diff --git a/openerp/addons/base/ir/ir_ui_view.py b/openerp/addons/base/ir/ir_ui_view.py
index db6447bdeac..f1dd0508dbe 100644
--- a/openerp/addons/base/ir/ir_ui_view.py
+++ b/openerp/addons/base/ir/ir_ui_view.py
@@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ class view(osv.osv):
         children = True
 
         modifiers = {}
-        Model = self.pool[model]
+        Model = self.pool.get(model)
 
         def encode(s):
             if isinstance(s, unicode):
@@ -577,19 +577,17 @@ class view(osv.osv):
 
                :return: True if field should be included in the result of fields_view_get
             """
-            if node.tag == 'field' and node.get('name') in Model._all_columns:
+            if Model and node.tag == 'field' and node.get('name') in Model._all_columns:
                 column = Model._all_columns[node.get('name')].column
-                if column.groups and not self.user_has_groups(cr, user,
-                                                              groups=column.groups,
-                                                              context=context):
+                if column.groups and not self.user_has_groups(
+                        cr, user, groups=column.groups, context=context):
                     node.getparent().remove(node)
                     fields.pop(node.get('name'), None)
                     # no point processing view-level ``groups`` anymore, return
                     return False
             if node.get('groups'):
-                can_see = self.user_has_groups(cr, user,
-                                               groups=node.get('groups'),
-                                               context=context)
+                can_see = self.user_has_groups(
+                    cr, user, groups=node.get('groups'), context=context)
                 if not can_see:
                     node.set('invisible', '1')
                     modifiers['invisible'] = True
@@ -728,7 +726,7 @@ class view(osv.osv):
 
     def _disable_workflow_buttons(self, cr, user, model, node):
         """ Set the buttons in node to readonly if the user can't activate them. """
-        if user == 1:
+        if model is None or user == 1:
             # admin user can always activate workflow buttons
             return node
 
@@ -763,7 +761,8 @@ class view(osv.osv):
 
         """
         fields = {}
-        Model = self.pool[model]
+        Model = self.pool.get(model)
+
         if node.tag == 'diagram':
             if node.getchildren()[0].tag == 'node':
                 node_model = self.pool[node.getchildren()[0].get('object')]
@@ -774,8 +773,9 @@ class view(osv.osv):
             if node.getchildren()[1].tag == 'arrow':
                 arrow_fields = self.pool[node.getchildren()[1].get('object')].fields_get(cr, user, None, context)
                 fields.update(arrow_fields)
-        else:
+        elif Model:
             fields = Model.fields_get(cr, user, None, context)
+
         fields_def = self.__view_look_dom(cr, user, model, node, view_id, False, fields, context=context)
         node = self._disable_workflow_buttons(cr, user, model, node)
         if node.tag in ('kanban', 'tree', 'form', 'gantt'):
diff --git a/openerp/addons/base/tests/test_views.py b/openerp/addons/base/tests/test_views.py
index 358d028073f..6bde7ec04c4 100644
--- a/openerp/addons/base/tests/test_views.py
+++ b/openerp/addons/base/tests/test_views.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
+# -*- encoding: utf-8 -*-
 from lxml import etree as ET
-from lxml.builder import E
+from lxml.builder import E, ElementMaker
 
 from openerp.tests import common
 import unittest2
@@ -220,3 +221,72 @@ class TestViewCombined(common.TransactionCase):
     * defaults mapping
     * ?
     """
+
+class TestNoModel(common.TransactionCase):
+    def test_create_view_nomodel(self):
+        View = self.registry('ir.ui.view')
+        view_id = View.create(self.cr, self.uid, {
+            'name': 'dummy',
+            'arch': '<form/>',
+            'inherit_id': False
+        })
+        [view] = View.read(self.cr, self.uid, [view_id])
+        self.assertEqual(view, {
+            'id': view_id,
+            'name': 'dummy',
+            'arch': '<form/>',
+            'type': 'form',
+            'priority': 16,
+            'inherit_id': False,
+            'field_parent': False,
+            'groups_id': [],
+            'xml_id': '',
+            'model_ids': [],
+            'model': '',
+        })
+
+    arch = E.body(
+        E.div(
+            E.h1("Title"),
+            id="header"),
+        E.p("Welcome!"),
+        E.div(
+            E.hr(),
+            E.p("Copyright copyrighter", {'class': 'legalese'}),
+            id="footer"),
+        {'class': "index"},)
+    def test_fields_mess(self):
+        """
+        Try to call __view_look_dom_arch without a model provided, will need
+        to be altered once it's broken up into sane components
+        """
+        View = self.registry('ir.ui.view')
+
+        sarch, fields = View._view__view_look_dom_arch(
+            self.cr, self.uid, None, self.arch, None)
+
+        self.assertEqual(sarch, ET.tostring(self.arch, encoding='utf-8'))
+        self.assertEqual(fields, {})
+
+    def test_mess_translation(self):
+        """
+        Test if translations work correctly without a model
+        """
+        View = self.registry('ir.ui.view')
+        self.registry('res.lang').load_lang(self.cr, self.uid, 'fr_FR')
+        self.registry('ir.translation').create(self.cr, self.uid, {
+            'name': '',
+            'type': 'view',
+            'lang': 'fr_FR',
+            'src': 'Copyright copyrighter',
+            'value': u"Copyrighter, tous droits réservés",
+        })
+        sarch, fields = View._view__view_look_dom_arch(
+            self.cr, self.uid, None,self.arch, None, {'lang': 'fr_FR'})
+        self.assertEqual(
+            sarch,
+            ET.tostring(self.arch, encoding='utf-8')
+                .replace('Copyright copyrighter',
+                         'Copyrighter, tous droits réservés'))
+        self.assertEqual(fields, {})
+