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We aimed to determine the role of cytomegalovirus (CMV)‐infected donor cells in the development of a CMV‐specific immune response in kidney transplant recipients. We assessed the CMVpp65‐specific immune response by using interferon‐ɣ ELISPOTand dextramers in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 115 recipients (D+R− 31, D+R + 44, D−R + 40) late after transplantation (mean 59 ± 42 months). Receiving a kidney from a D+ donor resulted in a higher number of IFN‐ɣ‐producing anti‐CMVT cells (P= .004). This effect disappeared with the absence of shared HLAclass I specificities between donors and recipients (P= .430). To confirm the role of donor cells in stimulating the expansion of newly developed CMV‐specific CD8+T cells after transplantation, we compared the number of HLA‐A2–restricted CMV‐specific CD8+T cells in primo‐infected recipients who received an HLA‐A2 or non–HLA‐A2 graft. The median of anti‐CMVpp65 T cells restricted by HLA‐A2 was very low for patients who received a non–HLA‐A2 graft vs an HLA‐A2 graft (300 [0‐14638] vs. 17972 [222‐85594] anti‐CMVpp65 CD8+T cells/million CD8+T cells, P= .001). This adds new evidence that CMV‐infected kidney donor cells present CMVpeptides and drive an inflation of memory CMV‐specific CD8+T cells, likely because of frequent CMVreplications within the graft. Donor cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection affects the CMV‐specific immune response and donor‐shared HLA‐I is crucial for the development of CMV‐specific CD8+ T cells, suggesting that CMV‐infected kidney donor cells present CMV peptides and drive an inflation in memory CMV‐specific T cells.