diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/js/fields/relational_fields.js b/addons/web/static/src/js/fields/relational_fields.js
index 4ddc674255a..567c54abcb1 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/js/fields/relational_fields.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/js/fields/relational_fields.js
@@ -1367,7 +1367,6 @@ var FieldMany2ManyTags = AbstractField.extend({
         'click .o_delete': '_onDeleteTag',
     }),
     fieldsToFetch: {
-        color: {type: 'integer'},
         display_name: {type: 'char'},
     },
 
@@ -1380,6 +1379,8 @@ var FieldMany2ManyTags = AbstractField.extend({
         if (this.mode === 'edit') {
             this.className += ' o_input';
         }
+
+        this.colorField = this.nodeOptions.color_field;
     },
 
     //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -1444,6 +1445,7 @@ var FieldMany2ManyTags = AbstractField.extend({
     _getRenderTagsContext: function () {
         var elements = this.value ? _.pluck(this.value.data, 'data') : [];
         return {
+            colorField: this.colorField,
             elements: elements,
             readonly: this.mode === "readonly",
         };
@@ -1571,7 +1573,7 @@ var FormFieldMany2ManyTags = FieldMany2ManyTags.extend({
     _onOpenColorPicker: function (event) {
         var tag_id = $(event.currentTarget).data('id');
         var tag = _.findWhere(this.value.data, { res_id: tag_id });
-        if (tag && 'color' in tag.data) { // if there is a color field on the related model
+        if (tag && this.colorField in tag.data) { // if there is a color field on the related model
             this.$color_picker = $(qweb.render('FieldMany2ManyTag.colorpicker', {
                 'widget': this,
                 'tag_id': tag_id,
@@ -1596,11 +1598,11 @@ var FormFieldMany2ManyTags = FieldMany2ManyTags.extend({
 
         if (color === current_color) { return; }
 
+        var changes = {};
+        changes[this.colorField] = color;
         this.trigger_up('field_changed', {
             dataPointID: _.findWhere(this.value.data, {res_id: id}).id,
-            changes: {
-                color: color,
-            },
+            changes: changes,
             force_save: true,
         });
     },
@@ -1611,12 +1613,19 @@ var KanbanFieldMany2ManyTags = FieldMany2ManyTags.extend({
         var self = this;
         this.$el.empty().addClass('o_field_many2manytags o_kanban_tags');
         _.each(this.value.data, function (m2m) {
-            // 10th color is invisible
-            if ('color' in m2m.data && m2m.data.color !== 10) {
-                $('<span>')
-                    .addClass('o_tag o_tag_color_' + m2m.data.color)
+            var $tag = $('<span>')
                     .attr('title', _.str.escapeHTML(m2m.data.display_name))
                     .appendTo(self.$el);
+            if (self.colorField in m2m.data) {
+                if (m2m.data[self.colorField] === 10) {
+                    // 10th color is invisible
+                    $tag.hide();
+                } else {
+                    $tag.addClass('o_tag o_tag_color_' + m2m.data[self.colorField]);
+                }
+            } else {
+                // display tags in grey by default
+                $tag.addClass('o_tag o_tag_color_0');
             }
         });
     },
diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/js/services/data_manager.js b/addons/web/static/src/js/services/data_manager.js
index 41fc293e383..c1e69a72ce3 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/js/services/data_manager.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/js/services/data_manager.js
@@ -355,6 +355,11 @@ return core.Class.extend({
                         return {};
                     }),
                 };
+                if (attrs.options.color_field) {
+                    // used by m2m tags
+                    attrs.relatedFields[attrs.options.color_field] = { type: 'integer' };
+                    attrs.fieldsInfo.default[attrs.options.color_field] = {};
+                }
             }
         }
         return attrs;
diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/xml/base.xml b/addons/web/static/src/xml/base.xml
index 06e6b8b2285..80d40404f28 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/xml/base.xml
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/xml/base.xml
@@ -759,7 +759,7 @@
 </t>
 <t t-name="FieldMany2ManyTag">
     <t t-foreach="elements" t-as="el">
-        <span t-attf-class="badge dropdown o_tag_color_#{el.color || 10}" t-att-data-color="el.color || 10" t-att-data-index="el_index" t-att-data-id="el.id">
+        <span t-attf-class="badge dropdown o_tag_color_#{el[colorField] || 10}" t-att-data-color="el[colorField] || 10" t-att-data-index="el_index" t-att-data-id="el.id">
             <span class="o_badge_text"><t t-raw="el.display_name"/></span>
             <span t-if="!readonly" class="fa fa-times o_delete"/>
         </span>
diff --git a/addons/web/static/tests/fields/relational_fields_tests.js b/addons/web/static/tests/fields/relational_fields_tests.js
index 5c2a93ee775..d4d3a6307f9 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/tests/fields/relational_fields_tests.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/tests/fields/relational_fields_tests.js
@@ -6017,8 +6017,37 @@ QUnit.module('relational_fields', {
 
