diff --git a/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty b/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty
index 5d9adb5bb..7e8421aed 100644
--- a/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty
+++ b/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty
@@ -1881,9 +1881,10 @@
     \let\sphinxtermref  \@firstofone
 }}
 
-% For curly braces inside \index macro
+% For curly braces and vertical bar inside \index macro
 \def\sphinxleftcurlybrace{\{}
 \def\sphinxrightcurlybrace{\}}
+\def\sphinxverticalbar{|}
 
 % Declare Unicode characters used by linux tree command to pdflatex utf8/utf8x
 \def\spx@bd#1#2{%
diff --git a/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.xdy b/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.xdy
index 1c0794cd9..0efbdef2f 100644
--- a/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.xdy
+++ b/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.xdy
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@
 
 (merge-rule "\sphinxleftcurlybrace{}" "{" :string)
 (merge-rule "\sphinxrightcurlybrace{}" "}" :string)
+(merge-rule "\sphinxverticalbar{}" "|" :string)
 (merge-rule "\_" "_" :string)
 (merge-rule "{[}" "[" :string)
 (merge-rule "{]}" "]" :string)
@@ -126,7 +127,6 @@
 (merge-rule "\(\rightarrow\)" "→" :string)
 (merge-rule "\(\checkmark\)" "✓" :string)
 (merge-rule "\textendash{}" "–" :string)
-(merge-rule "\textbar{}" "|" :string)
 (merge-rule "\(\sp{\text{0}}\)" "⁰" :string)
 (merge-rule "\(\sp{\text{1}}\)" "¹" :string)
 (merge-rule "\(\sp{\text{2}}\)" "²" :string)
diff --git a/sphinx/util/texescape.py b/sphinx/util/texescape.py
index e3c45adb4..5daaf137a 100644
--- a/sphinx/util/texescape.py
+++ b/sphinx/util/texescape.py
@@ -32,8 +32,6 @@ tex_replacements = [
     ('`', r'{}`'),
     ('<', r'\textless{}'),
     ('>', r'\textgreater{}'),
-    # map char for some unknown reason.  TODO: remove this?
-    ('|', r'\textbar{}'),
     # map special Unicode characters to TeX commands
     ('✓', r'\(\checkmark\)'),
     ('✔', r'\(\pmb{\checkmark}\)'),
diff --git a/sphinx/writers/latex.py b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
index 5facdc40c..7e79385f1 100644
--- a/sphinx/writers/latex.py
+++ b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
@@ -1816,6 +1816,7 @@ class LaTeXTranslator(SphinxTranslator):
             value = value.replace('"', '""')
             value = value.replace('@', '"@')
             value = value.replace('!', '"!')
+            value = value.replace('|', r'\sphinxverticalbar{}')
             return value
 
         def style(string):
diff --git a/tests/test_build_latex.py b/tests/test_build_latex.py
index 0ebcd0b62..dc91a51a0 100644
--- a/tests/test_build_latex.py
+++ b/tests/test_build_latex.py
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ def test_numref_with_prefix2(app, status, warning):
     assert ('\\hyperref[\\detokenize{baz:table22}]'
             '{Table:\\ref{\\detokenize{baz:table22}}}') in result
     assert ('\\hyperref[\\detokenize{index:code-1}]{Code-\\ref{\\detokenize{index:code-1}} '
-            '\\textbar{} }') in result
+            '| }') in result
     assert ('\\hyperref[\\detokenize{baz:code22}]'
             '{Code-\\ref{\\detokenize{baz:code22}}}') in result
     assert ('\\hyperref[\\detokenize{foo:foo}]'