diff --git a/src/Standards/PSR12/Sniffs/Operators/OperatorSpacingSniff.php b/src/Standards/PSR12/Sniffs/Operators/OperatorSpacingSniff.php
index 0e58f18c13..41628ce3a0 100644
--- a/src/Standards/PSR12/Sniffs/Operators/OperatorSpacingSniff.php
+++ b/src/Standards/PSR12/Sniffs/Operators/OperatorSpacingSniff.php
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ public function register()
         $targets[] = T_STRING_CONCAT;
         $targets[] = T_INSTANCEOF;
 
+        // Also register the contexts we want to specifically skip over.
+        $targets[] = T_DECLARE;
+
         return $targets;
 
     }//end register()
@@ -47,12 +50,25 @@ public function register()
      * @param int                         $stackPtr  The position of the current token in
      *                                               the stack passed in $tokens.
      *
-     * @return void
+     * @return void|int Optionally returns a stack pointer. The sniff will not be
+     *                  called again on the current file until the returned stack
+     *                  pointer is reached. Return `$phpcsFile->numTokens` to skip
+     *                  the rest of the file.
      */
     public function process(File $phpcsFile, $stackPtr)
     {
         $tokens = $phpcsFile->getTokens();
 
+        // Skip over declare statements as those should be handled by different sniffs.
+        if ($tokens[$stackPtr]['code'] === T_DECLARE) {
+            if (isset($tokens[$stackPtr]['parenthesis_closer']) === false) {
+                // Parse error / live coding.
+                return $phpcsFile->numTokens;
+            }
+
+            return $tokens[$stackPtr]['parenthesis_closer'];
+        }
+
         if ($this->isOperator($phpcsFile, $stackPtr) === false) {
             return;
         }
diff --git a/src/Standards/PSR12/Tests/Operators/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.inc b/src/Standards/PSR12/Tests/Operators/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.1.inc
similarity index 98%
rename from src/Standards/PSR12/Tests/Operators/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.inc
rename to src/Standards/PSR12/Tests/Operators/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.1.inc
index c067e6a2a8..14cf8e9dfd 100644
--- a/src/Standards/PSR12/Tests/Operators/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.inc
+++ b/src/Standards/PSR12/Tests/Operators/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.1.inc
@@ -75,3 +75,5 @@ function setDefault(#[ImportValue(
     {
         // Do something
     }
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
diff --git a/src/Standards/PSR12/Tests/Operators/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.inc.fixed b/src/Standards/PSR12/Tests/Operators/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.1.inc.fixed
similarity index 98%
rename from src/Standards/PSR12/Tests/Operators/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.inc.fixed
rename to src/Standards/PSR12/Tests/Operators/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.1.inc.fixed
index 76764291fa..0f52f1cf74 100644
--- a/src/Standards/PSR12/Tests/Operators/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.inc.fixed
+++ b/src/Standards/PSR12/Tests/Operators/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.1.inc.fixed
@@ -75,3 +75,5 @@ function setDefault(#[ImportValue(
     {
         // Do something
     }
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
diff --git a/src/Standards/PSR12/Tests/Operators/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.2.inc b/src/Standards/PSR12/Tests/Operators/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.2.inc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3a0dbac3e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Standards/PSR12/Tests/Operators/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.2.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+<?php
+// Safeguard to ensure that sniff handles parse error/live coding correctly.
+declare(strict_types=
diff --git a/src/Standards/PSR12/Tests/Operators/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.php b/src/Standards/PSR12/Tests/Operators/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.php
index abcce946cd..4affd51c57 100644
--- a/src/Standards/PSR12/Tests/Operators/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.php
+++ b/src/Standards/PSR12/Tests/Operators/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.php
@@ -26,32 +26,39 @@ final class OperatorSpacingUnitTest extends AbstractSniffUnitTest
      * The key of the array should represent the line number and the value
      * should represent the number of errors that should occur on that line.
      *
+     * @param string $testFile The name of the file being tested.
+     *
      * @return array<int, int>
      */
-    public function getErrorList()
+    public function getErrorList($testFile='')
     {
-        return [
-            2  => 1,
-            3  => 2,
-            4  => 1,
-            5  => 2,
-            6  => 4,
-            9  => 3,
-            10 => 2,
-            11 => 3,
-            13 => 3,
-            14 => 2,
-            18 => 1,
-            20 => 1,
-            22 => 2,
-            23 => 2,
-            26 => 1,
-            37 => 4,
-            39 => 1,
-            40 => 1,
-            44 => 2,
-            47 => 2,
-        ];
+        switch ($testFile) {
+        case 'OperatorSpacingUnitTest.1.inc':
+            return [
+                2  => 1,
+                3  => 2,
+                4  => 1,
+                5  => 2,
+                6  => 4,
+                9  => 3,
+                10 => 2,
+                11 => 3,
+                13 => 3,
+                14 => 2,
+                18 => 1,
+                20 => 1,
+                22 => 2,
+                23 => 2,
+                26 => 1,
+                37 => 4,
+                39 => 1,
+                40 => 1,
+                44 => 2,
+                47 => 2,
+            ];
+        default:
+            return [];
+        }//end switch
 
