diff --git a/lib/templatesimplifier.cpp b/lib/templatesimplifier.cpp
index cef8e3b2f..8b226886e 100644
--- a/lib/templatesimplifier.cpp
+++ b/lib/templatesimplifier.cpp
@@ -470,14 +470,14 @@ std::list<Token *> TemplateSimplifier::getTemplateDeclarations(Token *tokens, bo
             tok = tok->linkAt(2);
 
         if (Token::simpleMatch(tok, "template <")) {
-            Token *parmEnd = tok->next()->findClosingBracket();
+            // Some syntax checks, see #6865
             if (!tok->tokAt(2))
                 syntaxError(tok->next());
-            if (tok->tokAt(2)->str()=="typename" &&
+            if (tok->strAt(2)=="typename" &&
                 (!tok->tokAt(3) || !Token::Match(tok->tokAt(3), "%name%|.")))
                 syntaxError(tok->next());
             codeWithTemplates = true;
-
+            Token *parmEnd = tok->next()->findClosingBracket();
             int indentlevel = 0;
             for (const Token *tok2 = parmEnd; tok2; tok2 = tok2->next()) {
                 if (tok2->str() == "(")