diff --git a/addons/web/controllers/main.py b/addons/web/controllers/main.py
index 412ea9abda2..c559758d3f2 100644
--- a/addons/web/controllers/main.py
+++ b/addons/web/controllers/main.py
@@ -1494,10 +1494,6 @@ class Binary(openerpweb.Controller):
 
 class Action(openerpweb.Controller):
     _cp_path = "/web/action"
-    
-    action_mapping = {
-        "ir.actions.act_url": "ir.actions.url",
-    }
 
     # For most actions, the type attribute and the model name are the same, but
     # there are exceptions. This dict is used to remap action type attributes
@@ -1511,6 +1507,17 @@ class Action(openerpweb.Controller):
         Actions = req.session.model('ir.actions.actions')
         value = False
         context = req.session.eval_context(req.context)
+
+        try:
+            action_id = int(action_id)
+        except ValueError:
+            try:
+                module, xmlid = action_id.split('.', 1)
+                model, action_id = req.session.model('ir.model.data').get_object_reference(module, xmlid)
+                assert model.startswith('ir.actions.')
+            except Exception:
+                action_id = 0   # force failed read
+
         base_action = Actions.read([action_id], ['type'], context)
         if base_action:
             ctx = {}
diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/js/chrome.js b/addons/web/static/src/js/chrome.js
index e4d543c69ce..67d029953a1 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/js/chrome.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/js/chrome.js
@@ -667,7 +667,7 @@ instance.web.Menu =  instance.web.Widget.extend({
      * @param {Number} id the action_id to match
      */
     open_action: function (id) {
-        var $menu = this.$element.add(this.$secondary_menus).find('a[data-action-id=' + id + ']');
+        var $menu = this.$element.add(this.$secondary_menus).find('a[data-action-id="' + id + '"]');
         var menu_id = $menu.data('menu');
         if (menu_id) {
             this.open_menu(menu_id);
diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/js/views.js b/addons/web/static/src/js/views.js
index 1bfd7d18776..1d212daaa20 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/js/views.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/js/views.js
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ instance.web.ActionManager = instance.web.Widget.extend({
         });
     },
     do_action: function(action, on_close) {
-        if (_.isNumber(action)) {
+        if (_.isNumber(action) || _.isString(action)) {
             var self = this;
             return self.rpc("/web/action/load", { action_id: action }, function(result) {
                 self.do_action(result.result, on_close);
@@ -1261,7 +1261,7 @@ instance.web.View = instance.web.Widget.extend({
             args.push(context);
             return dataset.call_button(action_data.name, args, handler);
         } else if (action_data.type=="action") {
-            return this.rpc('/web/action/load', { action_id: parseInt(action_data.name, 10), context: context, do_not_eval: true}, handler);
+            return this.rpc('/web/action/load', { action_id: action_data.name, context: context, do_not_eval: true}, handler);
         } else  {
             return dataset.exec_workflow(record_id, action_data.name, handler);
         }