diff --git a/clang/lib/Format/Format.cpp b/clang/lib/Format/Format.cpp
--- a/clang/lib/Format/Format.cpp
+++ b/clang/lib/Format/Format.cpp
@@ -2282,9 +2282,11 @@
       }
     }
     if (Style.DerivePointerAlignment) {
-      Style.PointerAlignment = countVariableAlignments(AnnotatedLines) <= 0
-                                   ? FormatStyle::PAS_Left
-                                   : FormatStyle::PAS_Right;
+      const auto NetRightCount = countVariableAlignments(AnnotatedLines);
+      if (NetRightCount > 0)
+        Style.PointerAlignment = FormatStyle::PAS_Right;
+      else if (NetRightCount < 0)
+        Style.PointerAlignment = FormatStyle::PAS_Left;
       Style.ReferenceAlignment = FormatStyle::RAS_Pointer;
     }
     if (Style.Standard == FormatStyle::LS_Auto) {
diff --git a/clang/unittests/Format/FormatTest.cpp b/clang/unittests/Format/FormatTest.cpp
--- a/clang/unittests/Format/FormatTest.cpp
+++ b/clang/unittests/Format/FormatTest.cpp
@@ -10781,6 +10781,33 @@
             format(Prefix + "int* x;", DerivePointerAlignment));
 }
 
+TEST_F(FormatTest, PointerAlignmentFallback) {
+  FormatStyle Style = getLLVMStyle();
+  Style.DerivePointerAlignment = true;
+
+  const StringRef Code("int* p;\n"
+                       "int *q;\n"
+                       "int * r;");
+
+  EXPECT_EQ(Style.PointerAlignment, FormatStyle::PAS_Right);
+  verifyFormat("int *p;\n"
+               "int *q;\n"
+               "int *r;",
+               Code, Style);
+
+  Style.PointerAlignment = FormatStyle::PAS_Left;
+  verifyFormat("int* p;\n"
+               "int* q;\n"
+               "int* r;",
+               Code, Style);
+
+  Style.PointerAlignment = FormatStyle::PAS_Middle;
+  verifyFormat("int * p;\n"
+               "int * q;\n"
+               "int * r;",
+               Code, Style);
+}
+
 TEST_F(FormatTest, UnderstandsNewAndDelete) {
   verifyFormat("void f() {\n"
                "  A *a = new A;\n"