diff --git a/sphinx/writers/latex.py b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
index 680dc4f40..9ecba29a9 100644
--- a/sphinx/writers/latex.py
+++ b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
@@ -1555,7 +1555,11 @@ class LaTeXTranslator(nodes.NodeVisitor):
     def visit_term(self, node):
         # type: (nodes.Node) -> None
         self.in_term += 1
-        ctx = ''.join(self.hypertarget(node_id) for node_id in node['ids'])
+        ctx = ''  # type: unicode
+        if node.get('ids'):
+            ctx = '\\phantomsection'
+            for node_id in node['ids']:
+                ctx += self.hypertarget(node_id, anchor=False)
         ctx += '}] \\leavevmode'
         self.body.append('\\item[{')
         self.restrict_footnote(node)
diff --git a/tests/test_build_latex.py b/tests/test_build_latex.py
index b628f38f2..7a5ab6b41 100644
--- a/tests/test_build_latex.py
+++ b/tests/test_build_latex.py
@@ -1249,18 +1249,18 @@ def test_latex_glossary(app, status, warning):
     app.builder.build_all()
 
     result = (app.outdir / 'test.tex').text(encoding='utf8')
-    assert (u'\\item[{änhlich\\index{änhlich|textbf}\\phantomsection\\relax'
+    assert (u'\\item[{änhlich\\index{änhlich|textbf}\\phantomsection'
             r'\label{\detokenize{index:term-anhlich}}}] \leavevmode' in result)
-    assert (r'\item[{boson\index{boson|textbf}\phantomsection\relax'
+    assert (r'\item[{boson\index{boson|textbf}\phantomsection'
             r'\label{\detokenize{index:term-boson}}}] \leavevmode' in result)
     assert (r'\item[{\sphinxstyleemphasis{fermion}\index{fermion|textbf}'
-            r'\phantomsection\relax\label{\detokenize{index:term-fermion}}}] '
-            r'\leavevmode' in result)
-    assert (r'\item[{tauon\index{tauon|textbf}\phantomsection\relax'
+            r'\phantomsection'
+            r'\label{\detokenize{index:term-fermion}}}] \leavevmode' in result)
+    assert (r'\item[{tauon\index{tauon|textbf}\phantomsection'
             r'\label{\detokenize{index:term-tauon}}}] \leavevmode'
-            r'\item[{myon\index{myon|textbf}\phantomsection\relax'
+            r'\item[{myon\index{myon|textbf}\phantomsection'
             r'\label{\detokenize{index:term-myon}}}] \leavevmode'
-            r'\item[{electron\index{electron|textbf}\phantomsection\relax'
+            r'\item[{electron\index{electron|textbf}\phantomsection'
             r'\label{\detokenize{index:term-electron}}}] \leavevmode' in result)
-    assert (u'\\item[{über\\index{über|textbf}\\phantomsection\\relax'
+    assert (u'\\item[{über\\index{über|textbf}\\phantomsection'
             r'\label{\detokenize{index:term-uber}}}] \leavevmode' in result)