diff --git a/addons/website/models/ir_qweb.py b/addons/website/models/ir_qweb.py
index 64a374119fa..32e6a8d33e8 100644
--- a/addons/website/models/ir_qweb.py
+++ b/addons/website/models/ir_qweb.py
@@ -204,12 +204,29 @@ class ManyToOne(orm.AbstractModel):
     _inherit = ['website.qweb.field', 'ir.qweb.field.many2one']
 
     def from_html(self, cr, uid, model, column, element, context=None):
-        # FIXME: this behavior is really weird, what if the user wanted to edit the name of the related thingy? Should m2os really be editable without a widget?
-        matches = self.pool[column._obj].name_search(
-            cr, uid, name=element.text_content().strip(), context=context)
-        # FIXME: no match? More than 1 match?
-        assert len(matches) == 1
-        return matches[0][0]
+        # FIXME: layering violations all the things
+        Model = self.pool[element.get('data-oe-model')]
+        M2O = self.pool[column._obj]
+        field = element.get('data-oe-field')
+        id = int(element.get('data-oe-id'))
+        value = element.text_content().strip()
+
+        # if anything blows up, just ignore it and bail
+        try:
+            # get parent record
+            [obj] = Model.read(cr, uid, [id], [field])
+            # get m2o record id
+            (m2o_id, _) = obj[field]
+            # assume _rec_name and write directly to it
+            M2O.write(cr, uid, [m2o_id], {
+                M2O._rec_name: value
+            }, context=context)
+        except:
+            logger.exception("Could not save %r to m2o field %s of model %s",
+                             value, field, Model._name)
+
+        # not necessary, but might as well be explicit about it
+        return None
 
 class HTML(orm.AbstractModel):
     _name = 'website.qweb.field.html'
@@ -281,7 +298,7 @@ class Image(orm.AbstractModel):
             match.group('module'), 'static', *(rest.split('/')))
 
         if not path:
-            return False
+            return None
 
         try:
             with open(path, 'rb') as f:
@@ -292,7 +309,7 @@ class Image(orm.AbstractModel):
                 return f.read().encode('base64')
         except Exception:
             logger.exception("Failed to load local image %r", url)
-            return False
+            return None
 
     def load_remote_url(self, url):
         try:
@@ -310,7 +327,7 @@ class Image(orm.AbstractModel):
             image.load()
         except Exception:
             logger.exception("Failed to load remote image %r", url)
-            return False
+            return None
 
         # don't use original data in case weird stuff was smuggled in, with
         # luck PIL will remove some of it?
diff --git a/addons/website/models/ir_ui_view.py b/addons/website/models/ir_ui_view.py
index b935d6e3465..02fa87e10aa 100644
--- a/addons/website/models/ir_ui_view.py
+++ b/addons/website/models/ir_ui_view.py
@@ -70,9 +70,11 @@ class view(osv.osv):
             el.get('data-oe-type'))
         value = converter.from_html(cr, uid, Model, column, el)
 
-        Model.write(cr, uid, [int(el.get('data-oe-id'))], {
-            field: value
-        }, context=context)
+        if value is not None:
+            # TODO: batch writes?
+            Model.write(cr, uid, [int(el.get('data-oe-id'))], {
+                field: value
+            }, context=context)
 
     def to_field_ref(self, cr, uid, el, context=None):
         # filter out meta-information inserted in the document
diff --git a/addons/website/tests/test_converter.py b/addons/website/tests/test_converter.py
index 1086ec8e8d3..4b24e8f0b9f 100644
--- a/addons/website/tests/test_converter.py
+++ b/addons/website/tests/test_converter.py
@@ -63,20 +63,6 @@ class TestConvertBack(common.TransactionCase):
 
         self.field_roundtrip('char', "ⒸⓄⓇⒼⒺ")
 
-    def test_m2o(self):
-        Sub = self.registry('website.converter.test.sub')
-        sub = partial(Sub.create, self.cr, self.uid)
-        ids = [
-            sub({'name': "Foo"}),
-            sub({'name': "Bar"}),
-            sub({'name': "Baz"}),
-        ]
-
-        self.field_rountrip_result(
-            'many2one',
-            ids[2],
-            ids[2])
-
     def test_selection(self):
         self.field_roundtrip('selection', 3)
 
@@ -104,3 +90,47 @@ class TestConvertBack(common.TransactionCase):
             You never know
             You never know until you go
         """)
+
+    def test_m2o(self):
+        """ the M2O field conversion (from html) is markedly different from
+        others as it directly writes into the m2o and returns nothing at all.
+        """
+        model = 'website.converter.test'
+        field = 'many2one'
+
+        Sub = self.registry('website.converter.test.sub')
+        sub_id = Sub.create(self.cr, self.uid, {'name': "Foo"})
+
+        Model = self.registry(model)
+        id = Model.create(self.cr, self.uid, {field: sub_id})
+        [record] = Model.browse(self.cr, self.uid, [id])
+
+        e = document.createElement('span')
+        field_value = 'record.%s' % field
+        e.setAttribute('t-field', field_value)
+
+        rendered = self.registry('website.qweb').render_tag_field(
+            e, {'field': field_value}, '', ir_qweb.QWebContext(self.cr, self.uid, {
+                'record': record,
+            }))
+
+        element = html.fromstring(rendered, parser=html.HTMLParser(encoding='utf-8'))
+        # emulate edition
+        element.text = "New content"
+
+        column = Model._all_columns[field].column
+        converter = self.registry('website.qweb').get_converter_for(
+            element.get('data-oe-type'))
+
+        value_back = converter.from_html(
+            self.cr, self.uid, model, column, element)
+
+        self.assertIsNone(
+            value_back, "the m2o converter should return None to avoid spurious"
+                        " or useless writes on the parent record")
+
+        self.assertEqual(
+            Sub.browse(self.cr, self.uid, sub_id).name,
+            "New content",
+            "element edition should have been written directly to the m2o record"
+        )