diff --git a/src/runtime/blockdom/block_compiler.ts b/src/runtime/blockdom/block_compiler.ts
index b04fc804..9857bdfa 100644
--- a/src/runtime/blockdom/block_compiler.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/blockdom/block_compiler.ts
@@ -517,8 +517,9 @@ function createBlockClass(template: HTMLElement, ctx: BlockCtx): BlockClass {
       return this.el!;
     }
 
-    moveBeforeDOMNode(node: Node | null) {
-      nodeInsertBefore.call(this.parentEl, this.el!, node);
+    moveBeforeDOMNode(node: Node | null, parent = this.parentEl) {
+      this.parentEl = parent;
+      nodeInsertBefore.call(parent, this.el!, node);
     }
 
     moveBeforeVNode(other: Block | null, afterNode: Node | null) {
diff --git a/src/runtime/blockdom/event_catcher.ts b/src/runtime/blockdom/event_catcher.ts
index 7bd4da58..bd59d577 100644
--- a/src/runtime/blockdom/event_catcher.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/blockdom/event_catcher.ts
@@ -56,9 +56,10 @@ export function createCatcher(eventsSpec: EventsSpec): Catcher {
       }
     }
 
-    moveBeforeDOMNode(node: Node | null) {
-      this.child.moveBeforeDOMNode(node);
-      this.parentEl!.insertBefore(this.afterNode!, node);
+    moveBeforeDOMNode(node: Node | null, parent = this.parentEl) {
+      this.parentEl = parent;
+      this.child.moveBeforeDOMNode(node, parent);
+      parent!.insertBefore(this.afterNode!, node);
     }
 
     moveBeforeVNode(other: VCatcher | null, afterNode: Node | null) {
diff --git a/src/runtime/blockdom/html.ts b/src/runtime/blockdom/html.ts
index fe88fa40..1b33df75 100644
--- a/src/runtime/blockdom/html.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/blockdom/html.ts
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ class VHtml {
     }
   }
 
-  moveBeforeDOMNode(node: Node | null) {
-    const parent = this.parentEl;
+  moveBeforeDOMNode(node: Node | null, parent = this.parentEl) {
+    this.parentEl = parent;
     for (let elem of this.content) {
       nodeInsertBefore.call(parent, elem, node);
     }
diff --git a/src/runtime/blockdom/index.ts b/src/runtime/blockdom/index.ts
index 165fa5d0..99218f12 100644
--- a/src/runtime/blockdom/index.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/blockdom/index.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ export { createCatcher } from "./event_catcher";
 
 export interface VNode<T = any> {
   mount(parent: HTMLElement, afterNode: Node | null): void;
-  moveBeforeDOMNode(node: Node | null): void;
+  moveBeforeDOMNode(node: Node | null, parent?: HTMLElement): void;
   moveBeforeVNode(other: T | null, afterNode: Node | null): void;
   patch(other: T, withBeforeRemove: boolean): void;
   beforeRemove(): void;
diff --git a/src/runtime/blockdom/list.ts b/src/runtime/blockdom/list.ts
index 0b7c257a..d3db6722 100644
--- a/src/runtime/blockdom/list.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/blockdom/list.ts
@@ -38,12 +38,13 @@ class VList {
     this.parentEl = parent;
   }
 
-  moveBeforeDOMNode(node: Node | null) {
+  moveBeforeDOMNode(node: Node | null, parent = this.parentEl) {
+    this.parentEl = parent;
     const children = this.children;
     for (let i = 0, l = children.length; i < l; i++) {
-      children[i].moveBeforeDOMNode(node);
+      children[i].moveBeforeDOMNode(node, parent);
     }
-    this.parentEl!.insertBefore(this.anchor!, node);
+    parent!.insertBefore(this.anchor!, node);
   }
 
   moveBeforeVNode(other: VList | null, afterNode: Node | null) {
diff --git a/src/runtime/blockdom/multi.ts b/src/runtime/blockdom/multi.ts
index b375020f..9fad5fff 100644
--- a/src/runtime/blockdom/multi.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/blockdom/multi.ts
@@ -38,14 +38,14 @@ export class VMulti {
     this.parentEl = parent;
   }
 
