diff --git a/src/mame/drivers/dreamwld.c b/src/mame/drivers/dreamwld.c
index 61fc8e2948e..970a2105984 100644
--- a/src/mame/drivers/dreamwld.c
+++ b/src/mame/drivers/dreamwld.c
@@ -127,7 +127,6 @@ public:
 	dreamwld_state(const machine_config &mconfig, device_type type, const char *tag)
 		: driver_device(mconfig, type, tag),
 		m_spriteram(*this, "spriteram"),
-		m_paletteram(*this, "paletteram"),
 		m_bg_videoram(*this, "bg_videoram"),
 		m_bg2_videoram(*this, "bg2_videoram"),
 		m_vregs(*this, "vregs"),
@@ -138,7 +137,6 @@ public:
 
 	/* memory pointers */
 	required_shared_ptr<UINT32> m_spriteram;
-	required_shared_ptr<UINT32> m_paletteram;
 	required_shared_ptr<UINT32> m_bg_videoram;
 	required_shared_ptr<UINT32> m_bg2_videoram;
 	required_shared_ptr<UINT32> m_vregs;
@@ -160,7 +158,6 @@ public:
 	DECLARE_READ32_MEMBER(dreamwld_protdata_r);
 	DECLARE_WRITE32_MEMBER(dreamwld_6295_0_bank_w);
 	DECLARE_WRITE32_MEMBER(dreamwld_6295_1_bank_w);
-	DECLARE_WRITE32_MEMBER(dreamwld_palette_w);
 	TILE_GET_INFO_MEMBER(get_dreamwld_bg_tile_info);
 	TILE_GET_INFO_MEMBER(get_dreamwld_bg2_tile_info);
 	virtual void machine_start();
@@ -446,30 +443,12 @@ WRITE32_MEMBER(dreamwld_state::dreamwld_6295_1_bank_w)
 		logerror("OKI1: unk bank write %x mem_mask %8x\n", data, mem_mask);
 }
 
-// why doesn't using paletteram_xRRRRRGGGGGBBBBB_word_w with a 16-bit handler work? colours are
-// severely corrupt on dream world's semicom screen + many sprites, seems palette values get duplicated.
-WRITE32_MEMBER(dreamwld_state::dreamwld_palette_w)
-{
-	UINT16 dat;
-	int color;
-
-	COMBINE_DATA(&m_paletteram[offset]);
-	color = offset * 2;
-
-	dat = m_paletteram[offset] & 0x7fff;
-	m_palette->set_pen_color(color+1, pal5bit(dat >> 10), pal5bit(dat >> 5), pal5bit(dat >> 0));
-
-	dat = (m_paletteram[offset] >> 16) & 0x7fff;
-	m_palette->set_pen_color(color, pal5bit(dat >> 10), pal5bit(dat >> 5), pal5bit(dat >> 0));
-}
-
-
 
 static ADDRESS_MAP_START( baryon_map, AS_PROGRAM, 32, dreamwld_state )
 	AM_RANGE(0x000000, 0x0fffff) AM_ROM  AM_WRITENOP
 
 	AM_RANGE(0x400000, 0x401fff) AM_RAM AM_SHARE("spriteram")
-	AM_RANGE(0x600000, 0x601fff) AM_RAM AM_WRITE(dreamwld_palette_w) AM_SHARE("paletteram")
+	AM_RANGE(0x600000, 0x601fff) AM_DEVREADWRITE16("palette",  palette_device, read, write, 0xffffffff) AM_SHARE("palette")
 	AM_RANGE(0x800000, 0x801fff) AM_RAM_WRITE(dreamwld_bg_videoram_w ) AM_SHARE("bg_videoram")
 	AM_RANGE(0x802000, 0x803fff) AM_RAM_WRITE(dreamwld_bg2_videoram_w ) AM_SHARE("bg2_videoram")
 	AM_RANGE(0x804000, 0x805fff) AM_RAM AM_SHARE("vregs")  // scroll regs etc.
@@ -605,6 +584,9 @@ static MACHINE_CONFIG_START( baryon, dreamwld_state )
 	MCFG_SCREEN_VBLANK_DRIVER(dreamwld_state, screen_eof_dreamwld)
 
 	MCFG_PALETTE_ADD("palette", 0x1000)
+	MCFG_PALETTE_FORMAT(xRRRRRGGGGGBBBBB)
+	MCFG_PALETTE_ENDIANNESS(ENDIANNESS_LITTLE)
+
 	MCFG_GFXDECODE_ADD("gfxdecode", dreamwld)
 
 
diff --git a/src/mame/drivers/ultrsprt.c b/src/mame/drivers/ultrsprt.c
index 79f659df1f3..807a6e3a7f4 100644
--- a/src/mame/drivers/ultrsprt.c
+++ b/src/mame/drivers/ultrsprt.c
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ public:
 
 	DECLARE_READ32_MEMBER(vram_r);
 	DECLARE_WRITE32_MEMBER(vram_w);
-	DECLARE_WRITE32_MEMBER(palette_w);
 	DECLARE_READ32_MEMBER(eeprom_r);
 	DECLARE_WRITE32_MEMBER(eeprom_w);
 	DECLARE_WRITE32_MEMBER(int_ack_w);
@@ -78,16 +77,6 @@ UINT32 ultrsprt_state::screen_update_ultrsprt(screen_device &screen, bitmap_ind1
 }
 
 
-WRITE32_MEMBER(ultrsprt_state::palette_w)
-{
-	COMBINE_DATA(&m_generic_paletteram_32[offset]);
-	data = m_generic_paletteram_32[offset];
-
-	m_palette->set_pen_color((offset*2)+0, rgb_t(pal5bit(data >> 26), pal5bit(data >> 21), pal5bit(data >> 16)));
-	m_palette->set_pen_color((offset*2)+1, rgb_t(pal5bit(data >> 10), pal5bit(data >>  5), pal5bit(data >>  0)));
-}
-
-
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
 WRITE32_MEMBER(ultrsprt_state::int_ack_w)
@@ -146,7 +135,7 @@ static ADDRESS_MAP_START( ultrsprt_map, AS_PROGRAM, 32, ultrsprt_state )
 	AM_RANGE(0x700000c0, 0x700000cf) AM_WRITENOP // Written following DMA interrupt - unused int ack?
 	AM_RANGE(0x700000e0, 0x700000e3) AM_WRITE(int_ack_w)
 	AM_RANGE(0x7f000000, 0x7f01ffff) AM_RAM AM_SHARE("workram")
-	AM_RANGE(0x7f700000, 0x7f703fff) AM_RAM_WRITE(palette_w) AM_SHARE("paletteram")
+	AM_RANGE(0x7f700000, 0x7f703fff) AM_DEVREADWRITE16("palette",  palette_device, read, write, 0xffffffff) AM_SHARE("palette")
 	AM_RANGE(0x7f800000, 0x7f9fffff) AM_MIRROR(0x00600000) AM_ROM AM_REGION("program", 0)
 ADDRESS_MAP_END
 
@@ -242,6 +231,8 @@ static MACHINE_CONFIG_START( ultrsprt, ultrsprt_state )
 	MCFG_SCREEN_UPDATE_DRIVER(ultrsprt_state, screen_update_ultrsprt)
 
 	MCFG_PALETTE_ADD("palette", 8192)
+	MCFG_PALETTE_FORMAT(xRRRRRGGGGGBBBBB)
+	MCFG_PALETTE_ENDIANNESS(ENDIANNESS_LITTLE)
 
 	/* sound hardware */
 	MCFG_K056800_ADD("k056800", XTAL_18_432MHz)