diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/legacy/action_adapters.js b/addons/web/static/src/legacy/action_adapters.js
index b8b7ad46a79..a1cd4bf400c 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/legacy/action_adapters.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/legacy/action_adapters.js
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ class ActionAdapter extends ComponentAdapter {
         let originalUpdateControlPanel;
         useEffect(
             () => {
+                if (this.wowlEnv.setLegacyControllerWidget) {
+                    this.wowlEnv.setLegacyControllerWidget(this.widget);
+                }
                 const query = this.widget.getState();
                 Object.assign(query, this.tempQuery);
                 this.tempQuery = null;
diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/webclient/actions/action_dialog.js b/addons/web/static/src/webclient/actions/action_dialog.js
index 97630c2e11b..591d71d1808 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/webclient/actions/action_dialog.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/webclient/actions/action_dialog.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { DebugMenu } from "@web/core/debug/debug_menu";
 import { useOwnDebugContext } from "@web/core/debug/debug_context";
 import { useEffect } from "@web/core/utils/hooks";
 
-const { useRef } = owl;
+const { useSubEnv } = owl;
 
 const LEGACY_SIZE_CLASSES = {
     "extra-large": "modal-xl",
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ class ActionDialog extends Dialog {
     setup() {
         super.setup();
         useOwnDebugContext();
-        this.actionRef = useRef("actionRef");
         const actionProps = this.props && this.props.actionProps;
         const action = actionProps && actionProps.action;
         this.actionType = action && action.type;
@@ -52,21 +51,23 @@ class LegacyAdaptedActionDialog extends ActionDialog {
         const ControllerComponent = this.props && this.props.ActionComponent;
         const Controller = ControllerComponent && ControllerComponent.Component;
         this.isLegacy = Controller && Controller.isLegacy;
+        if (this.isLegacy) {
+            useSubEnv({
+                setLegacyControllerWidget: (widget) => {
+                    this.legacyController = widget;
+                },
+            });
+        }
         useEffect(
             () => {
                 if (this.isLegacy) {
-                    // Retrieve the widget climbing the wrappers
-                    const componentController = this.actionRef.comp;
-                    const controller = componentController.componentRef.comp;
-                    const viewAdapter = controller.controllerRef.comp;
-                    const widget = viewAdapter.widget;
                     // Render legacy footer buttons
                     const footer = this.modalRef.el.querySelector("footer");
-                    widget.renderButtons($(footer));
+                    this.legacyController.renderButtons($(footer));
                 }
             },
             () => []
-        ); // TODO: should this depend on actionRef.comp?
+        );
     }
 }
 LegacyAdaptedActionDialog.footerTemplate = "web.LegacyAdaptedActionDialogFooter";
diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/webclient/actions/action_dialog.xml b/addons/web/static/src/webclient/actions/action_dialog.xml
index d944772cc57..9238bd9687d 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/webclient/actions/action_dialog.xml
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/webclient/actions/action_dialog.xml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
   </t>
 
   <t t-name="web.ActionDialogBody" owl="1">
-    <t t-if="props.ActionComponent" t-component="props.ActionComponent" t-props="props.actionProps" t-ref="actionRef"/>
+    <t t-if="props.ActionComponent" t-component="props.ActionComponent" t-props="props.actionProps"/>
   </t>
 
   <t t-name="web.LegacyAdaptedActionDialogFooter" owl="1">
diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/webclient/actions/action_service.js b/addons/web/static/src/webclient/actions/action_service.js
index ed519c31427..54a4ac7ba5b 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/webclient/actions/action_service.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/webclient/actions/action_service.js
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import { View } from "@web/views/view";
 import { ActionDialog } from "./action_dialog";
 import { CallbackRecorder } from "./action_hook";
 
-const { Component, useRef, useSubEnv, xml } = owl;
+const { Component, useSubEnv, xml } = owl;
 
 const actionHandlersRegistry = registry.category("action_handlers");
 const actionRegistry = registry.category("actions");
@@ -73,9 +73,7 @@ export class InvalidButtonParamsError extends Error {}
 const CTX_KEY_REGEX = /^(?:(?:default_|search_default_|show_).+|.+_view_ref|group_by|group_by_no_leaf|active_id|active_ids|orderedBy)$/;
 
 // only register this template once for all dynamic classes ControllerComponent
-const ControllerComponentTemplate = xml`<t t-component="Component" t-props="props"
-    t-ref="component"
-/>`;
+const ControllerComponentTemplate = xml`<t t-component="Component" t-props="props"/>`;
 
 function makeActionManager(env) {
     const keepLast = new KeepLast();
@@ -551,7 +549,6 @@ function makeActionManager(env) {
         class ControllerComponent extends Component {
             setup() {
                 this.Component = controller.Component;
-                this.componentRef = useRef("component");
                 this.titleService = useService("title");
                 useDebugCategory("action", { action });
                 useSubEnv({ config: controller.config });