diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/basic/basic_renderer.js b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/basic/basic_renderer.js
index 0e26e2fa19f..ee6e685c3d4 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/basic/basic_renderer.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/basic/basic_renderer.js
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ var AbstractRenderer = require('web.AbstractRenderer');
 var config = require('web.config');
 var core = require('web.core');
 var dom = require('web.dom');
+var widgetRegistry = require('web.widget_registry');
 
 var qweb = core.qweb;
 
@@ -331,6 +332,19 @@ var BasicRenderer = AbstractRenderer.extend({
     _getModifiersData: function (node) {
         return _.findWhere(this.allModifiersData, {node: node});
     },
+    /**
+     * @private
+     * @param {jQueryElement} $el
+     * @param {Object} node
+     */
+    _handleAttributes: function ($el, node) {
+        if (node.attrs.class) {
+            $el.addClass(node.attrs.class);
+        }
+        if (node.attrs.style) {
+            $el.attr('style', node.attrs.style);
+        }
+    },
     /**
      * Used by list and kanban renderers to determine whether or not to display
      * the no content helper (if there is no data in the state to display)
@@ -540,6 +554,31 @@ var BasicRenderer = AbstractRenderer.extend({
     _renderView: function () {
         return $.when();
     },
+    /**
+     * Instantiate custom widgets
+     *
+     * @private
+     * @param {Object} record
+     * @param {Object} node
+     * @returns {jQueryElement}
+     */
+    _renderWidget: function (record, node) {
+        var Widget = widgetRegistry.get(node.attrs.name);
+        var widget = new Widget(this, record);
+
+        // Prepare widget rendering and save the related deferred
+        var def = widget.__widgetRenderAndInsert(function () {});
+        if (def.state() === 'pending') {
+            this.defs.push(def);
+        }
+
+        // handle other attributes/modifiers
+        this._handleAttributes(widget.$el, node);
+        this._registerModifiers(node, record, widget);
+        widget.$el.addClass('o_widget');
+        return widget.$el;
+    },
+
     /**
      * Rerenders a given widget and make sure the associated data which
      * referenced the old one is updated.
diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/basic/widget_registry.js b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/basic/widget_registry.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..470127bd12e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/basic/widget_registry.js
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+odoo.define('web.widget_registry', function (require) {
+    "use strict";
+
+    // This registry is supposed to contain all custom widgets that will be
+    // available in the basic views, with the tag <widget/>.  There are
+    // currently no such widget in the web client, but the functionality is
+    // certainly useful to be able to cleanly add custom behaviour in basic
+    // views (and most notably, the form view)
+    //
+    // The way custom widgets work is that they register themselves to this
+    // registry:
+    //
+    // widgetRegistry.add('some_name', MyWidget);
+    //
+    // Then, they are available with the <widget/> tag (in the arch):
+    //
+    // <widget name="some_name"/>
+    //
+    // Widgets will be then properly instantiated, rendered and destroyed at the
+    // appropriate time, with the current state in second argument.
+    //
+    // For more examples, look at the tests (grep '<widget' in the test folder)
+
+    var Registry = require('web.Registry');
+
+    return new Registry();
+});
diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/form/form_renderer.js b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/form/form_renderer.js
index 3cb22af5dfd..7d962e223ce 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/form/form_renderer.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/form/form_renderer.js
@@ -225,19 +225,6 @@ var FormRenderer = BasicRenderer.extend({
         }
         return idForLabel;
     },
-    /**
-     * @private
-     * @param {jQueryElement} $el
-     * @param {Object} node
-     */
-    _handleAttributes: function ($el, node) {
-        if (node.attrs.class) {
-            $el.addClass(node.attrs.class);
-        }
-        if (node.attrs.style) {
-            $el.attr('style', node.attrs.style);
-        }
-    },
     /**
      * @private
      * @param {Object} node
@@ -758,6 +745,16 @@ var FormRenderer = BasicRenderer.extend({
         $sheet.append(_.map(node.children, this._renderNode.bind(this)));
         return $sheet;
     },
+    /**
+     * Instantiate custom widgets
+     *
+     * @private
+     * @param {Object} node
+     * @returns {jQueryElement}
+     */
+    _renderTagWidget: function (node) {
+        return this._renderWidget(this.state, node);
+    },
     /**
      * Main entry point for the rendering.  From here, we call _renderNode on
      * the root of the arch, then, when every deferred (from the field widgets)
diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/kanban/kanban_record.js b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/kanban/kanban_record.js
index 1dabc93abdb..52597e6ac71 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/kanban/kanban_record.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/kanban/kanban_record.js
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ var Domain = require('web.Domain');
 var field_utils = require('web.field_utils');
 var utils = require('web.utils');
 var Widget = require('web.Widget');
+var widgetRegistry = require('web.widget_registry');
 
