diff --git a/addons/web_kanban/static/src/js/kanban.js b/addons/web_kanban/static/src/js/kanban.js
index 0ced5bcef2d..f3169f3cfd3 100644
--- a/addons/web_kanban/static/src/js/kanban.js
+++ b/addons/web_kanban/static/src/js/kanban.js
@@ -227,14 +227,14 @@ instance.web_kanban.KanbanView = instance.web.View.extend({
         this.search_domain = domain;
         this.search_context = context;
         this.search_group_by = group_by;
-        $.when(this.has_been_loaded).done(function() {
+        return $.when(this.has_been_loaded).then(function() {
             self.group_by = group_by.length ? group_by[0] : self.fields_view.arch.attrs.default_group_by;
             self.group_by_field = self.fields_view.fields[self.group_by] || {};
             self.grouped_by_m2o = (self.group_by_field.type === 'many2one');
             self.$buttons.find('.oe_alternative').toggle(self.grouped_by_m2o);
             self.$el.toggleClass('oe_kanban_grouped_by_m2o', self.grouped_by_m2o);
             var grouping = new instance.web.Model(self.dataset.model, context, domain).query().group_by(self.group_by);
-            $.when(grouping).done(function(groups) {
+            return $.when(grouping).done(function(groups) {
                 if (groups) {
                     self.do_process_groups(groups);
                 } else {