diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/list/list_controller.js b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/list/list_controller.js
index b786673ec7c..42da94f7166 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/list/list_controller.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/list/list_controller.js
@@ -61,10 +61,6 @@ var ListController = BasicController.extend({
         session.user_has_group('base.group_allow_export').then(has_group => {
             this.isExportEnable = has_group;
         });
-        Object.defineProperty(this, 'mode', {
-            get: () => this.renderer.isEditable() ? 'edit' : 'readonly',
-            set: () => {},
-        });
     },
 
     //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -519,6 +515,7 @@ var ListController = BasicController.extend({
      */
     _setMode: function (mode, recordID) {
         if ((recordID || this.handle) !== this.handle) {
+            this.mode = mode;
             this.updateButtons(mode);
             return this.renderer.setRowMode(recordID, mode);
         } else {
diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/list/list_view.js b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/list/list_view.js
index 5845375fd70..abe05173bc8 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/list/list_view.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/list/list_view.js
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ var ListView = BasicView.extend({
         this.controllerParams.editable = editable;
         this.controllerParams.hasActionMenus = params.hasActionMenus;
         this.controllerParams.toolbarActions = viewInfo.toolbar;
-        this.controllerParams.mode = editable ? 'edit' : 'readonly';
+        this.controllerParams.mode = 'readonly';
         this.controllerParams.selectedRecords = selectedRecords;
 
         this.rendererParams.arch = this.arch;
diff --git a/addons/web/static/tests/views/list_tests.js b/addons/web/static/tests/views/list_tests.js
index 703218a071a..1e2357b1eb3 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/tests/views/list_tests.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/tests/views/list_tests.js
@@ -1229,6 +1229,52 @@ QUnit.module('Views', {
         form.destroy();
     });
 
+    QUnit.test('edit field in editable field without editing the row', async function (assert) {
+        // some widgets are editable in readonly (e.g. priority, boolean_toggle...) and they
+        // thus don't require the row to be switched in edition to be edited
+        assert.expect(13);
+
+        const list = await createView({
+            View: ListView,
+            model: 'foo',
+            data: this.data,
+            arch: `
+                <tree editable="top">
+                    <field name="foo"/>
+                    <field name="bar" widget="boolean_toggle"/>
+                </tree>`,
+            mockRPC(route, args) {
+                if (args.method === 'write') {
+                    assert.step('write: ' + args.args[1].bar);
+                }
+                return this._super(...arguments);
+            },
+        });
+
+        // toggle the boolean value of the first row without editing the row
+        assert.ok(list.$('.o_data_row:first .o_boolean_toggle input')[0].checked);
+        assert.containsNone(list, '.o_selected_row');
+        await testUtils.dom.click(list.$('.o_data_row:first .o_boolean_toggle'));
+        assert.notOk(list.$('.o_data_row:first .o_boolean_toggle input')[0].checked);
+        assert.containsNone(list, '.o_selected_row');
+        assert.verifySteps(['write: false']);
+
+        // toggle the boolean value after switching the row in edition
+        assert.containsNone(list, '.o_selected_row');
+        await testUtils.dom.click(list.$('.o_data_row .o_data_cell:first'));
+        assert.containsOnce(list, '.o_selected_row');
+        await testUtils.dom.click(list.$('.o_selected_row .o_boolean_toggle'));
+        assert.containsOnce(list, '.o_selected_row');
+        assert.verifySteps([]);
+
+        // save
+        await testUtils.dom.click(list.$('.o_list_button_save'));
+        assert.containsNone(list, '.o_selected_row');
+        assert.verifySteps(['write: true']);
+
+        list.destroy();
+    });
+
     QUnit.test('basic operations for editable list renderer', async function (assert) {
         assert.expect(2);