diff --git a/src/util/records.py b/src/util/records.py
index 094ebe86b..a5601bd0f 100644
--- a/src/util/records.py
+++ b/src/util/records.py
@@ -1039,7 +1039,8 @@ def update_record_from_xml(
                                    should also be updated.
     :param set(str) or None fields: optional list of fields to include in the XML declaration.
                                     If set, all other fields will be ignored. When set, record
-                                    won't be created if missing.
+                                    won't be created if missing and all fields not found in
+                                    the XML declaration will be set to NULL.
 
     .. warning::
        This functions uses the ORM, therefore it can only be used after **all** models
@@ -1147,9 +1148,21 @@ def add_ref(ref):
                 found = True
                 parent = node.getparent()
                 if node.tag == "record" and fields is not None:
+                    xml_fields = set()
                     for fn in node.xpath("./field[@name]"):
                         if fn.attrib["name"] not in fields:
                             node.remove(fn)
+                        xml_fields.add(fn.attrib["name"])
+                    # override requested fields not found in xml
+                    fields_default = env(cr)[node.attrib["model"]].default_get(fields)
+                    for field in fields:
+                        if field not in xml_fields:
+                            field_default = fields_default.get(field)
+                            if field_default is None:
+                                node.append(lxml.builder.E.field(name=field, eval="False"))
+                            else:
+                                node.append(lxml.builder.E.field(str(field_default), name=field))
+
                 new_root[0].append(node)
 
                 if node.tag == "menuitem" and parent.tag == "menuitem" and "parent_id" not in node.attrib: