diff --git a/lib/tokenlist.cpp b/lib/tokenlist.cpp
index 1610a0744..80650adcd 100644
--- a/lib/tokenlist.cpp
+++ b/lib/tokenlist.cpp
@@ -455,15 +455,23 @@ static void compileTerm(Token *& tok, std::stack<Token*> &op)
             op.push(name->next());
         }
     } else if (Token::Match(tok, "++|--")) {
-        if (!op.empty() && op.top()->isOp()) {
+        bool pre = false;
+        if (tok->next() && tok->next()->isName())
+            pre = true;
+        else if (!op.empty() && !op.top()->isOp())
+            pre = false;
+        else
+            pre = true;
+
+        if (pre) {
+            // pre increment/decrement
+            compileUnaryOp(tok, compileDot, op);
+        } else {
             // post increment/decrement
             tok->astOperand1(op.top());
             op.pop();
             op.push(tok);
             tok = tok->next();
-        } else {
-            // pre increment/decrement
-            compileUnaryOp(tok, compileDot, op);
         }
     } else if (tok->str() == "(") {
         if (iscast(tok)) {
diff --git a/test/testtokenize.cpp b/test/testtokenize.cpp
index d58d6424b..f118901ad 100644
--- a/test/testtokenize.cpp
+++ b/test/testtokenize.cpp
@@ -10054,6 +10054,10 @@ private:
         ASSERT_EQUALS("1a--+", testAst("1 + --a"));
         ASSERT_EQUALS("1a--+", testAst("1 + a--"));
         ASSERT_EQUALS("ab+!", testAst("!(a+b)"));
+
+        // how is "--" handled here:
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("ab4<<c--+?1:", testAst("a ? (b << 4) + --c : 1"));
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("ab4<<c--+?1:", testAst("a ? (b << 4) + c-- : 1"));
     }
 
     void astfunction() const { // function calls