The interfacial shear strength tau(d) of two carbon/bismaleimide systems has been measured using the pull-out test at different temperatures in the range 20-250-degrees-C. The thermal residual stress field appears to have a great influence on the determination of tau(d). This is analysed both experimentally, through modifications of the pull-out sample (nature of the holder), and theoretically, by means of a finite element calculation, evidencing the complexity of the pull-out sample. A simple argument is used to identify the contribution of the matrix properties to the temperature evolution of tau(d).