diff --git a/lib/templatesimplifier.cpp b/lib/templatesimplifier.cpp
index e4ca1c698..887863bd1 100644
--- a/lib/templatesimplifier.cpp
+++ b/lib/templatesimplifier.cpp
@@ -932,12 +932,16 @@ void TemplateSimplifier::simplifyTemplateAliases()
         startToken = startToken->tokAt(-5);
         while (Token::Match(startToken, "%name%|<|>|>>|,"))
             startToken = startToken->previous();
-        if (!Token::Match(startToken, "[;{}] template <"))
+        // handle case where 'template' is first token
+        if (!startToken) {
+            if (!Token::simpleMatch(mTokenList.front(), "template <"))
+                continue;
+        } else if (!Token::Match(startToken, "[;{}] template <"))
             continue;
 
         // alias parameters..
         std::vector<const Token *> aliasParameters;
-        getTemplateParametersInDeclaration(startToken->tokAt(3), aliasParameters);
+        getTemplateParametersInDeclaration(startToken ? startToken->tokAt(3) : mTokenList.front()->tokAt(2), aliasParameters);
         std::map<std::string, unsigned int> aliasParameterNames;
         for (unsigned int argnr = 0; argnr < aliasParameters.size(); ++argnr)
             aliasParameterNames[aliasParameters[argnr]->str()] = argnr;
@@ -1016,7 +1020,7 @@ void TemplateSimplifier::simplifyTemplateAliases()
         }
         if (endToken) {
             // Remove all template instantiations in template alias
-            for (const Token *tok = startToken; tok != endToken; tok = tok->next()) {
+            for (const Token *tok = startToken ? startToken : mTokenList.front(); tok != endToken; tok = tok->next()) {
                 if (!Token::Match(tok, "%name% <"))
                     continue;
                 std::list<TokenAndName>::iterator it = std::find_if(mTemplateInstantiations.begin(),
@@ -1031,7 +1035,21 @@ void TemplateSimplifier::simplifyTemplateAliases()
                 mTemplateInstantiations.erase(it,next);
             }
 
-            Token::eraseTokens(startToken, endToken);
+            // find declaration
+            const std::list<TokenAndName>::iterator it2 = std::find_if(mTemplateDeclarations.begin(),
+                    mTemplateDeclarations.end(),
+                    FindToken(startToken ? startToken : mTokenList.front()));
+
+            if (startToken)
+                eraseTokens(startToken, endToken);
+            else {
+                eraseTokens(mTokenList.front(), endToken);
+                deleteToken(mTokenList.front());
+            }
+
+            // remove declaration
+            if (it2 != mTemplateDeclarations.end())
+                mTemplateDeclarations.erase(it2);
         }
     }
 }
@@ -1125,6 +1143,8 @@ int TemplateSimplifier::getTemplateNamePosition(const Token *tok)
     int namepos = 0;
     if (Token::Match(tok, "> class|struct|union %type% :|<|;|{"))
         namepos = 2;
+    else if (Token::Match(tok, "> using %name% ="))
+        namepos = 2;
     else if (getTemplateNamePositionTemplateVariable(tok, namepos))
         ;
     else if (!getTemplateNamePositionTemplateFunction(tok, namepos))
diff --git a/test/testsimplifytemplate.cpp b/test/testsimplifytemplate.cpp
index 64619c25a..4492481d5 100644
--- a/test/testsimplifytemplate.cpp
+++ b/test/testsimplifytemplate.cpp
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ private:
         TEST_CASE(template95); // #7417
         TEST_CASE(template96); // #7854
         TEST_CASE(template97);
+        TEST_CASE(template98); // #8959
         TEST_CASE(template_specialization_1);  // #7868 - template specialization template <typename T> struct S<C<T>> {..};
         TEST_CASE(template_specialization_2);  // #7868 - template specialization template <typename T> struct S<C<T>> {..};
         TEST_CASE(template_enum);  // #6299 Syntax error in complex enum declaration (including template)
@@ -2052,6 +2053,25 @@ private:
         ASSERT_EQUALS(exp, tok(code));
     }
 
+    void template98() { // #8959
+        const char code[] = "template <typename T>\n"
+                            "using unique_ptr_with_deleter = std::unique_ptr<T, std::function<void(T*)>>;\n"
+                            "class A {};\n"
+                            "static void func() {\n"
+                            "    unique_ptr_with_deleter<A> tmp(new A(), [](A* a) {\n"
+                            "        delete a;\n"
+                            "    });\n"
+                            "}";
+        const char exp[] = "; "
+                           "class A { } ; "
+                           "static void func ( ) { "
+                           "std :: unique_ptr < A , std :: function < void ( A * ) > > tmp ( new A ( ) , [ ] ( A * a ) { "
+                           "delete a ; "
+                           "} ) ; "
+                           "}";
+        ASSERT_EQUALS(exp, tok(code));
+    }
+
     void template_specialization_1() {  // #7868 - template specialization template <typename T> struct S<C<T>> {..};
         const char code[] = "template <typename T> struct C {};\n"
                             "template <typename T> struct S {a};\n"
diff --git a/test/testvarid.cpp b/test/testvarid.cpp
index cc4ff0744..889e56457 100644
--- a/test/testvarid.cpp
+++ b/test/testvarid.cpp
@@ -2144,10 +2144,9 @@ private:
     void varid_templateUsing() { // #5781 #7273
         const char code[] = "template<class T> using X = Y<T,4>;\n"
                             "X<int> x;";
-        TODO_ASSERT_EQUALS("\nY<int,4> x@1;\n",
-                           "1: template < class T > using X = Y < T , 4 > ;\n"
-                           "2: X < int > x@1 ;\n",
-                           tokenize(code));
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("1: ;\n"
+                      "2: Y < int , 4 > x@1 ;\n",
+                      tokenize(code));
     }
 
     void varid_not_template_in_condition() {