-  moveBeforeDOMNode(node: Node | null) {
+  moveBeforeDOMNode(node: Node | null, parent = this.parentEl) {
+    this.parentEl = parent;
     const children = this.children;
-    const parent = this.parentEl;
     const anchors = this.anchors;
     for (let i = 0, l = children.length; i < l; i++) {
       let child = children[i];
       if (child) {
-        child.moveBeforeDOMNode(node);
+        child.moveBeforeDOMNode(node, parent);
       } else {
         const anchor = anchors![i];
         nodeInsertBefore.call(parent, anchor, node);
diff --git a/src/runtime/blockdom/text.ts b/src/runtime/blockdom/text.ts
index 687eb21e..c01da3d3 100644
--- a/src/runtime/blockdom/text.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/blockdom/text.ts
@@ -23,8 +23,9 @@ abstract class VSimpleNode {
     this.el = node;
   }
 
-  moveBeforeDOMNode(node: Node | null) {
-    nodeInsertBefore.call(this.parentEl, this.el!, node);
+  moveBeforeDOMNode(node: Node | null, parent = this.parentEl) {
+    this.parentEl = parent;
+    nodeInsertBefore.call(parent, this.el!, node);
   }
 
   moveBeforeVNode(other: VText | null, afterNode: Node | null) {
diff --git a/src/runtime/blockdom/toggler.ts b/src/runtime/blockdom/toggler.ts
index a734813f..22415439 100644
--- a/src/runtime/blockdom/toggler.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/blockdom/toggler.ts
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ class VToggler {
     this.child.mount(parent, afterNode);
   }
 
-  moveBeforeDOMNode(node: Node | null) {
-    this.child.moveBeforeDOMNode(node);
+  moveBeforeDOMNode(node: Node | null, parent?: HTMLElement) {
+    this.child.moveBeforeDOMNode(node, parent);
   }
 
   moveBeforeVNode(other: VToggler | null, afterNode: Node | null) {
diff --git a/src/runtime/component_node.ts b/src/runtime/component_node.ts
index f27867fc..de925700 100644
--- a/src/runtime/component_node.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/component_node.ts
@@ -306,8 +306,8 @@ export class ComponentNode<P extends Props = any, E = any> implements VNode<Comp
     this.fiber = null;
   }
 
-  moveBeforeDOMNode(node: Node | null): void {
-    this.bdom!.moveBeforeDOMNode(node);
+  moveBeforeDOMNode(node: Node | null, parent?: HTMLElement): void {
+    this.bdom!.moveBeforeDOMNode(node, parent);
   }
 
   moveBeforeVNode(other: ComponentNode<P, E> | null, afterNode: Node | null) {
diff --git a/src/runtime/portal.ts b/src/runtime/portal.ts
index f85f3d62..37ba8a32 100644
--- a/src/runtime/portal.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/portal.ts
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ export class Portal extends Component {
       if (!portal.target) {
         const target: HTMLElement = document.querySelector(this.props.target);
         if (target) {
-          portal.content!.moveBeforeVNode(target, null);
+          portal.content!.moveBeforeDOMNode(target.firstChild, target);
         } else {
           throw new OwlError("invalid portal target");
         }
diff --git a/tests/misc/portal.test.ts b/tests/misc/portal.test.ts
index 33fdbe45..b5c230b4 100644
--- a/tests/misc/portal.test.ts
+++ b/tests/misc/portal.test.ts
@@ -892,7 +892,7 @@ describe("Portal", () => {
     }
     await mount(Parent, fixture);
     expect(fixture.innerHTML).toBe(
-      '<span>child</span><div class="portal"></div><span>portal</span>'
+      '<span>child</span><div class="portal"><span>portal</span></div>'
     );
   });