Expression of the γ/δ T‐Cell receptor (TcR) for antigen on CD3⁺ intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) was studied in situ by two‐colour immunofluorescence on jejunal tissue secretions from 24 patients with coeliac disease and 17 controls. The proportion of intraepithelial TcRγ/δ⁺ cells was significantly increased (P<0.002) in untreated (median 20%, range 11–53%) as well in treated (gluten‐free diet) coeliac disease (median 23%, range 16–55%) compared with controls (median 2%, range 0–39%). Although TcRγ/β⁺ IEL dominated both in controls and coeliac disease. T cells expressing the TcRα/δ were preferentially located within the epithelium rather than in the lamina propria. Paired staining for TcRγ/δ and CD8 revealed that most (∼90%) intraepithelial TcRγ/δ⁺ lymphocytes in coeliac disease were CD8⁻. A remarkably large fraction (median 67%, range 58–94%) of intraepithelial TcRγ/δ⁺ cells expressed the V_δ1/J_δ1‐encoded epitope revealed by monoclonal antibody δTCS1. Our results suggested that increase of the intraepithelial TcRγ/δ⁺ CD8⁻ subset of T cells is particularly related to coeliac disease.