diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/js/corelib.js b/addons/web/static/src/js/corelib.js
index e9fd4e1fedf..73fa6839607 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/js/corelib.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/js/corelib.js
@@ -716,7 +716,11 @@ instance.web.Widget = instance.web.Class.extend(instance.web.WidgetMixin, {
             if (this.className) { attrs['class'] = this.className; }
             $el = $(this.make(this.tagName, attrs))
         }
+        var $oldel = this.$el;
         this.setElement($el);
+        if ($oldel && !$oldel.is(this.$el)) {
+            $oldel.replaceWith(this.$el);
+        }
     },
 
     /**
@@ -734,7 +738,6 @@ instance.web.Widget = instance.web.Class.extend(instance.web.WidgetMixin, {
     setElement: function (element) {
         if (this.$el) {
             this.undelegateEvents();
-            this.$el.replaceWith(element);
         }
 
         this.$element = this.$el = (element instanceof $) ? element : $(element);
diff --git a/addons/web/static/test/Widget.js b/addons/web/static/test/Widget.js
index 36d6795ff7c..b50dd233a13 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/test/Widget.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/test/Widget.js
@@ -6,15 +6,21 @@ $(document).ready(function () {
             window.openerp.web.corelib(instance);
 
             instance.web.qweb = new QWeb2.Engine();
-            instance.web.qweb.add_template('<no><t t-name="test.widget.template">' +
-                '<ol>' +
-                    '<li t-foreach="5" t-as="counter" ' +
-                        't-attf-class="class-#{counter}">' +
-                        '<input/>' +
-                        '<t t-esc="counter"/>' +
-                    '</li>' +
-                '</ol>' +
-            '</t></no>');
+            instance.web.qweb.add_template(
+            '<no>' +
+                '<t t-name="test.widget.template">' +
+                    '<ol>' +
+                        '<li t-foreach="5" t-as="counter" ' +
+                            't-attf-class="class-#{counter}">' +
+                            '<input/>' +
+                            '<t t-esc="counter"/>' +
+                        '</li>' +
+                    '</ol>' +
+                '</t>' +
+                '<t t-name="test.widget.template-value">' +
+                    '<p><t t-esc="widget.value"/></p>' +
+                '</t>' +
+            '</no>');
         }
     };
     var instance;
@@ -221,4 +227,22 @@ $(document).ready(function () {
         ok(!clicked, "undelegate should unbind events delegated");
         ok(newclicked, "undelegate should only unbind events it created");
     });
+
+    module('Widget.renderElement', mod);
+    test('repeated', function () {
+        var w = new (instance.web.Widget.extend({
+            template: 'test.widget.template-value'
+        }));
+        w.value = 42;
+        w.appendTo($fix)
+            .always(start)
+            .done(function () {
+                equal($fix.find('p').text(), '42', "DOM fixture should contain initial value");
+                equal(w.$el.text(), '42', "should set initial value");
+                w.value = 36;
+                w.renderElement();
+                equal($fix.find('p').text(), '36', "DOM fixture should use new value");
+                equal(w.$el.text(), '36', "should set new value");
+            });
+    });
 });
diff --git a/doc/widget.rst b/doc/widget.rst
index 9868e4030e0..b29260c5882 100644
--- a/doc/widget.rst
+++ b/doc/widget.rst
@@ -95,7 +95,17 @@ The DOM root can also be defined programmatically by overridding
     Any override to :js:func:`~openerp.web.Widget.renderElement` which
     does not call its ``_super`` **must** call
     :js:func:`~openerp.web.Widget.setElement` with whatever it
-    generated or the widget's behavior is undefined.
+    generated or the widget's behavior is undefined.r
+
+    .. note::
+
+        The default :js:func:`~openerp.web.Widget.renderElement` can
+        be called repeatedly, it will *replace* the previous DOM root
+        (using ``replaceWith``). However, this requires that the
+        widget correctly sets and unsets its events (and children
+        widgets). Generally,
+        :js:func:`~openerp.web.Widget.renderElement` should not be
+        called repeatedly unless the widget advertizes this feature.
 
 Accessing DOM content
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~