diff --git a/openmp/runtime/src/kmp_settings.cpp b/openmp/runtime/src/kmp_settings.cpp
--- a/openmp/runtime/src/kmp_settings.cpp
+++ b/openmp/runtime/src/kmp_settings.cpp
@@ -2790,14 +2790,6 @@
     return;
   }
 
-  // If OMP_PROC_BIND is not specified but OMP_PLACES is,
-  // then let OMP_PROC_BIND default to true.
-  if (__kmp_nested_proc_bind.bind_types[0] == proc_bind_default) {
-    __kmp_nested_proc_bind.bind_types[0] = proc_bind_true;
-  }
-
-  //__kmp_affinity_num_places = 0;
-
   if (__kmp_match_str("threads", scan, &next)) {
     scan = next;
     __kmp_affinity_type = affinity_compact;
@@ -2833,9 +2825,14 @@
       __kmp_affinity_type = affinity_explicit;
       __kmp_affinity_gran = affinity_gran_fine;
       __kmp_affinity_dups = FALSE;
-      if (__kmp_nested_proc_bind.bind_types[0] == proc_bind_default) {
-        __kmp_nested_proc_bind.bind_types[0] = proc_bind_true;
-      }
+    } else {
+      // Syntax error fallback
+      __kmp_affinity_type = affinity_compact;
+      __kmp_affinity_gran = affinity_gran_thread;
+      __kmp_affinity_dups = FALSE;
+    }
+    if (__kmp_nested_proc_bind.bind_types[0] == proc_bind_default) {
+      __kmp_nested_proc_bind.bind_types[0] = proc_bind_true;
     }
     return;
   }
diff --git a/openmp/runtime/test/affinity/omp-places-invalid-syntax.c b/openmp/runtime/test/affinity/omp-places-invalid-syntax.c
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openmp/runtime/test/affinity/omp-places-invalid-syntax.c
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+// RUN: %libomp-compile && env KMP_SETTINGS=1 OMP_PLACES=invalid %libomp-run 2>&1 | FileCheck %s
+// CHECK-DAG: Effective settings
+// CHECK: OMP_PLACES=
+// CHECK-SAME: threads
+// REQUIRES: affinity
+
+int main() {
+  #pragma omp parallel
+  {}
+  return 0;
+}