diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/legacy/js/fields/relational_fields.js b/addons/web/static/src/legacy/js/fields/relational_fields.js
index 7a7f916e677..4c949da8c9b 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/legacy/js/fields/relational_fields.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/legacy/js/fields/relational_fields.js
@@ -3587,7 +3587,7 @@ var FieldReference = FieldMany2One.extend({
     _applyModelField: function (initRecord) {
         let resourceRef = this.record.specialData[this.name];
         if (resourceRef) {
-            if (initRecord && resourceRef.hasChanged) {
+            if (initRecord && resourceRef.hasChanged && resourceRef.modelName !== this.modelName) {
                 this.reinitialize(false);
             }
             this.modelName = resourceRef.modelName;
@@ -3646,7 +3646,8 @@ var FieldReference = FieldMany2One.extend({
         }
         if (this.nodeOptions.model_field) {
             this._applyModelField(initRecord);
-        } else if (this.value && this.value.model) {
+        }
+        if (this.value && this.value.model) {
             this.modelName = this.value.model;
         }
         if (this.modelName) {
diff --git a/addons/web/static/tests/legacy/fields/relational_fields_tests.js b/addons/web/static/tests/legacy/fields/relational_fields_tests.js
index 1757d121347..9284ec24ffb 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/tests/legacy/fields/relational_fields_tests.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/tests/legacy/fields/relational_fields_tests.js
@@ -3267,6 +3267,53 @@ QUnit.module('relational_fields', {
         form.destroy();
     });
 
+    QUnit.test('widget reference with model_field option (tree list in form view)', async function (assert) {
+        assert.expect(2);
+
+        this.data.turtle.records[0].partner_ids = [1];
+        this.data.partner.records[0].reference = 'product,41';
+        this.data.partner.records[0].model_id = 20;
+
+        const form = await createView({
+            View: FormView,
+            model: 'turtle',
+            data: this.data,
+            arch: `<form string="Turtle">
+                        <field name="partner_ids">
+                            <tree string="Partner" editable="bottom">
+                                <field name="name"/>
+                                <field name="model_id"/>
+                                <field name="reference" options="{'model_field': 'model_id'}" class="reference_field"/>
+                            </tree>
+                        </field>
+                   </form>`,
+            res_id: 1,
+        });
+
+        await testUtils.form.clickEdit(form);
+
+        assert.strictEqual(form.$('.reference_field').text(), 'xpad',
+            'should have the second product');
+
+        // Select the second product without changing the model
+        await testUtils.dom.click($('.o_list_table .reference_field'));
+        await testUtils.dom.click($('.o_list_table .reference_field input'));
+
+
+        // Enter to select it
+        $('.o_list_table .reference_field input').trigger($.Event('keydown', {
+            keyCode: $.ui.keyCode.ENTER,
+            which: $.ui.keyCode.ENTER,
+        }));
+
+        await testUtils.nextTick();
+
+        assert.strictEqual(form.$('.reference_field[name="reference"]').text(), 'xphone',
+            'should have selected the first product');
+
+        form.destroy();
+    });
+
     QUnit.test('one2many with extra field from server not in form', async function (assert) {
         assert.expect(6);