diff --git a/clang-tools-extra/clangd/unittests/SemanticHighlightingTests.cpp b/clang-tools-extra/clangd/unittests/SemanticHighlightingTests.cpp
--- a/clang-tools-extra/clangd/unittests/SemanticHighlightingTests.cpp
+++ b/clang-tools-extra/clangd/unittests/SemanticHighlightingTests.cpp
@@ -892,7 +892,7 @@
 
         template $Bracket[[<]]typename $TemplateParameter_def[[T]]$Bracket[[>]]
         $TemplateParameter[[T]] $Variable_def[[x]] = {};
-        template <>
+        template $Bracket[[<]]$Bracket[[>]]
         int $Variable_def[[x]]$Bracket[[<]]int$Bracket[[>]] = (int)sizeof($Class[[Base]]);
       )cpp",
       // operator calls in template
@@ -977,7 +977,7 @@
         }
         template $Bracket[[<]]typename $TemplateParameter_def[[T]]$Bracket[[>]] constexpr int $Variable_def_readonly[[V]] = 42;
         constexpr int $Variable_def_readonly[[Y]] = $Variable_readonly[[V]]$Bracket[[<]]char$Bracket[[>]];
-        template <>
+        template $Bracket[[<]]$Bracket[[>]]
         constexpr int $Variable_def_readonly[[V]]$Bracket[[<]]int$Bracket[[>]] = 5;
         template $Bracket[[<]]typename $TemplateParameter_def[[T]]$Bracket[[>]]
         constexpr int $Variable_def_readonly[[V]]$Bracket[[<]]$TemplateParameter[[T]]*$Bracket[[>]] = 6;
diff --git a/clang/lib/Sema/SemaDecl.cpp b/clang/lib/Sema/SemaDecl.cpp
--- a/clang/lib/Sema/SemaDecl.cpp
+++ b/clang/lib/Sema/SemaDecl.cpp
@@ -7674,7 +7674,12 @@
 
     // If we have any template parameter lists that don't directly belong to
     // the variable (matching the scope specifier), store them.
-    unsigned VDTemplateParamLists = TemplateParams ? 1 : 0;
+    // An explicit variable template specialization does not own any template
+    // parameter lists.
+    bool IsExplicitSpecialization =
+        IsVariableTemplateSpecialization && !IsPartialSpecialization;
+    unsigned VDTemplateParamLists =
+        (TemplateParams && !IsExplicitSpecialization) ? 1 : 0;
     if (TemplateParamLists.size() > VDTemplateParamLists)
       NewVD->setTemplateParameterListsInfo(
           Context, TemplateParamLists.drop_back(VDTemplateParamLists));