diff --git a/src/TexVC/MMLmappings/BaseParsing.php b/src/TexVC/MMLmappings/BaseParsing.php
index aa7752d62..8386bbd43 100644
--- a/src/TexVC/MMLmappings/BaseParsing.php
+++ b/src/TexVC/MMLmappings/BaseParsing.php
@@ -164,7 +164,9 @@ class BaseParsing {
 		// this goes for name =="aligned" ... tcs: 358 420 421
 		$mrow = new MMLmrow();
 		// tbd how are the table args composed ?
-		$tableArgs = [ "columnalign" => "right",
+
+		$direction = ( $name == "aligned" ) ? "left" : "right";
+		$tableArgs = [ "columnalign" => $direction,
 			"columnspacing" => "", "displaystyle" => "true", "rowspacing" => "3pt" ];
 		$mtable  = new MMLmtable( "", $tableArgs );
 		$mtr = new MMLmtr();
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/unit/TexVC/MMLRenderTest.php b/tests/phpunit/unit/TexVC/MMLRenderTest.php
index e5357521b..ad5fcfe11 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/unit/TexVC/MMLRenderTest.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/unit/TexVC/MMLRenderTest.php
@@ -15,6 +15,13 @@ use MediaWikiUnitTestCase;
  */
 class MMLRenderTest extends MediaWikiUnitTestCase {
 
+	public function testAlignLeft() {
+		$input = " \begin{align} f(x) & = (a+b)^2 \\ & = a^2+2ab+b^2 \\ \\end{align} ";
+		$mathMLtexVC = $this->generateMML( $input );
+		$this->assertStringContainsString( "columnalign=\"left\"", $mathMLtexVC );
+		$this->assertStringContainsString( "mtable", $mathMLtexVC );
+	}
+
 	public function testLeftRightAttributes() {
 		$input = "\\left( \\right) \\left[ \\right]";
 		$mathMLtexVC = $this->generateMML( $input );