diff --git a/openerp/addons/base/tests/test_views.py b/openerp/addons/base/tests/test_views.py
index 6203e4f001e..5d127580bd5 100644
--- a/openerp/addons/base/tests/test_views.py
+++ b/openerp/addons/base/tests/test_views.py
@@ -40,6 +40,19 @@ class test_views(common.TransactionCase):
                         """,
             })
 
+    def test_20_remove_unexisting_attribute(self):
+        Views = self.registry('ir.ui.view')
+        Views.create(self.cr, self.uid, {
+            'name': 'Test View',
+            'model': 'ir.ui.view',
+            'inherit_id': self.browse_ref('base.view_view_tree').id,
+            'arch': """<?xml version="1.0"?>
+                        <xpath expr="//field[@name='name']" position="attributes">
+                            <attribute name="non_existing_attribute"></attribute>
+                        </xpath>
+                    """,
+        })
+
     def _insert_view(self, **kw):
         """Insert view into database via a query to passtrough validation"""
         kw.pop('id', None)
diff --git a/openerp/osv/orm.py b/openerp/osv/orm.py
index cf96c8d27bd..1ed1be7de6d 100644
--- a/openerp/osv/orm.py
+++ b/openerp/osv/orm.py
@@ -2153,8 +2153,8 @@ class BaseModel(object):
                             attribute = (child.get('name'), child.text and child.text.encode('utf8') or None)
                             if attribute[1]:
                                 node.set(attribute[0], attribute[1])
-                            else:
-                                del(node.attrib[attribute[0]])
+                            elif attribute[0] in node.attrib:
+                                del node.attrib[attribute[0]]
                     else:
                         sib = node.getnext()
                         for child in spec: