diff --git a/lib/astutils.cpp b/lib/astutils.cpp
index ae962fdb1..17e36d5f3 100644
--- a/lib/astutils.cpp
+++ b/lib/astutils.cpp
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@ bool isVariableChangedByFunctionCall(const Token *tok, const Settings *settings,
     tok = tok ? tok->previous() : nullptr;
     if (tok && tok->link() && tok->str() == ">")
         tok = tok->link()->previous();
-    if (!Token::Match(tok, "%name% ("))
+    if (!Token::Match(tok, "%name% [(<]"))
         return false; // not a function => variable not changed
 
     // Constructor call
diff --git a/test/testastutils.cpp b/test/testastutils.cpp
index 3151ed922..29fbba6a5 100644
--- a/test/testastutils.cpp
+++ b/test/testastutils.cpp
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ private:
     void run() {
         TEST_CASE(isReturnScope);
         TEST_CASE(isVariableChanged);
+        TEST_CASE(isVariableChangedByFunctionCall);
     }
 
     bool isReturnScope(const char code[], int offset) {
@@ -74,6 +75,28 @@ private:
                                         "  if (b) { (int)((INTOF(8))result >> b); }\n"
                                         "}", "if", "}"));
     }
+
+    bool isVariableChangedByFunctionCall(const char code[], const char pattern[], bool *inconclusive) {
+        Settings settings;
+        Tokenizer tokenizer(&settings, this);
+        std::istringstream istr(code);
+        tokenizer.tokenize(istr, "test.cpp");
+        const Token * const argtok = Token::findmatch(tokenizer.tokens(), pattern);
+        return ::isVariableChangedByFunctionCall(argtok, &settings, inconclusive);
+    }
+
+    void isVariableChangedByFunctionCall() {
+        const char *code;
+        bool inconclusive;
+
+        // #8271 - template method
+        code = "void f(int x) {\n"
+               "  a<int>(x);\n"
+               "}";
+        inconclusive = false;
+        ASSERT_EQUALS(false, isVariableChangedByFunctionCall(code, "x ) ;", &inconclusive));
+        ASSERT_EQUALS(true, inconclusive);
+    }
 };
 
 REGISTER_TEST(TestAstUtils)