diff --git a/modules/metadata_gguf.py b/modules/metadata_gguf.py
index 70ad41dc41..f859440d87 100644
--- a/modules/metadata_gguf.py
+++ b/modules/metadata_gguf.py
@@ -1,92 +1,147 @@
+import os
+import sys
 import struct
 from enum import IntEnum
-
+from io import BufferedReader
+from typing import Union
 
 class GGUFValueType(IntEnum):
-    UINT8 = 0
-    INT8 = 1
-    UINT16 = 2
-    INT16 = 3
-    UINT32 = 4
-    INT32 = 5
+    # Occasionally check to ensure this class is consistent with gguf
+    UINT8   = 0
+    INT8    = 1
+    UINT16  = 2
+    INT16   = 3
+    UINT32  = 4
+    INT32   = 5
     FLOAT32 = 6
-    BOOL = 7
-    STRING = 8
-    ARRAY = 9
-    UINT64 = 10
-    INT64 = 11
+    BOOL    = 7
+    STRING  = 8
+    ARRAY   = 9
+    UINT64  = 10
+    INT64   = 11
     FLOAT64 = 12
 
 
-_simple_value_packing = {
-    GGUFValueType.UINT8: "<B",
-    GGUFValueType.INT8: "<b",
-    GGUFValueType.UINT16: "<H",
-    GGUFValueType.INT16: "<h",
-    GGUFValueType.UINT32: "<I",
-    GGUFValueType.INT32: "<i",
-    GGUFValueType.FLOAT32: "<f",
-    GGUFValueType.UINT64: "<Q",
-    GGUFValueType.INT64: "<q",
-    GGUFValueType.FLOAT64: "<d",
-    GGUFValueType.BOOL: "?",
+# the GGUF format versions that this module supports
+SUPPORTED_GGUF_VERSIONS = [3]
+
+# GGUF only supports execution on little or big endian machines
+if sys.byteorder not in ['little', 'big']:
+    raise ValueError(
+        "host is not little or big endian - GGUF is unsupported"
+    )
+
+# arguments for struct.unpack() based on gguf value type
+value_packing: dict = {
+    GGUFValueType.UINT8:   "=B",
+    GGUFValueType.INT8:    "=b",
+    GGUFValueType.UINT16:  "=H",
+    GGUFValueType.INT16:   "=h",
+    GGUFValueType.UINT32:  "=I",
+    GGUFValueType.INT32:   "=i",
+    GGUFValueType.FLOAT32: "=f",
+    GGUFValueType.UINT64:  "=Q",
+    GGUFValueType.INT64:   "=q",
+    GGUFValueType.FLOAT64: "=d",
+    GGUFValueType.BOOL:    "?"
 }
 
-value_type_info = {
-    GGUFValueType.UINT8: 1,
-    GGUFValueType.INT8: 1,
-    GGUFValueType.UINT16: 2,
-    GGUFValueType.INT16: 2,
-    GGUFValueType.UINT32: 4,
-    GGUFValueType.INT32: 4,
+# length in bytes for each gguf value type
+value_lengths: dict = {
+    GGUFValueType.UINT8:   1,
+    GGUFValueType.INT8:    1,
+    GGUFValueType.UINT16:  2,
+    GGUFValueType.INT16:   2,
+    GGUFValueType.UINT32:  4,
+    GGUFValueType.INT32:   4,
     GGUFValueType.FLOAT32: 4,
-    GGUFValueType.UINT64: 8,
-    GGUFValueType.INT64: 8,
+    GGUFValueType.UINT64:  8,
+    GGUFValueType.INT64:   8,
     GGUFValueType.FLOAT64: 8,
-    GGUFValueType.BOOL: 1,
+    GGUFValueType.BOOL:    1
 }
 
+def unpack(value_type: GGUFValueType, file: BufferedReader):
+    return struct.unpack(
+        value_packing.get(value_type),
+        file.read(value_lengths.get(value_type))
+    )[0]
 