     }//end getErrorList()
 
diff --git a/src/Standards/Squiz/Sniffs/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingSniff.php b/src/Standards/Squiz/Sniffs/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingSniff.php
index 87dbed8818..97007fc458 100644
--- a/src/Standards/Squiz/Sniffs/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingSniff.php
+++ b/src/Standards/Squiz/Sniffs/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingSniff.php
@@ -114,6 +114,9 @@ public function register()
         $targets[] = T_INLINE_ELSE;
         $targets[] = T_INSTANCEOF;
 
+        // Also register the contexts we want to specifically skip over.
+        $targets[] = T_DECLARE;
+
         return $targets;
 
     }//end register()
@@ -126,12 +129,25 @@ public function register()
      * @param int                         $stackPtr  The position of the current token in
      *                                               the stack passed in $tokens.
      *
-     * @return void
+     * @return void|int Optionally returns a stack pointer. The sniff will not be
+     *                  called again on the current file until the returned stack
+     *                  pointer is reached. Return `$phpcsFile->numTokens` to skip
+     *                  the rest of the file.
      */
     public function process(File $phpcsFile, $stackPtr)
     {
         $tokens = $phpcsFile->getTokens();
 
+        // Skip over declare statements as those should be handled by different sniffs.
+        if ($tokens[$stackPtr]['code'] === T_DECLARE) {
+            if (isset($tokens[$stackPtr]['parenthesis_closer']) === false) {
+                // Parse error / live coding.
+                return $phpcsFile->numTokens;
+            }
+
+            return $tokens[$stackPtr]['parenthesis_closer'];
+        }
+
         if ($this->isOperator($phpcsFile, $stackPtr) === false) {
             return;
         }
@@ -327,11 +343,13 @@ protected function isOperator(File $phpcsFile, $stackPtr)
     {
         $tokens = $phpcsFile->getTokens();
 
