diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/js/chrome/action_manager_act_window.js b/addons/web/static/src/js/chrome/action_manager_act_window.js
index 2621071731c..39277248480 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/js/chrome/action_manager_act_window.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/js/chrome/action_manager_act_window.js
@@ -574,7 +574,14 @@ ActionManager.include({
         };
 
         var controllerDef = action.controllers[viewType];
-        if (!controllerDef) {
+        if (!controllerDef || controllerDef.state() === 'rejected') {
+            // if the controllerDef is rejected, it probably means that the js
+            // code or the requests made to the server crashed.  In that case,
+            // if we reuse the same deferred, then the switch to the view is
+            // definitely blocked.  We want to use a new controller, even though
+            // it is very likely that it will recrash again.  At least, it will
+            // give more feedback to the user, and it could happen that one
+            // record crashes, but not another.
             controllerDef = newController();
         } else {
             controllerDef = controllerDef.then(function (controller) {
diff --git a/addons/web/static/tests/chrome/action_manager_tests.js b/addons/web/static/tests/chrome/action_manager_tests.js
index e6f97c20bdd..d987884ff83 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/tests/chrome/action_manager_tests.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/tests/chrome/action_manager_tests.js
@@ -2947,6 +2947,45 @@ QUnit.module('ActionManager', {
         delete core.action_registry.map.slowAction;
     });
 
+    QUnit.test('web client is not deadlocked when a view crashes', function (assert) {
+        assert.expect(3);
+
+        var readOnFirstRecordDef = $.Deferred();
+
+        var actionManager = createActionManager({
+            actions: this.actions,
+            archs: this.archs,
+            data: this.data,
+            mockRPC: function (route, args) {
+                if (args.method === 'read' && args.args[0][0] === 1) {
+                    return readOnFirstRecordDef;
+                }
+                return this._super.apply(this, arguments);
+            }
+        });
+
+        actionManager.doAction(3);
+
+        // open first record in form view. this will crash and will not
+        // display a form view
+        actionManager.$('.o_list_view .o_data_row:first').click();
+
+        readOnFirstRecordDef.reject("not working as intended");
+
+        assert.strictEqual(actionManager.$('.o_list_view').length, 1,
+            "there should still be a list view in dom");
+
+        // open another record, the read will not crash
+        actionManager.$('.o_list_view .o_data_row:eq(2)').click();
+
+        assert.strictEqual(actionManager.$('.o_list_view').length, 0,
+            "there should not be a list view in dom");
+
+        assert.strictEqual(actionManager.$('.o_form_view').length, 1,
+            "there should be a form view in dom");
+
+        actionManager.destroy();
+    });
 });
 
 });