 var _t = core._t;
 var QWeb = core.qweb;
@@ -262,6 +263,21 @@ var KanbanRecord = Widget.extend({
         this._setFieldDisplay(widget.$el, field_name);
         return widget;
     },
+    _processWidgets: function () {
+        var self = this;
+        this.$("widget").each(function () {
+            var $field = $(this);
+            var Widget = widgetRegistry.get($field.attr('name'));
+            var widget = new Widget(self, self.state);
+
+            var def = widget.__widgetRenderAndInsert(function () {});
+            if (def.state() === 'pending') {
+                self.defs.push(def);
+            }
+            widget.$el.addClass('o_widget');
+            $field.replaceWith(widget.$el);
+        });
+    },
     /**
      * Renders the record
      */
@@ -274,6 +290,7 @@ var KanbanRecord = Widget.extend({
             this.$el.on('click', this._onGlobalClick.bind(this));
         }
         this._processFields();
+        this._processWidgets();
         this._setupColor();
         this._setupColorPicker();
         this._attachTooltip();
diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/list/list_renderer.js b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/list/list_renderer.js
index 69d56acdbcc..75633629e5e 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/list/list_renderer.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/list/list_renderer.js
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ var ListRenderer = BasicRenderer.extend({
         var tdClassName = 'o_data_cell';
         if (node.tag === 'button') {
             tdClassName += ' o_list_button';
-        } else {
+        } else if (node.tag === 'field') {
             var typeClass = FIELD_CLASSES[this.state.fields[node.attrs.name].type];
             if (typeClass) {
                 tdClassName += (' ' + typeClass);
@@ -245,6 +245,8 @@ var ListRenderer = BasicRenderer.extend({
 
         if (node.tag === 'button') {
             return $td.append(this._renderButton(record, node));
+        } else if (node.tag === 'widget') {
+            return $td.append(this._renderWidget(record, node));
         }
         if (node.attrs.widget || (options && options.renderWidgets)) {
             var widget = this._renderFieldWidget(node, record, _.pick(options, 'mode'));
diff --git a/addons/web/static/tests/views/form_tests.js b/addons/web/static/tests/views/form_tests.js
index 91495cb4670..4ac4213f378 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/tests/views/form_tests.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/tests/views/form_tests.js
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ var FormView = require('web.FormView');
 var pyeval = require('web.pyeval');
 var RainbowMan = require('web.rainbow_man');
 var testUtils = require('web.test_utils');
+var widgetRegistry = require('web.widget_registry');
+var Widget = require('web.Widget');
 
 var _t = core._t;
 var createView = testUtils.createView;
@@ -5867,5 +5869,36 @@ QUnit.module('Views', {
         form.destroy();
     });
 
+    QUnit.test('basic support for widgets', function (assert) {
+        assert.expect(1);
+
+        var MyWidget = Widget.extend({
+            init: function (parent, dataPoint) {
+                this.data = dataPoint.data;
+            },
+            start: function () {
+                this.$el.text(JSON.stringify(this.data));
+            },
+        });
+        widgetRegistry.add('test', MyWidget);
+
+        var form = createView({
+            View: FormView,
+            model: 'partner',
+            data: this.data,
+            arch: '<form string="Partners">' +
+                    '<field name="foo"/>' +
+                    '<field name="bar"/>' +
+                    '<widget name="test"/>' +
+                '</form>',
+        });
+
+        assert.strictEqual(form.$el.text(), '{"foo":"My little Foo Value","bar":false}',
+            "widget should have been instantiated");
+
+        form.destroy();
+        delete widgetRegistry.map.test;
+    });
+
 });
 });
diff --git a/addons/web/static/tests/views/kanban_tests.js b/addons/web/static/tests/views/kanban_tests.js
index cf03187a051..724b080d5f4 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/tests/views/kanban_tests.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/tests/views/kanban_tests.js
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ odoo.define('web.kanban_tests', function (require) {
 
