diff --git a/Ghidra/Features/Base/src/test/java/ghidra/app/cmd/data/CreateDataCmdTest.java b/Ghidra/Features/Base/src/test/java/ghidra/app/cmd/data/CreateDataCmdTest.java
index ef1c2adca8..dae6d83c97 100644
--- a/Ghidra/Features/Base/src/test/java/ghidra/app/cmd/data/CreateDataCmdTest.java
+++ b/Ghidra/Features/Base/src/test/java/ghidra/app/cmd/data/CreateDataCmdTest.java
@@ -483,16 +483,17 @@ public class CreateDataCmdTest extends AbstractGenericTest {
 		pdt = (Pointer) dt;
 		assertNull(pdt.getDataType());
 
+		// When default pointer is stacked, the resulting pointer size will match
+		// the outmost pointer size - in this case that is 1-byte
 		cmd = new CreateDataCmd(addr, false, true, new PointerDataType());
 		cmd.applyTo(program);
-
 		d = listing.getDataAt(addr);
 		assertNotNull(d);
 		assertTrue(d.isDefined());
-		assertEquals(addr.getPointerSize(), d.getLength());
+		assertEquals(1, d.getLength());
 		dt = d.getDataType();
 		assertTrue(dt instanceof Pointer);
-		assertEquals(addr.getPointerSize(), dt.getLength());
+		assertEquals(1, dt.getLength());
 
 		pdt = (Pointer) dt;
 		dt = pdt.getDataType();
@@ -557,16 +558,17 @@ public class CreateDataCmdTest extends AbstractGenericTest {
 		pdt = (Pointer) dt;
 		assertTrue(pdt.getDataType() instanceof ByteDataType);
 
+		// When default pointer is stacked, the resulting pointer size will match
+		// the outmost pointer size - in this case that is 1-byte
 		cmd = new CreateDataCmd(addr, false, true, new PointerDataType());
 		cmd.applyTo(program);
-
 		d = listing.getDataAt(addr);
 		assertNotNull(d);
 		assertTrue(d.isDefined());
-		assertEquals(addr.getPointerSize(), d.getLength());
+		assertEquals(1, d.getLength());
 		dt = d.getDataType();
 		assertTrue(dt instanceof Pointer);
-		assertEquals(addr.getPointerSize(), dt.getLength());
+		assertEquals(1, dt.getLength());
 
 		pdt = (Pointer) dt;
 		dt = pdt.getDataType();
@@ -630,8 +632,8 @@ public class CreateDataCmdTest extends AbstractGenericTest {
 
 		// Add external reference from pointer
 		program.getReferenceManager()
-				.addExternalReference(addr, "OtherFile", "ExtLabel", null,
-					SourceType.USER_DEFINED, 0, RefType.DATA);
+				.addExternalReference(addr, "OtherFile", "ExtLabel", null, SourceType.USER_DEFINED,
+					0, RefType.DATA);
 
 		// Undefined* becomes Byte*
 		cmd = new CreateDataCmd(addr, false, true, new ByteDataType());
diff --git a/Ghidra/Framework/SoftwareModeling/src/main/java/ghidra/program/model/data/DataUtilities.java b/Ghidra/Framework/SoftwareModeling/src/main/java/ghidra/program/model/data/DataUtilities.java
index 4916af603f..d0a8d5a4f6 100644
--- a/Ghidra/Framework/SoftwareModeling/src/main/java/ghidra/program/model/data/DataUtilities.java
+++ b/Ghidra/Framework/SoftwareModeling/src/main/java/ghidra/program/model/data/DataUtilities.java
@@ -166,6 +166,10 @@ public final class DataUtilities {
 		Reference extRef = null;
 		if (!isParentData(data, addr)) {
 
+			if (!stackPointers && isDataClearingDenied(existingType, clearMode)) {
+				throw new CodeUnitInsertionException("Could not create Data at address " + addr);
+			}
+
 			existingLength = data.getLength();
 
 			if (data.isDefined()) {
@@ -185,10 +189,6 @@ public final class DataUtilities {
 				}
 			}
 
-			if (!stackPointers && isDataClearingDenied(existingType, clearMode)) {
-				throw new CodeUnitInsertionException("Could not create Data at address " + addr);
-			}
-
 			// TODO: This can probably be eliminated
 			// Check for external reference on pointer
 			extRef =