diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/basic/basic_controller.js b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/basic/basic_controller.js
index 24b5c7fa3d0..2847003f5df 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/basic/basic_controller.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/basic/basic_controller.js
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ return AbstractController.extend(FieldManagerMixin, {
         this.hasButtons = params.hasButtons;
         FieldManagerMixin.init.call(this, this.model);
         this.handle = params.initialState.id;
+        this.isDirty = false;
     },
     /**
      * @override
@@ -148,6 +149,18 @@ return AbstractController.extend(FieldManagerMixin, {
     // Handlers
     //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+    /**
+     * We need to keep manually track of the isDirty property.  Note that it is
+     * not the same as the one from the basic model.  A new record from the
+     * basic model is considered dirty, but from the controller point of view,
+     * there was no user interaction and should not be dirty.
+     *
+     * @private
+     */
+    _onFieldChanged: function () {
+        this.isDirty = true;
+        FieldManagerMixin._onFieldChanged.apply(this, arguments);
+    },
     /**
      * When a reload event triggers up, we need to reload the full view.
      * For example, after a form view dialog saved some data.
diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/form/form_controller.js b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/form/form_controller.js
index 8a630e30905..1493297ae97 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/form/form_controller.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/form/form_controller.js
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ var FormController = BasicController.extend({
      *   can be discarded.  If it has been rejected, then we cannot discard.
      */
     _canBeDiscarded: function () {
-        if (!this.model.isDirty(this.handle)) {
+        if (!this.isDirty) {
             return $.when();
         }
         var message = _t("The record has been modified, your changes will be discarded. Are you sure you want to leave this page ?");
@@ -452,6 +452,7 @@ var FormController = BasicController.extend({
         var self = this;
         this.model.duplicateRecord(this.handle)
             .then(function (handle) {
+                self.isDirty = false;
                 self.handle = handle;
                 self._updateEnv();
                 self._toEditMode();
diff --git a/addons/web/static/test/views/form_tests.js b/addons/web/static/test/views/form_tests.js
index 4f80c5e50b9..1295282732c 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/test/views/form_tests.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/test/views/form_tests.js
@@ -1228,6 +1228,58 @@ QUnit.module('Views', {
         form.destroy();
     });
 
+    QUnit.test('discard changes on a new (non dirty, except for defaults) form view', function (assert) {
+        assert.expect(2);
+
+        this.data.partner.fields.foo.default = "ABC";
+
+        var form = createView({
+            View: FormView,
+            model: 'partner',
+            data: this.data,
+            arch: '<form string="Partners"><field name="foo"></field></form>',
+        });
+
+        // switch to edit mode and edit the foo field
+        form.$buttons.find('.o_form_button_edit').click();
+        assert.strictEqual(form.$('.o_form_input').val(), 'ABC', 'input should contain ABC');
+
+        form.$buttons.find('.o_form_button_cancel').click();
+
+        assert.strictEqual($('.modal').length, 0,
+            'there should not be a confirm modal');
+
+        form.destroy();
+    });
+
+    QUnit.test('discard changes on a duplicated record', function (assert) {
+        assert.expect(2);
+
+        var form = createView({
+            View: FormView,
+            model: 'partner',
+            data: this.data,
+            arch: '<form string="Partners"><field name="foo"></field></form>',
+            res_id: 1,
+            viewOptions: {sidebar: true},
+        });
+
+        form.$buttons.find('.o_form_button_edit').click();
+        form.$('input').val("tralala").trigger('input');
+        form.$buttons.find('.o_form_button_save').click();
+
+        form.sidebar.$('a:contains(Duplicate)').click();
+
+        assert.strictEqual(form.$('.o_form_input').val(), 'tralala', 'input should contain ABC');
+
+        form.$buttons.find('.o_form_button_cancel').click();
+
+        assert.strictEqual($('.modal').length, 0,
+            'there should not be a confirm modal');
+
+        form.destroy();
+    });
+
     QUnit.test('switching to another record from a dirty one', function (assert) {
         assert.expect(11);