+        if ($tokens[$stackPtr]['code'] === T_DECLARE) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
         // Skip default values in function declarations.
         // Skip declare statements.
-        if ($tokens[$stackPtr]['code'] === T_EQUAL
-            || $tokens[$stackPtr]['code'] === T_MINUS
-        ) {
+        if ($tokens[$stackPtr]['code'] === T_EQUAL) {
             if (isset($tokens[$stackPtr]['nested_parenthesis']) === true) {
                 $parenthesis = array_keys($tokens[$stackPtr]['nested_parenthesis']);
                 $bracket     = array_pop($parenthesis);
@@ -340,7 +358,6 @@ protected function isOperator(File $phpcsFile, $stackPtr)
                     if ($tokens[$function]['code'] === T_FUNCTION
                         || $tokens[$function]['code'] === T_CLOSURE
                         || $tokens[$function]['code'] === T_FN
-                        || $tokens[$function]['code'] === T_DECLARE
                     ) {
                         return false;
                     }
diff --git a/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.inc b/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.1.inc
similarity index 100%
rename from src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.inc
rename to src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.1.inc
diff --git a/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.inc.fixed b/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.1.inc.fixed
similarity index 100%
rename from src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.inc.fixed
rename to src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.1.inc.fixed
diff --git a/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.2.inc b/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.2.inc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3a0dbac3e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.2.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+<?php
+// Safeguard to ensure that sniff handles parse error/live coding correctly.
+declare(strict_types=
diff --git a/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.php b/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.php
index e9a50c7e7d..6718664058 100644
--- a/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.php
+++ b/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.php
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ final class OperatorSpacingUnitTest extends AbstractSniffUnitTest
     public function getErrorList($testFile='')
     {
         switch ($testFile) {
-        case 'OperatorSpacingUnitTest.inc':
+        case 'OperatorSpacingUnitTest.1.inc':
             return [
                 4   => 1,
                 5   => 2,
diff --git a/tests/Core/Filters/AbstractFilterTestCase.php b/tests/Core/Filters/AbstractFilterTestCase.php
index d196ce6917..15dd5bcbc3 100644
--- a/tests/Core/Filters/AbstractFilterTestCase.php
+++ b/tests/Core/Filters/AbstractFilterTestCase.php
@@ -184,8 +184,8 @@ protected static function getFakeFileList()
             $basedir.'/src/Standards/Squiz/Sniffs/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingSniff.php',
             $basedir.'/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests',
             $basedir.'/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace',
-            $basedir.'/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.inc',
-            $basedir.'/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.inc.fixed',
+            $basedir.'/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.1.inc',
+            $basedir.'/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.1.inc.fixed',
             $basedir.'/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.js',
             $basedir.'/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.js.fixed',
             $basedir.'/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.php',
diff --git a/tests/Core/Filters/GitModifiedTest.php b/tests/Core/Filters/GitModifiedTest.php
index 1b2189f900..2fe894096e 100644
--- a/tests/Core/Filters/GitModifiedTest.php
+++ b/tests/Core/Filters/GitModifiedTest.php
@@ -175,8 +175,8 @@ public static function dataAcceptOnlyGitModified()
                     '.yamllint.yml',
                     'autoload.php',
                     'src/Standards/Squiz/Sniffs/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingSniff.php',
-                    'src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.inc',
-                    'src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.inc.fixed',
+                    'src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.1.inc',
+                    'src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.1.inc.fixed',
                     'src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.js',
                     'src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.js.fixed',
                     'src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.php',
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ public static function dataAcceptOnlyGitModified()
                     $basedir.'/src/Standards/Squiz/Sniffs/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingSniff.php',
                     $basedir.'/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests',
                     $basedir.'/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace',
-                    $basedir.'/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.inc',
+                    $basedir.'/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.1.inc',
                     $basedir.'/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.js',
                     $basedir.'/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.php',
                 ],
diff --git a/tests/Core/Filters/GitStagedTest.php b/tests/Core/Filters/GitStagedTest.php
index 545f5839fa..0da18af9a3 100644
--- a/tests/Core/Filters/GitStagedTest.php
+++ b/tests/Core/Filters/GitStagedTest.php
@@ -175,8 +175,8 @@ public static function dataAcceptOnlyGitStaged()
                     '.yamllint.yml',
                     'autoload.php',
                     'src/Standards/Squiz/Sniffs/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingSniff.php',
-                    'src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.inc',
-                    'src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.inc.fixed',
+                    'src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.1.inc',
+                    'src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.1.inc.fixed',
                     'src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.js',
                     'src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.js.fixed',
                     'src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.php',
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ public static function dataAcceptOnlyGitStaged()
                     $basedir.'/src/Standards/Squiz/Sniffs/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingSniff.php',
                     $basedir.'/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests',
                     $basedir.'/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace',
-                    $basedir.'/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.inc',
+                    $basedir.'/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.1.inc',
                     $basedir.'/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.js',
                     $basedir.'/src/Standards/Squiz/Tests/WhiteSpace/OperatorSpacingUnitTest.php',
                 ],