diff --git a/src/dispnew.c b/src/dispnew.c
index 65d9cf9b4e1..bd288286924 100644
--- a/src/dispnew.c
+++ b/src/dispnew.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ Copyright (C) 1985-1988, 1993-1995, 1997-2023 Free Software Foundation,
 
 #include "sysstdio.h"
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <math.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
 #include "lisp.h"
@@ -5611,6 +5612,9 @@ buffer_posn_from_coords (struct window *w, int *x, int *y, struct display_pos *p
      argument is ZV to prevent move_it_in_display_line from matching
      based on buffer positions.  */
   move_it_in_display_line (&it, ZV, to_x, MOVE_TO_X);
+  if (mouse_point_alternate && to_x > it.current_x + ceil (it.pixel_width / 2.0))
+    move_it_in_display_line (&it, ZV, it.current_x + it.pixel_width, MOVE_TO_X);
+
   bidi_unshelve_cache (itdata, 0);
 
   Fset_buffer (old_current_buffer);
@@ -6468,6 +6472,7 @@ init_display_interactive (void)
 
   inverse_video = 0;
   cursor_in_echo_area = false;
+  mouse_point_alternate = false;
 
   /* Now is the time to initialize this; it's used by init_sys_modes
      during startup.  */
@@ -6788,6 +6793,11 @@ syms_of_display (void)
   DEFVAR_BOOL ("cursor-in-echo-area", cursor_in_echo_area,
 	       doc: /* Non-nil means put cursor in minibuffer, at end of any message there.  */);
 
+  DEFVAR_BOOL ("mouse-point-alternate", mouse_point_alternate,
+	       doc: /* Non-nil means use alternate mode for mouse click selection of point.
+In alternate mode, if the clicked x coordinate exceeds half of the selected
+display element's width, put point after it.  */);
+
   DEFVAR_LISP ("glyph-table", Vglyph_table,
 	       doc: /* Table defining how to output a glyph code to the frame.
 If not nil, this is a vector indexed by glyph code to define the glyph.