_TYPE0_HDR_SIZE;
-      header[0] = 'Z';
-      header[1] = 'V';
-      header[2] = 0;
-      header[3] = in_len >> 8;
-      header[4] = in_len & 0xff;
-      retlen    = in_len + LZF_TYPE0_HDR_SIZE;
+      header = (FAR struct lzf_type0_header_s *)
+               ((uintptr_t)in_data - LZF_TYPE0_HDR_SIZE);
+
+      header->lzf_magic[0] = 'Z';
+      header->lzf_magic[1] = 'V';
+      header->lzf_type     = LZF_TYPE0_HDR;
+      header->lzf_len[0]   = in_len >> 8;
+      header->lzf_len[1]   = in_len & 0xff;
+
+      *reshdr              = (FAR struct lzf_header_s *)header;
+      retlen               = in_len + LZF_TYPE0_HDR_SIZE;
     }
 
-  *reshdr = header;
   return retlen;
 }