diff --git a/odoo/addons/base/tests/test_translate.py b/odoo/addons/base/tests/test_translate.py
index 0006c831e67..beda9616116 100644
--- a/odoo/addons/base/tests/test_translate.py
+++ b/odoo/addons/base/tests/test_translate.py
@@ -1022,6 +1022,28 @@ class TestXMLTranslation(TransactionCase):
         self.assertEqual(view.with_env(env_fr).arch_db, archf % terms_fr)
         self.assertEqual(view.with_env(env_nl).arch_db, archf % terms_nl)
 
+    def test_sync_text_to_xml(self):
+        """ Check translations of 'arch' after xml tags changes in source terms. """
+        archf = '<form string="X">%s</form>'
+        terms_en = ('<span>Hi</span>',)
+        terms_fr = ('<span>Salut</span>',)
+        terms_nl = ('<span>Hallo</span>',)
+        view = self.create_view(archf, terms_en, en_US=terms_en, fr_FR=terms_fr, nl_NL=terms_nl)
+
+        env_nolang = self.env(context={})
+        env_en = self.env(context={'lang': 'en_US'})
+        env_fr = self.env(context={'lang': 'fr_FR'})
+
+        # modify the arch view, keep the same text content: 'Hi'
+        terms_en = 'Hi'
+        archf = '<form string="X"><setting string="%s"><span color="red"/></setting></form>'
+        view.with_env(env_en).write({'arch_db': archf % terms_en})
+
+        self.assertEqual(view.with_env(env_nolang).arch_db, archf % terms_en)
+        self.assertEqual(view.with_env(env_en).arch_db, archf % terms_en)
+        # check that we didn't set string="&lt;span&gt;Salut&lt;/span&gt;"
+        self.assertEqual(view.with_env(env_fr).arch_db, archf % terms_en)
+
     def test_sync_xml_collision(self):
         """ Check translations of 'arch' after xml tags changes in source terms
             when the same term appears in different elements with different
diff --git a/odoo/fields.py b/odoo/fields.py
index 6a316689f9c..100ed964bc6 100644
--- a/odoo/fields.py
+++ b/odoo/fields.py
@@ -1822,7 +1822,10 @@ class _String(Field):
                     matches = get_close_matches(old_term_text, text2terms, 1, 0.9)
                     if matches:
                         closest_term = get_close_matches(old_term, text2terms[matches[0]], 1, 0)[0]
-                        translation_dictionary[closest_term] = translation_dictionary.pop(old_term)
+                        old_is_text = old_term == self.get_text_content(old_term)
+                        closest_is_text = closest_term == self.get_text_content(closest_term)
+                        if old_is_text or not closest_is_text:
+                            translation_dictionary[closest_term] = translation_dictionary.pop(old_term)
             # pylint: disable=not-callable
             new_translations = {
                 l: self.translate(lambda term: translation_dictionary.get(term, {l: None})[l], cache_value)