 var KanbanView = require('web.KanbanView');
 var testUtils = require('web.test_utils');
+var widgetRegistry = require('web.widget_registry');
+var Widget = require('web.Widget');
 
 var createView = testUtils.createView;
 
@@ -1898,6 +1900,40 @@ QUnit.module('Views', {
             "the add button should still be visible");
         kanban.destroy();
     });
+
+    QUnit.test('basic support for widgets', function (assert) {
+        assert.expect(1);
+
+        var MyWidget = Widget.extend({
+            init: function (parent, dataPoint) {
+                this.data = dataPoint.data;
+            },
+            start: function () {
+                this.$el.text(JSON.stringify(this.data));
+            },
+        });
+        widgetRegistry.add('test', MyWidget);
+
+        var kanban = createView({
+            View: KanbanView,
+            model: 'partner',
+            data: this.data,
+            arch: '<kanban class="o_kanban_test"><templates><t t-name="kanban-box">' +
+                    '<div>' +
+                    '<t t-esc="record.foo.value"/>' +
+                    '<field name="foo" blip="1"/>' +
+                    '<widget name="test"/>' +
+                    '</div>' +
+                '</t></templates></kanban>',
+        });
+
+        assert.strictEqual(kanban.$('.o_widget:eq(2)').text(), '{"foo":"gnap","id":3}',
+            "widget should have been instantiated");
+
+        kanban.destroy();
+        delete widgetRegistry.map.test;
+    });
+
 });
 
 });
diff --git a/addons/web/static/tests/views/list_tests.js b/addons/web/static/tests/views/list_tests.js
index ddb662a19e6..9585f154b80 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/tests/views/list_tests.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/tests/views/list_tests.js
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ var config = require('web.config');
 var FormView = require('web.FormView');
 var ListView = require('web.ListView');
 var testUtils = require('web.test_utils');
+var widgetRegistry = require('web.widget_registry');
+var Widget = require('web.Widget');
 
 var createView = testUtils.createView;
 
@@ -2936,6 +2938,34 @@ QUnit.module('Views', {
             "The first element of the row name should be a span");
         list.destroy();
     });
+
+
+    QUnit.test('basic support for widgets', function (assert) {
+        assert.expect(1);
+
+        var MyWidget = Widget.extend({
+            init: function (parent, dataPoint) {
+                this.data = dataPoint.data;
+            },
+            start: function () {
+                this.$el.text(JSON.stringify(this.data));
+            },
+        });
+        widgetRegistry.add('test', MyWidget);
+
+        var list = createView({
+            View: ListView,
+            model: 'foo',
+            data: this.data,
+            arch: '<tree><field name="foo"/><field name="int_field"/><widget name="test"/></tree>',
+        });
+
+        assert.strictEqual(list.$('.o_widget').first().text(), '{"foo":"yop","int_field":10,"id":1}',
+            "widget should have been instantiated");
+
+        list.destroy();
+        delete widgetRegistry.map.test;
+    });
 });
 
 });
diff --git a/addons/web/views/webclient_templates.xml b/addons/web/views/webclient_templates.xml
index 16142eb2ae7..4aa0eb812da 100644
--- a/addons/web/views/webclient_templates.xml
+++ b/addons/web/views/webclient_templates.xml
@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@
         <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/static/src/js/fields/abstract_field.js"></script>
         <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/static/src/js/fields/basic_fields.js"></script>
         <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/static/src/js/fields/field_registry.js"></script>
+        <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/static/src/js/views/basic/widget_registry.js"></script>
         <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/static/src/js/fields/field_utils.js"></script>
         <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/static/src/js/fields/relational_fields.js"></script>
         <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/static/src/js/fields/special_fields.js"></script>