diff --git a/addons/website/models/ir_ui_view.py b/addons/website/models/ir_ui_view.py
index 9a3a84a9adb..2895379dcf4 100644
--- a/addons/website/models/ir_ui_view.py
+++ b/addons/website/models/ir_ui_view.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ from openerp import SUPERUSER_ID, api
 from openerp.addons.website.models import website
 from openerp.http import request
 from openerp.osv import osv, fields
+from openerp.tools import html_escape
 
 class view(osv.osv):
     _inherit = "ir.ui.view"
@@ -119,6 +120,14 @@ class view(osv.osv):
             # ensure there's only one match
             [root] = arch.xpath(section_xpath)
 
+        # html text need to be escaped for xml storage
+        def escape_node(node):
+            node.text = node.text and html_escape(node.text)
+            node.tail = node.tail and html_escape(node.tail)
+        escape_node(replacement)
+        for descendant in replacement.iterdescendants():
+            escape_node(descendant)
+
         root.text = replacement.text
         root.tail = replacement.tail
         # replace all children
diff --git a/addons/website/tests/test_views.py b/addons/website/tests/test_views.py
index 1adb11712ec..c8e7efb9044 100644
--- a/addons/website/tests/test_views.py
+++ b/addons/website/tests/test_views.py
@@ -174,6 +174,16 @@ class TestViewSaving(common.TransactionCase):
             )
         )
 
+    def test_save_escaped_text(self):
+        view_id = self.registry('ir.ui.view').create(self.cr, self.uid, {
+            'arch':'<t>hello world</t>',
+            'type':'qweb'
+        })
+        view = self.registry('ir.ui.view').browse(self.cr, self.uid, view_id)
+        replacement = 'hello world &amp; &lt;angle brackets&gt;!'
+        view.save(replacement, xpath='/t')
+        self.assertEqual(view.render(), replacement, 'html special characters wrongly escaped')
+
     def test_save_only_embedded(self):
         Company = self.registry('res.company')
         company_id = 1
diff --git a/openerp/addons/base/ir/ir_ui_view.py b/openerp/addons/base/ir/ir_ui_view.py
index 7136c44ee71..2be02332660 100644
--- a/openerp/addons/base/ir/ir_ui_view.py
+++ b/openerp/addons/base/ir/ir_ui_view.py
@@ -945,7 +945,7 @@ class view(osv.osv):
         def get_trans(text):
             if not text or not text.strip():
                 return None
-            text = h.unescape(text.strip())
+            text = text.strip()
             if len(text) < 2 or (text.startswith('<!') and text.endswith('>')):
                 return None
             return translate_func(text)