diff --git a/addons/mail/static/src/js/models/threads/abstract_thread.js b/addons/mail/static/src/js/models/threads/abstract_thread.js
index fb31c5156c6..67929517ed4 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/src/js/models/threads/abstract_thread.js
+++ b/addons/mail/static/src/js/models/threads/abstract_thread.js
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@ var AbstractThread = Class.extend({
      */
     getMessages: function () {},
     /**
-     * Get the name of this thread
+     * Get the name of this thread. If the name of the thread has been created
+     * by the user from an input, it may be escaped.
      *
      * @returns {string}
      */
diff --git a/addons/mail/static/src/xml/discuss.xml b/addons/mail/static/src/xml/discuss.xml
index ab2e7255ba5..c56aa3dda8d 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/src/xml/discuss.xml
+++ b/addons/mail/static/src/xml/discuss.xml
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@
                         </t>
                     </span>
                     <span t-if="displayHash" class="o_mail_hash">#</span>
-                    <t t-esc="thread.getName()"/>
+                    <t t-esc="_.unescape(thread.getName())"/>
                     <i t-if="thread.isMassMailing()" class="fa fa-envelope-o" title="Sends messages by email" role="img" aria-label="Send by mail"/>
                 </span>
                 <span t-attf-class="fa fa-cog o_mail_channel_settings"
diff --git a/addons/mail/static/tests/discuss_tests.js b/addons/mail/static/tests/discuss_tests.js
index c3ee2442bf1..2c91db6ed81 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/tests/discuss_tests.js
+++ b/addons/mail/static/tests/discuss_tests.js
@@ -102,6 +102,46 @@ QUnit.test('basic rendering', function (assert) {
     });
 });
 
+QUnit.test('unescape channel name in the sidebar', function (assert) {
+    // When the user creates a channel, the channel's name is escaped, this in
+    // order to prevent XSS attacks. However, the user should see visually the
+    // unescaped name of the channel. For instance, when the user creates a
+    // channel named  "R&D", he should see "R&D" and not "R&amp;D".
+    assert.expect(2);
+    var done = assert.async();
+
+    this.data.initMessaging = {
+        channel_slots: {
+            channel_channel: [{
+                id: 1,
+                channel_type: "channel",
+                name: "R&amp;D",
+            }],
+        },
+    };
+
+    createDiscuss({
+        id: 1,
+        context: {},
+        params: {},
+        data: this.data,
+        services: this.services,
+    })
+    .then(function (discuss) {
+        var $sidebar = discuss.$('.o_mail_discuss_sidebar');
+
+        var $channel = $sidebar.find('.o_mail_discuss_item[data-thread-id=1]');
+        assert.strictEqual($channel.length, 1,
+            "should have the channel item for channel 1 in the sidebar");
+        assert.strictEqual($channel.find('.o_thread_name').text().replace(/\s/g, ''),
+            "#R&D",
+            "should have unescaped channel name in the sidebar");
+
+        discuss.destroy();
+        done();
+    });
+});
+
 QUnit.test('@ mention in channel', function (assert) {
     assert.expect(34);
     var done = assert.async();