     QUnit.module('FieldMany2ManyTags');
 
-    QUnit.test('fieldmany2many tags: rendering and edition', function (assert) {
-        assert.expect(17);
+    QUnit.test('fieldmany2many tags without color', function (assert) {
+        assert.expect(4);
+
+        var form = createView({
+            View: FormView,
+            model: 'partner',
+            data: this.data,
+            arch:'<form string="Partners">' +
+                    '<field name="timmy" widget="many2many_tags"/>' +
+                '</form>',
+            mockRPC: function (route, args) {
+                if (args.method ==='read' && args.model === 'partner_type') {
+                    assert.deepEqual(args.args , [[12], ['display_name']], "should not read any color field");
+                }
+                return this._super.apply(this, arguments);
+            }
+        });
+        var $input = form.$('.o_field_many2manytags input');
+        $input.click(); // opens the dropdown
+        assert.strictEqual($input.autocomplete('widget').find('li').length, 3,
+            "autocomplete dropdown should have 3 entries (2 values + 'Search and Edit...')");
+        $input.autocomplete('widget').find('li:first()').click(); // adds a tag
+        assert.strictEqual(form.$('.o_field_many2manytags > span').length, 1,
+            "should contain 1 tag");
+        assert.ok(form.$('.o_field_many2manytags > span:contains("gold")').length,
+            "should contain newly added tag 'gold'");
+        form.destroy();
+    });
+
+    QUnit.test('fieldmany2many tags with color: rendering and edition', function (assert) {
+        assert.expect(20);
 
         this.data.partner.records[0].timmy = [12, 14];
         this.data.partner_type.records.push({id: 13, display_name: "red", color: 8});
@@ -6027,7 +6056,7 @@ QUnit.module('relational_fields', {
             model: 'partner',
             data: this.data,
             arch:'<form string="Partners">' +
-                    '<field name="timmy" widget="many2many_tags" options="{\'no_create_edit\': True}"/>' +
+                    '<field name="timmy" widget="many2many_tags" options="{\'color_field\': \'color\', \'no_create_edit\': True}"/>' +
                 '</form>',
             res_id: 1,
             mockRPC: function (route, args) {
@@ -6038,6 +6067,9 @@ QUnit.module('relational_fields', {
                     assert.ok(_.isEqual(_.sortBy(commands[0][2], _.identity.bind(_)), [12, 13]),
                         "new value should be [12, 13]");
                 }
+                if (args.method ==='read' && args.model === 'partner_type') {
+                    assert.deepEqual(args.args[1], ['display_name', 'color'], "should read the color field");
+                }
                 return this._super.apply(this, arguments);
             },
         });
@@ -6183,7 +6215,7 @@ QUnit.module('relational_fields', {
             model: 'partner',
             data: this.data,
             arch:'<form string="Partners">' +
-                    '<field name="timmy" widget="many2many_tags"/>' +
+                    '<field name="timmy" widget="many2many_tags" options="{\'color_field\': \'color\'}"/>' +
                 '</form>',
             res_id: 1,
         });
diff --git a/addons/web/static/tests/views/kanban_tests.js b/addons/web/static/tests/views/kanban_tests.js
index e8ebae3d6be..f3a653113ec 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/tests/views/kanban_tests.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/tests/views/kanban_tests.js
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ QUnit.module('Views', {
             arch: '<kanban class="o_kanban_test">' +
                         '<templates><t t-name="kanban-box">' +
                             '<div>' +
-                                '<field name="category_ids"/>' +
+                                '<field name="category_ids" widget="many2many_tags" options="{\'color_field\': \'color\'}"/>' +
                                 '<field name="foo"/>' +
                                 '<field name="state" widget="priority"/>' +
                             '</div>' +