diff --git a/mypy/checker.py b/mypy/checker.py
index 851f23185f4f..8e8d7b414b9f 100644
--- a/mypy/checker.py
+++ b/mypy/checker.py
@@ -3157,11 +3157,15 @@ def infer_variable_type(self, name: Var, lvalue: Lvalue,
             name.type = AnyType(TypeOfAny.from_error)
         else:
             # Infer type of the target.
+            base_type = self.try_infer_lvalue_var_type_from_explicit_base_member(name, lvalue)
+            if base_type:
+                self.set_inferred_type(name, lvalue, strip_type(base_type))
 
-            # Make the type more general (strip away function names etc.).
-            init_type = strip_type(init_type)
+            else:
+                # Make the type more general (strip away function names etc.).
+                init_type = strip_type(init_type)
 
-            self.set_inferred_type(name, lvalue, init_type)
+                self.set_inferred_type(name, lvalue, init_type)
 
     def infer_partial_type(self, name: Var, lvalue: Lvalue, init_type: Type) -> bool:
         init_type = get_proper_type(init_type)
@@ -3196,6 +3200,19 @@ def infer_partial_type(self, name: Var, lvalue: Lvalue, init_type: Type) -> bool
         self.partial_types[-1].map[name] = lvalue
         return True
 
+    def try_infer_lvalue_var_type_from_explicit_base_member(
+        self, name: Var, lvalue: Lvalue
+    ) -> Optional[Type]:
+        if (isinstance(lvalue, RefExpr) and lvalue.kind in (MDEF, None)
+                and len(name.info.bases) > 0):  # None for Vars defined via self
+            for base in name.info.mro[1:]:
+                if base.fullname != "builtins.object":
+                    base_type, base_node = self.lvalue_type_from_base(name, base)
+                    if isinstance(base_node, Var) and not base_node.is_inferred and base_type:
+                        return base_type
+
+        return None
+
     def is_valid_defaultdict_partial_value_type(self, t: ProperType) -> bool:
         """Check if t can be used as the basis for a partial defaultdict value type.
 
diff --git a/test-data/unit/check-inference.test b/test-data/unit/check-inference.test
index 4de6e4a76f92..6c8c26ffbe19 100644
--- a/test-data/unit/check-inference.test
+++ b/test-data/unit/check-inference.test
@@ -3255,3 +3255,59 @@ reveal_type(x)  # N: Revealed type is "builtins.bytes*"
 if x:
     reveal_type(x)  # N: Revealed type is "builtins.bytes*"
 [builtins fixtures/dict.pyi]
+
+[case testInferBaseTypeInSubclass]
+from typing import Union, List
+
+class A: pass
+class B: pass
+
+class Base:
+    variable1 : List[Union[A, B]] = []
+    variable2 : List[Union[A, B]] = []
+
+class Derived(Base):
+    variable1 = [A()]
+    variable2 = variable1
+
+reveal_type(Derived.variable1)  # N: Revealed type is "builtins.list[Union[__main__.A, __main__.B]]"
+reveal_type(Derived.variable2)  # N: Revealed type is "builtins.list[Union[__main__.A, __main__.B]]"
+[out]
+
+[case testInferBaseTypeFailAssignment]
+from typing import Union, List
+
+class A: pass
+class B: pass
+
+class Base:
+    variable1 : List[A] = []
+    variable2 : List[Union[A, B]] = []
+
+class Derived(Base):
+    variable1 = [A()]
+    variable2 = variable1
+[out]
+main:12: error: Incompatible types in assignment (expression has type "List[A]", base class "Base" defined the type as "List[Union[A, B]]")
+main:12: note: "List" is invariant -- see https://mypy.readthedocs.io/en/stable/common_issues.html#variance
+main:12: note: Consider using "Sequence" instead, which is covariant
+
+[case testDontInferNonExplicitBase]
+class Base: pass
+class Derived: pass
+
+class A:
+    x = Base()
+
+class B:
+    x = Derived()
+
+reveal_type(B.x)  # N: Revealed type is "__main__.Derived"
+[out]
+
+[case testDontInferFromObject]
+class A:
+    __doc__ = __doc__ if __doc__ else "No docs"
+
+reveal_type(A.__doc__)  # N: Revealed type is "builtins.str"
+[out]