diff --git a/src/component/component.ts b/src/component/component.ts
index c876b77b..cc90440f 100644
--- a/src/component/component.ts
+++ b/src/component/component.ts
@@ -302,7 +302,14 @@ export class Component<T extends Env, Props extends {}> {
     const position = options.position || "last-child";
     const __owl__ = this.__owl__;
     if (__owl__.isMounted) {
-      return Promise.resolve();
+      if (position !== "self" && this.el!.parentNode !== target) {
+        // in this situation, we are trying to mount a component on a different
+        // target. In this case, we need to unmount first, otherwise it will
+        // not work.
+        this.unmount();
+      } else {
+        return Promise.resolve();
+      }
     }
     if (!(target instanceof HTMLElement || target instanceof DocumentFragment)) {
       let message = `Component '${this.constructor.name}' cannot be mounted: the target is not a valid DOM node.`;
diff --git a/tests/component/un_mounting.test.ts b/tests/component/un_mounting.test.ts
index ce45ec9e..9ac8b44d 100644
--- a/tests/component/un_mounting.test.ts
+++ b/tests/component/un_mounting.test.ts
@@ -376,4 +376,34 @@ describe("unmounting and remounting", () => {
     expect(fixture.innerHTML).toBe("");
     expect(Child.prototype.__render).toBeCalledTimes(1);
   });
+
+  test("widget can be mounted on different target", async () => {
+    const steps: string[] = [];
+    class MyWidget extends Component<any, any> {
+      static template = xml`<div>Hey</div>`;
+      async willStart() {
+        steps.push("willstart");
+      }
+      mounted() {
+        steps.push("mounted");
+      }
+      willUnmount() {
+        steps.push("willunmount");
+      }
+      patched() {
+        throw new Error("patched should not be called");
+      }
+    }
+    const div = document.createElement("div");
+    const span = document.createElement("span");
+    fixture.appendChild(div);
+    fixture.appendChild(span);
+    const w = new MyWidget();
+    await w.mount(div);
+
+    expect(fixture.innerHTML).toBe("<div><div>Hey</div></div><span></span>");
+
+    await w.mount(span);
+    expect(fixture.innerHTML).toBe("<div></div><span><div>Hey</div></span>");
+  });
 });