diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/model/sample_server.js b/addons/web/static/src/model/sample_server.js
index 088175ba27a..536eac18b47 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/model/sample_server.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/model/sample_server.js
@@ -608,9 +608,19 @@ export class SampleServer {
         } else {
             result = this._mockWebSearchRead({ ...params, fields });
         }
-        // populate x2many values
+        // populate many2one and x2many values
         for (const fieldName in params.specification) {
             const field = this.data[params.model].fields[fieldName];
+            if (field.type === "many2one") {
+                for (const record of result.records) {
+                    record[fieldName] = record[fieldName]
+                        ? {
+                              id: record[fieldName][0],
+                              display_name: record[fieldName][1],
+                          }
+                        : false;
+                }
+            }
             if (field.type === "one2many" || field.type === "many2many") {
                 const relFields = Object.keys(params.specification[fieldName].fields || {});
                 if (relFields.length) {
diff --git a/addons/web/static/tests/model/sample_server_tests.js b/addons/web/static/tests/model/sample_server_tests.js
index aa0abb4e894..cfce529192a 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/tests/model/sample_server_tests.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/tests/model/sample_server_tests.js
@@ -261,6 +261,24 @@ QUnit.module(
             );
         });
 
+        QUnit.test("Send 'search_read' RPC: many2one fields", async function (assert) {
+            const server = new DeterministicSampleServer("res.users", fields["res.users"]);
+
+            const result = await server.mockRpc({
+                method: "unity_web_search_read",
+                model: "res.users",
+                specification: {
+                    manager_id: {
+                        fields: { display_name: {} },
+                    },
+                },
+            });
+
+            assert.deepEqual(Object.keys(result.records[0]), ["id", "manager_id"]);
+            assert.ok(result.records[0].manager_id.id);
+            assert.ok(/\w+/.test(result.records[0].manager_id.display_name));
+        });
+
         QUnit.test("Send 'web_read_group' RPC: no group", async function (assert) {
             assert.expect(1);