diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/js/fields/relational_fields.js b/addons/web/static/src/js/fields/relational_fields.js
index 8155f9d56f1..5efaa2c8468 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/js/fields/relational_fields.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/js/fields/relational_fields.js
@@ -766,6 +766,25 @@ var FieldMany2One = AbstractField.extend({
 });
 
 var ListFieldMany2One = FieldMany2One.extend({
+    events: _.extend({}, FieldMany2One.prototype.events, {
+        'focusin input': '_onInputFocusin',
+    }),
+
+    //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    // Public
+    //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    /**
+     * If in readonly, will never be considered as an active widget.
+     *
+     * @override
+     */
+    activate: function () {
+        if (this.mode === 'readonly') {
+            return false;
+        }
+        return this._super.apply(this, arguments);
+    },
 
     //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
     // Private
diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/xml/base.xml b/addons/web/static/src/xml/base.xml
index 062571646b6..c8bd34c4cf3 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/xml/base.xml
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/xml/base.xml
@@ -829,8 +829,8 @@
 
 <t t-name="FieldMany2One">
     <t t-if="widget.mode === 'readonly'">
-        <a t-if="!widget.nodeOptions.no_open" t-att-tabindex="widget.attrs.tabindex" class="o_form_uri" href="#"/>
-        <span t-if="widget.nodeOptions.no_open"/>
+        <a t-if="!widget.noOpen" t-att-tabindex="widget.attrs.tabindex" class="o_form_uri" href="#"/>
+        <span t-if="widget.noOpen"/>
     </t>
     <div t-if="widget.mode === 'edit'" class="o_field_widget o_field_many2one" aria-atomic="true">
         <div class="o_input_dropdown">
diff --git a/addons/web/static/tests/views/list_tests.js b/addons/web/static/tests/views/list_tests.js
index 1e7f633dc05..7a66cfd8583 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/tests/views/list_tests.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/tests/views/list_tests.js
@@ -4703,6 +4703,30 @@ QUnit.module('Views', {
         list.destroy();
     });
 
+    QUnit.test('editable list view: many2one with readonly modifier', async function (assert) {
+        assert.expect(2);
+
+        const list = await createView({
+            arch:
+                `<tree editable="top">
+                    <field name="m2o" readonly="1"/>
+                    <field name="foo"/>
+                </tree>`,
+            data: this.data,
+            model: 'foo',
+            View: ListView,
+        });
+
+        // edit a field
+        await testUtils.dom.click(list.$('.o_data_row:eq(0) .o_data_cell:eq(0)'));
+
+        assert.containsOnce(list, '.o_data_row:eq(0) .o_data_cell:eq(0) a[name="m2o"]');
+        assert.strictEqual(document.activeElement, list.$('.o_data_row:eq(0) .o_data_cell:eq(1) input')[0],
+            "focus should go to the char input");
+
+        list.destroy();
+    });
+
     QUnit.test('list grouped by date:month', async function (assert) {
         assert.expect(1);