-def get_single(value_type, file):
+def get_single(
+        value_type: GGUFValueType,
+        file: BufferedReader
+    ) -> Union[str, int, float, bool]:
+    """Read a single value from an open file"""
     if value_type == GGUFValueType.STRING:
-        value_length = struct.unpack("<Q", file.read(8))[0]
-        value = file.read(value_length)
+        string_length = unpack(GGUFValueType.UINT64, file=file)
+        value = file.read(string_length)
+        # officially, strings that cannot be decoded into utf-8 are invalid
         try:
-            value = value.decode('utf-8')
+            value = value.decode("utf-8")
         except:
             pass
     else:
-        type_str = _simple_value_packing.get(value_type)
-        bytes_length = value_type_info.get(value_type)
-        value = struct.unpack(type_str, file.read(bytes_length))[0]
-
+        value = unpack(value_type, file=file)
     return value
 
+def load_metadata(
+        fn: Union[os.PathLike[str], str]
+    ) -> dict[str, Union[str, int, float, bool, list]]:
+    """
+    Given a path to a GGUF file, peek at its header for metadata
 
-def load_metadata(fname):
-    metadata = {}
-    with open(fname, 'rb') as file:
-        GGUF_MAGIC = struct.unpack("<I", file.read(4))[0]
-        GGUF_VERSION = struct.unpack("<I", file.read(4))[0]
-        ti_data_count = struct.unpack("<Q", file.read(8))[0]
-        kv_data_count = struct.unpack("<Q", file.read(8))[0]
+    Return a dictionary where all keys are strings, and values can be
+    strings, ints, floats, bools, or lists
+    """
 
-        if GGUF_VERSION == 1:
-            raise Exception('You are using an outdated GGUF, please download a new one.')
+    metadata: dict[str, Union[str, int, float, bool, list]] = {}
+    with open(fn, "rb") as file:
+        magic = file.read(4)
 
-        for i in range(kv_data_count):
-            key_length = struct.unpack("<Q", file.read(8))[0]
-            key = file.read(key_length)
+        if magic != b"GGUF":
+            raise ValueError(
+                "your model file is not a valid GGUF file "
+                f"(magic number mismatch, got {magic}, "
+                "expected b'GGUF')"
+            )
+        
+        version = unpack(GGUFValueType.UINT32, file=file)
 
-            value_type = GGUFValueType(struct.unpack("<I", file.read(4))[0])
-            if value_type == GGUFValueType.ARRAY:
-                ltype = GGUFValueType(struct.unpack("<I", file.read(4))[0])
-                length = struct.unpack("<Q", file.read(8))[0]
+        if version not in SUPPORTED_GGUF_VERSIONS:
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"your model file reports GGUF version {version}, but "
+                f"only versions {SUPPORTED_GGUF_VERSIONS} "
+                "are supported. re-convert your model or download a newer "
+                "version"
+            )
+        
+        tensor_count = unpack(GGUFValueType.UINT64, file=file)
+        metadata_kv_count = unpack(GGUFValueType.UINT64, file=file)
 
-                arr = [get_single(ltype, file) for _ in range(length)]
-                metadata[key.decode()] = arr
+        for _ in range(metadata_kv_count):
+            key_length = unpack(GGUFValueType.UINT64, file=file)
+            key = file.read(key_length)
+            value_type = GGUFValueType(
+                unpack(GGUFValueType.UINT32, file=file)
+            )
+            if value_type == GGUFValueType.ARRAY:
+                array_value_type = GGUFValueType(
+                    unpack(GGUFValueType.UINT32, file=file)
+                )
+                # array_length is the number of items in the array
+                array_length = unpack(GGUFValueType.UINT64, file=file)
+                array = [
+                    get_single(
+                        array_value_type,
+                        file
+                    ) for _ in range(array_length)
+                ]
+                metadata[key.decode()] = array
             else:
-                value = get_single(value_type, file)
+                value = get_single(
+                    value_type,
+                    file
+                )
                 metadata[key.decode()] = value
 
     return metadata