diff --git a/doc/org.texi b/doc/org.texi
index 27a3cbaad..760204f03 100644
--- a/doc/org.texi
+++ b/doc/org.texi
@@ -1880,11 +1880,15 @@ it off with
 @noindent Then the only table command that still works is
 @kbd{C-c C-c} to do a manual re-align.
 
-@node Narrow columns, Column groups, Built-in table editor, Tables
-@section Narrow columns
+@node Column width and aligment, Column groups, Built-in table editor, Tables
+@section Column width and aligment
 @cindex narrow columns in tables
+@cindex alignment in tables
+
+The width of columns is automatically determined by the table editor.  And
+also the alignment of a column is determined automatically from the fraction
+of number-like versus non-number fields in the column.
 
-The width of columns is automatically determined by the table editor.
 Sometimes a single field or a few fields need to carry more text,
 leading to inconveniently wide columns.  To limit@footnote{This feature
 does not work on XEmacs.} the width of a column, one field anywhere in
@@ -1927,6 +1931,11 @@ on a per-file basis with:
 #+STARTUP: noalign
 @end example
 
+If you would like to overrule the automatic aligment of number-rich columns
+to the right and of string-rich column to the left, you and use @samp{<r>} or
+@samp{<l>} in a similar fashion.  You may also combine alignment and field
+width like this: @samp{<l10>}.
+
 @node Column groups, Orgtbl mode, Narrow columns, Tables
 @section Column groups
 @cindex grouping columns in tables
diff --git a/lisp/ChangeLog b/lisp/ChangeLog
index 0922b490d..27aed27d3 100755
--- a/lisp/ChangeLog
+++ b/lisp/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,15 @@
 2009-06-21  Carsten Dominik  <carsten.dominik@gmail.com>
 
+	* org.el (org-set-font-lock-defaults): Adapt formatting to capture
+	new alignment strings.
+
+	* org-table.el (orgtbl-self-insert-command): Add yas/expand to
+	command list.
+	(org-table-align): Check for forced align type.
+
+	* org.el (org-self-insert-command): Add yas/expand to command
+	list.
+
 	* org-clock.el (org-clock-in-hook): New hook.
 	(org-clock-in): Run `org-clock-in-hook.
 	(org-clock-out-hook): New hook.
diff --git a/lisp/org-table.el b/lisp/org-table.el
index 17c24ecf3..5c464cf3c 100644
--- a/lisp/org-table.el
+++ b/lisp/org-table.el
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@ When nil, simply write \"#ERROR\" in corrupted fields.")
 		 (make-string sp2 ?\ ) "%%%s%ds" (make-string sp1 ?\ ) "|"))
 	 (hfmt1 (concat
 		 (make-string sp2 ?-) "%s" (make-string sp1 ?-) "+"))
-	 emptystrings links dates emph narrow fmax f1 len c e)
+	 emptystrings links dates emph narrow falign falign1 fmax f1 len c e)
     (untabify beg end)
     (remove-text-properties beg end '(org-cwidth t org-dwidth t display t))
     ;; Check if we have links or dates
@@ -594,7 +594,9 @@ When nil, simply write \"#ERROR\" in corrupted fields.")
     ;; Check if we are narrowing any columns
     (goto-char beg)
     (setq narrow (and org-format-transports-properties-p
-		      (re-search-forward "<[0-9]+>" end t)))
+		      (re-search-forward "<[rl]?[0-9]+>" end t)))
+    (goto-char beg)
+    (setq falign (re-search-forward "<[rl][0-9]*>" end t))
     ;; Get the rows
     (setq lines (org-split-string
 		 (buffer-substring beg end) "\n"))
@@ -629,12 +631,14 @@ When nil, simply write \"#ERROR\" in corrupted fields.")
     (while (< (setq i (1+ i)) maxfields)   ;; Loop over all columns
       (setq column (mapcar (lambda (x) (or (nth i x) "")) fields))
       ;; Check if there is an explicit width specified
-      (when narrow
-	(setq c column fmax nil)
+      (when (or narrow falign)
+	(setq c column fmax nil falign1 nil)
 	(while c
 	  (setq e (pop c))
-	  (if (and (stringp e) (string-match "^<\\([0-9]+\\)>$" e))
-	      (setq fmax (string-to-number (match-string 1 e)) c nil)))
+	  (when (and (stringp e) (string-match "^<\\([rl]\\)?\\([0-9]+\\)?>$" e))
+	    (if (match-end 1) (setq falign1 (match-string 1 e)))
+	    (if (match-end 2)
+		(setq fmax (string-to-number (match-string 2 e)) c nil))))
 	;; Find fields that are wider than fmax, and shorten them
 	(when fmax
 	  (loop for xx in column do
@@ -654,14 +658,16 @@ When nil, simply write \"#ERROR\" in corrupted fields.")
       ;; Get the maximum width for each column
       (push (apply 'max 1 (mapcar 'org-string-width column)) lengths)
       ;; Get the fraction of numbers, to decide about alignment of the column
-      (setq cnt 0 frac 0.0)
-      (loop for x in column do
-	    (if (equal x "")
-		nil
-	      (setq frac ( / (+ (* frac cnt)
-				(if (string-match org-table-number-regexp x) 1 0))
-			     (setq cnt (1+ cnt))))))
-      (push (>= frac org-table-number-fraction) typenums))
+      (if falign1
+	  (push (equal (downcase falign1) "r") typenums)
+	(setq cnt 0 frac 0.0)
+	(loop for x in column do
+	      (if (equal x "")
+		  nil
+		(setq frac ( / (+ (* frac cnt)
+				  (if (string-match org-table-number-regexp x) 1 0))
+			       (setq cnt (1+ cnt))))))
+	(push (>= frac org-table-number-fraction) typenums)))
     (setq lengths (nreverse lengths) typenums (nreverse typenums))
 
     ;; Store the alignment of this table, for later editing of single fields
diff --git a/lisp/org.el b/lisp/org.el
index d05ea868c..300303bb2 100644
--- a/lisp/org.el
+++ b/lisp/org.el
@@ -4522,6 +4522,7 @@ between words."
 	   '("^[ \t]*|\\(?:.*?|\\)? *\\(:?=[^|\n]*\\)" (1 'org-formula t))
 	   '("^[ \t]*| *\\([#*]\\) *|" (1 'org-formula t))
 	   '("^[ \t]*|\\( *\\([$!_^/]\\) *|.*\\)|" (1 'org-formula t))
+	   '("| *\\(<[lr]?[0-9]*>\\)" (1 'org-formula t))
 	   ;; Drawers
 	   (list org-drawer-regexp '(0 'org-special-keyword t))
 	   (list "^[ \t]*:END:" '(0 'org-special-keyword t))
@@ -4529,8 +4530,6 @@ between words."
 	   (list org-property-re
 		 '(1 'org-special-keyword t)
 		 '(3 'org-property-value t))
-	   (if org-format-transports-properties-p
-	       '("| *\\(<[0-9]+>\\) *" (1 'org-formula t)))
 	   ;; Links
 	   (if (memq 'tag lk) '(org-activate-tags (1 'org-tag prepend)))
 	   (if (memq 'angle lk) '(org-activate-angle-links (0 'org-link t)))