diff --git a/core/includes/form.inc b/core/includes/form.inc
index 54feee0952db4e274ec727a8e743589f6ed9c3ac..bd6d35205cdfb63d946bfbc25d71c06d7ffd38a5 100644
--- a/core/includes/form.inc
+++ b/core/includes/form.inc
@@ -1293,29 +1293,30 @@ function form_pre_render_checkbox($element) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Returns HTML for a set of checkbox form elements.
+ * Prepares variables for checkboxes templates.
  *
- * @param $variables
+ * Default template: checkboxes.html.twig.
+ *
+ * @param array $variables
  *   An associative array containing:
  *   - element: An associative array containing the properties of the element.
  *     Properties used: #children, #attributes.
- *
- * @ingroup themeable
  */
-function theme_checkboxes($variables) {
+function template_preprocess_checkboxes(&$variables) {
   $element = $variables['element'];
-  $attributes = array();
+  $variables['attributes'] = array();
   if (isset($element['#id'])) {
-    $attributes['id'] = $element['#id'];
+    $variables['attributes']['id'] = $element['#id'];
   }
-  $attributes['class'][] = 'form-checkboxes';
+  $variables['attributes']['class'] = array();
+  $variables['attributes']['class'][] = 'form-checkboxes';
   if (!empty($element['#attributes']['class'])) {
-    $attributes['class'] = array_merge($attributes['class'], $element['#attributes']['class']);
+    $variables['attributes']['class'] = array_merge($variables['attributes']['class'], $element['#attributes']['class']);
   }
   if (isset($element['#attributes']['title'])) {
-    $attributes['title'] = $element['#attributes']['title'];
+    $variables['attributes']['title'] = $element['#attributes']['title'];
   }
-  return '<div' . new Attribute($attributes) . '>' . (!empty($element['#children']) ? $element['#children'] : '') . '</div>';
+  $variables['children'] = $element['#children'];
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/core/includes/theme.inc b/core/includes/theme.inc
index 52ce3160165d2ada7e50c3f88030862f40f141df..69094036665662d2b96fb91436d88411b11fc457 100644
--- a/core/includes/theme.inc
+++ b/core/includes/theme.inc
@@ -2732,6 +2732,7 @@ function drupal_common_theme() {
     ),
     'checkboxes' => array(
       'render element' => 'element',
+      'template' => 'checkboxes',
     ),
     'form' => array(
       'render element' => 'element',
diff --git a/core/modules/system/templates/checkboxes.html.twig b/core/modules/system/templates/checkboxes.html.twig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..00384d3b73cde67527f9954a3a6a041eab93767e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/modules/system/templates/checkboxes.html.twig
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+{#
+/**
+ * @file
+ * Default theme implementation for a 'checkboxes' #type form element.
+ *
+ * Available variables
+ * - attributes: A list of HTML attributes for the wrapper element.
+ * - children: The rendered checkboxes.
+ *
+ * @see template_preprocess_checkboxes()
+ *
+ * @ingroup themeable
+ */
+ @todo: remove this file once http://drupal.org/node/1819284 is resolved.
+ This is identical to core/modules/system/templates/container.html.twig
+#}
+<div{{ attributes }}>{{ children }}</div>