diff --git a/icu4j/main/classes/core/src/com/ibm/icu/text/ListFormatter.java b/icu4j/main/classes/core/src/com/ibm/icu/text/ListFormatter.java
index 559171bd09e..6e842af188c 100644
--- a/icu4j/main/classes/core/src/com/ibm/icu/text/ListFormatter.java
+++ b/icu4j/main/classes/core/src/com/ibm/icu/text/ListFormatter.java
@@ -147,9 +147,11 @@ final public class ListFormatter {
         if (i0 < 0 || i1 < 0) {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("Missing {0} or {1} in pattern " + pattern);
         }
-        return i0 < i1
-            ? pattern.substring(0, i0) + a + pattern.substring(i0+3, i1) + b + pattern.substring(i1+3)
-            : pattern.substring(0, i1) + a + pattern.substring(i1+3, i0) + b + pattern.substring(i0+3);
+        if (i0 < i1) {
+            return pattern.substring(0, i0) + a + pattern.substring(i0+3, i1) + b + pattern.substring(i1+3);
+        } else {
+            return pattern.substring(0, i1) + b + pattern.substring(i1+3, i0) + a + pattern.substring(i0+3);
+        }
     }
 
     /** JUST FOR DEVELOPMENT */
diff --git a/icu4j/main/tests/core/src/com/ibm/icu/dev/test/format/ListFormatterTest.java b/icu4j/main/tests/core/src/com/ibm/icu/dev/test/format/ListFormatterTest.java
index 1c84cb1d3cd..2bdb1df6012 100644
--- a/icu4j/main/tests/core/src/com/ibm/icu/dev/test/format/ListFormatterTest.java
+++ b/icu4j/main/tests/core/src/com/ibm/icu/dev/test/format/ListFormatterTest.java
@@ -63,6 +63,20 @@ public class ListFormatterTest extends TestFmwk {
         checkData(ListFormatter.getInstance(ULocale.JAPANESE), JapaneseTestData);
     }
 
+    String[] outOfOrderTestData = {
+            "",
+            "A",
+            "B after A",
+            "C in the last after B after the first A",
+            "D in the last after C after B after the first A",
+            "E in the last after D after C after B after the first A"
+    };
+    public void TestPatternOutOfOrder() {
+        ListFormatter formatter = new ListFormatter("{1} after {0}", "{1} after the first {0}", "{1} after {0}",
+                                                    "{1} in the last after {0}");
+        checkData(formatter, outOfOrderTestData);
+    }
+
     String[] RootTestData = {
             "",
             "A",