diff --git a/elliptic-curve/src/secret_key.rs b/elliptic-curve/src/secret_key.rs
index 1011130b6..cb38c2611 100644
--- a/elliptic-curve/src/secret_key.rs
+++ b/elliptic-curve/src/secret_key.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 #[cfg(all(feature = "pkcs8", feature = "sec1"))]
 mod pkcs8;
 
-use crate::{Curve, Error, FieldBytes, Result, ScalarValue};
+use crate::{Curve, Error, FieldBytes, Result, ScalarValue, bigint::ByteOrder};
 use array::typenum::Unsigned;
 use common::{Generate, InvalidKey, KeySizeUser, TryKeyInit};
 use core::fmt::{self, Debug};
@@ -148,10 +148,11 @@ where
 
     /// Deserialize secret key from an encoded secret scalar passed as a byte slice.
     ///
-    /// The slice is expected to be a minimum of 24-bytes (192-bytes) and at most
+    /// The slice is expected to be a minimum of 24 bytes (192 bits) and at most
     /// `C::FieldBytesSize` bytes in length.
     ///
-    /// Byte slices shorter than the field size are handled by zero padding the input.
+    /// Byte slices shorter than the field size are padded with zeros at the most-significant end,
+    /// according to [`Curve::FIELD_ENDIANNESS`].
     ///
     /// NOTE: this function is variable-time with respect to the input length. To avoid a timing
     /// sidechannel, always ensure that the input has been pre-padded to `C::FieldBytesSize`.
@@ -165,15 +166,22 @@ where
             Self::from_bytes(field_bytes)
         } else if (Self::MIN_SIZE..C::FieldBytesSize::USIZE).contains(&slice.len()) {
             let mut bytes = Zeroizing::new(FieldBytes::<C>::default());
-            let offset = C::FieldBytesSize::USIZE.saturating_sub(slice.len());
-            bytes[offset..].copy_from_slice(slice);
+
+            match C::FIELD_ENDIANNESS {
+                ByteOrder::BigEndian => {
+                    let offset = C::FieldBytesSize::USIZE - slice.len();
+                    bytes[offset..].copy_from_slice(slice);
+                }
+                ByteOrder::LittleEndian => bytes[..slice.len()].copy_from_slice(slice),
+            }
+
             Self::from_bytes(&bytes)
         } else {
             Err(Error)
         }
     }
 
-    /// Serialize raw secret scalar as a big endian integer.
+    /// Serialize the raw secret scalar using the curve's configured field endianness.
     pub fn to_bytes(&self) -> FieldBytes<C> {
         self.inner.to_bytes()
     }
diff --git a/elliptic-curve/tests/secret_key.rs b/elliptic-curve/tests/secret_key.rs
index 7be475143..71e61e9af 100644
--- a/elliptic-curve/tests/secret_key.rs
+++ b/elliptic-curve/tests/secret_key.rs
@@ -2,27 +2,57 @@
 
 #![cfg(feature = "dev")]
 
-use elliptic_curve::dev::SecretKey;
+use elliptic_curve::{
+    Curve, SecretKey,
+    array::typenum::U32,
+    bigint::{ByteOrder, Odd, U256},
+    dev::SecretKey as MockSecretKey,
+};
+
+#[derive(Copy, Clone, Debug, Default, Eq, Ord, PartialEq, PartialOrd)]
+struct LittleEndianMockCurve;
+
+impl Curve for LittleEndianMockCurve {
+    type FieldBytesSize = U32;
+    type Uint = U256;
+
+    const ORDER: Odd<U256> = Odd::<U256>::from_be_hex(
+        "ffffffff00000000ffffffffffffffffbce6faada7179e84f3b9cac2fc632551",
+    );
+    const FIELD_ENDIANNESS: ByteOrder = ByteOrder::LittleEndian;
+}
 
 #[test]
 fn from_empty_slice() {
-    assert!(SecretKey::from_slice(&[]).is_err());
+    assert!(MockSecretKey::from_slice(&[]).is_err());
 }
 
 #[test]
 fn from_slice_expected_size() {
     let bytes = [1u8; 32];
-    assert!(SecretKey::from_slice(&bytes).is_ok());
+    assert!(MockSecretKey::from_slice(&bytes).is_ok());
 }
 
 #[test]
 fn from_slice_allowed_short() {
     let bytes = [1u8; 24];
-    assert!(SecretKey::from_slice(&bytes).is_ok());
+    assert!(MockSecretKey::from_slice(&bytes).is_ok());
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn from_slice_allowed_short_little_endian() {
+    let mut bytes = [0u8; 24];
+    bytes[0] = 1;
+
+    let secret_key = SecretKey::<LittleEndianMockCurve>::from_slice(&bytes).unwrap();
+    let encoded = secret_key.to_bytes();
+
+    assert_eq!(&encoded[..bytes.len()], &bytes);
+    assert_eq!(&encoded[bytes.len()..], &[0u8; 8]);
 }
 
 #[test]
 fn from_slice_too_short() {
     let bytes = [1u8; 23]; // min 24-bytes
-    assert!(SecretKey::from_slice(&bytes).is_err());
+    assert!(MockSecretKey::from_slice(&bytes).is_err());
 }