diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/kanban/kanban_controller.js b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/kanban/kanban_controller.js
index 7b12e6f034c..9e97ec40686 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/kanban/kanban_controller.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/kanban/kanban_controller.js
@@ -239,15 +239,16 @@ var KanbanController = BasicController.extend({
      * @private
      */
     _onButtonNew: function () {
-        var data = this.model.get(this.handle, {raw: true});
-        if (data.groupedBy.length > 0 && data.count > 0 && this.on_create === 'quick_create') {
+        var state = this.model.get(this.handle, {raw: true});
+        var hasColumns = state.groupedBy.length > 0 && state.data.length > 0;
+        if (hasColumns && this.on_create === 'quick_create') {
             // Activate the quick create in the first column
             this.renderer.addQuickCreate();
         } else if (this.on_create && this.on_create !== 'quick_create') {
             // Execute the given action
             this.do_action(this.on_create, {
                 on_close: this.reload.bind(this),
-                additional_context: data.context,
+                additional_context: state.context,
             });
         } else {
             // Open the form view
diff --git a/addons/web/static/tests/views/kanban_tests.js b/addons/web/static/tests/views/kanban_tests.js
index f10c459baf2..9e6d6e9e30f 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/tests/views/kanban_tests.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/tests/views/kanban_tests.js
@@ -576,7 +576,6 @@ QUnit.module('Views', {
                 return this._super.apply(this, arguments);
             },
         });
-        kanban.renderButtons();
 
         assert.strictEqual(kanban.$('.o_kanban_group:first .o_kanban_record').length, 2,
             "there should be 2 records in first column");
@@ -608,6 +607,48 @@ QUnit.module('Views', {
         kanban.destroy();
     });
 
+    QUnit.test('quick create record in empty grouped kanban', function (assert) {
+        assert.expect(3);
+
+        var kanban = createView({
+            View: KanbanView,
+            model: 'partner',
+            data: this.data,
+            arch: '<kanban on_create="quick_create">' +
+                    '<field name="product_id"/>' +
+                    '<templates><t t-name="kanban-box">' +
+                        '<div><field name="foo"/></div>' +
+                    '</t></templates>' +
+                '</kanban>',
+            groupBy: ['product_id'],
+            mockRPC: function (route, args) {
+                if (args.method === 'read_group') {
+                    // override read_group to return empty groups, as this is
+                    // the case for several models (e.g. project.task grouped
+                    // by stage_id)
+                    var result = [
+                        {__domain: [['product_id', '=', 3]], product_id_count: 0},
+                        {__domain: [['product_id', '=', 5]], product_id_count: 0},
+                    ];
+                    return $.when(result);
+                }
+                return this._super.apply(this, arguments);
+            },
+        });
+
+        assert.strictEqual(kanban.$('.o_kanban_group').length, 2,
+            "there should be 2 columns");
+        assert.strictEqual(kanban.$('.o_kanban_record').length, 0,
+            "both columns should be empty");
+
+        kanban.$buttons.find('.o-kanban-button-new').click();
+
+        assert.strictEqual(kanban.$('.o_kanban_group:first .o_kanban_quick_create').length, 1,
+            "should have opened the quick create in the first column");
+
+        kanban.destroy();
+    });
+
     QUnit.test('many2many_tags in kanban views', function (assert) {
         assert.expect(12);