diff --git a/addons/mail/models/mail_template.py b/addons/mail/models/mail_template.py
index a72cad177db..3de352dad0b 100644
--- a/addons/mail/models/mail_template.py
+++ b/addons/mail/models/mail_template.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import itertools
 import logging
 
 from odoo import _, api, fields, models, tools, Command
-from odoo.exceptions import UserError
+from odoo.exceptions import ValidationError, UserError
 from odoo.tools import is_html_empty
 from odoo.tools.safe_eval import safe_eval, time
 
@@ -146,12 +146,22 @@ class MailTemplate(models.Model):
             record.attachment_ids.write({'res_model': record._name, 'res_id': record.id})
         return self
 
+    def _check_abstract_models(self, vals_list):
+        model_names = self.sudo().env['ir.model'].browse(filter(None, (
+            vals.get('model_id') for vals in vals_list
+        ))).mapped('model')
+        for model in model_names:
+            if self.env[model]._abstract:
+                raise ValidationError(_('You may not define a template on an abstract model: %s', model))
+
     @api.model_create_multi
     def create(self, vals_list):
+        self._check_abstract_models(vals_list)
         return super().create(vals_list)\
             ._fix_attachment_ownership()
 
     def write(self, vals):
+        self._check_abstract_models([vals])
         super().write(vals)
         self._fix_attachment_ownership()
         return True
diff --git a/addons/mail/tests/test_mail_template.py b/addons/mail/tests/test_mail_template.py
index 4d26f315b80..e0d4f9133cf 100644
--- a/addons/mail/tests/test_mail_template.py
+++ b/addons/mail/tests/test_mail_template.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 from markupsafe import Markup
 
 from odoo.addons.mail.tests.common import MailCommon
-from odoo.exceptions import AccessError, UserError
+from odoo.exceptions import AccessError, ValidationError, UserError
 from odoo.modules.module import get_module_resource
 from odoo.tests import Form, tagged, users
 from odoo.tools import convert_file
@@ -50,6 +50,26 @@ class TestMailTemplate(MailCommon):
         self.assertEqual(values[self.partner_employee.id]['subject'], '6', 'We must trust mail template values')
         self.assertIn('13', values[self.partner_employee.id]['body_html'], 'We must trust mail template values')
 
+    @users('admin')
+    def test_mail_template_abstract_model(self):
+        """Check abstract models cannot be set on templates."""
+        # create
+        with self.assertRaises(ValidationError), self.cr.savepoint():
+            self.env['mail.template'].create({
+                'name': 'Test abstract template',
+                'model_id': self.env['ir.model']._get('mail.thread').id, # abstract model
+            })
+        # write
+        template = self.env['mail.template'].create({
+            'name': 'Test abstract template',
+            'model_id': self.env['ir.model']._get('res.partner').id,
+        })
+        with self.assertRaises(ValidationError), self.cr.savepoint():
+            template.write({
+                'name': 'Test abstract template',
+                'model_id': self.env['ir.model']._get('mail.thread').id,
+            })
+
     def test_mail_template_acl(self):
         # Sanity check
         self.assertTrue(self.user_admin.has_group('mail.group_mail_template_editor'))