diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/js/core/mixins.js b/addons/web/static/src/js/core/mixins.js
index ae513b0b506..fff2a013bb5 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/js/core/mixins.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/js/core/mixins.js
@@ -447,15 +447,17 @@ var ServicesMixin = {
         return result;
     },
     /**
-     * Build a RPC query
+     * Builds and executes RPC query. Returns a deferred's promise resolved with
+     * the RPC result.
      *
      * @param {string} arg1 either a route or a model
      * @param {string} method if a model is given, this argument is a method
-     * @returns {RPCBuilder}
+     * @returns {Deferred's Promise}
      */
     _rpc: function (params, options) {
         var query = rpc.buildQuery(params);
-        return this.call('ajax', 'rpc', query.route, query.params, options);
+        var def = this.call('ajax', 'rpc', query.route, query.params, options);
+        return def ? def.promise() : $.Deferred().promise();
     },
     loadFieldView: function (dataset, view_id, view_type, options) {
         return this.loadViews(dataset.model, dataset.get_context(), [[view_id, view_type]], options).then(function (result) {
diff --git a/addons/web/static/test/core/widget_tests.js b/addons/web/static/test/core/widget_tests.js
index c0a0012f931..8988002734b 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/test/core/widget_tests.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/test/core/widget_tests.js
@@ -377,6 +377,19 @@ QUnit.module('core', {}, function () {
             done();
         });
     });
+
+    QUnit.test("calling _rpc on destroyed widgets", function (assert) {
+        assert.expect(1);
+
+        var widget = new Widget();
+        widget.destroy();
+        widget._rpc({route: '/a/route'}).always(function () {
+            throw Error("Calling _rpc on a destroyed widget should return a " +
+                "deferred that is never resolved nor rejected");
+        });
+        assert.ok(true,
+            "there should be no crash when calling _rpc on a destroyed widget");
+    });
 });
 
 });
\ No newline at end of file