diff --git a/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/StructReader.java b/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/StructReader.java
index cdce819..e1168bf 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/StructReader.java
+++ b/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/StructReader.java
@@ -42,9 +42,9 @@ public final class StructReader {
         }
     }
 
-    public final byte getShortField(int offset) {
+    public final short getShortField(int offset) {
         if ((offset + 1) * 16 <= this.dataSize) {
-            return this.segment.buffer.get(this.data + offset * 2);
+            return this.segment.buffer.getShort(this.data + offset * 2);
         } else {
             return 0;
         }
diff --git a/runtime/src/test/java/org/capnproto/LayoutTest.java b/runtime/src/test/java/org/capnproto/LayoutTest.java
index e3f630a..e9a0a1c 100644
--- a/runtime/src/test/java/org/capnproto/LayoutTest.java
+++ b/runtime/src/test/java/org/capnproto/LayoutTest.java
@@ -11,9 +11,8 @@ public class LayoutTest {
     @Test
     public void simpleRawDataStruct() {
         byte[] data = {0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x01, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-                       0x01, 0x23, 0x45, 0x67,
-                       (byte)(0x89 & 0xff), (byte)(0xab & 0xff),
-                       (byte)(0xcd & 0xff), (byte)(0xef & 0xff)};
+                       0x01, 0x23, 0x45, 0x67, (byte)0x89, (byte)0xab,
+                       (byte)0xcd, (byte)0xef};
 
         ByteBuffer buffer = ByteBuffer.wrap(data);
         buffer.order(java.nio.ByteOrder.LITTLE_ENDIAN);
@@ -21,6 +20,17 @@ public class LayoutTest {
         StructReader reader = pointerReader.getStruct();
 
         assertThat(reader.getLongField(0), equalTo(0xefcdab8967452301L));
+        assertThat(reader.getLongField(1), equalTo(0L));
+        assertThat(reader.getIntField(0), equalTo(0x67452301));
+        assertThat(reader.getIntField(1), equalTo(0xefcdab89));
+        assertThat(reader.getIntField(2), equalTo(0));
+        assertThat(reader.getShortField(0), equalTo((short) 0x2301));
+        assertThat(reader.getShortField(1), equalTo((short)0x6745));
+        assertThat(reader.getShortField(2), equalTo((short)0xab89));
+        assertThat(reader.getShortField(3), equalTo((short)0xefcd));
+        assertThat(reader.getShortField(4), equalTo((short)0));
+
+        // TODO masking
 
     }