diff --git a/base_phone/base_phone.py b/base_phone/base_phone.py
index 91309d7..6b9b789 100644
--- a/base_phone/base_phone.py
+++ b/base_phone/base_phone.py
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ class phone_common(orm.AbstractModel):
         return result
 
     def _generic_reformat_phonenumbers(self, cr, uid, vals, phonefields=None,
+                                       raise_if_parse_fails=False,
                                        context=None):
         """Reformat phone numbers in E.164 format i.e. +33141981242"""
         if phonefields is None:
@@ -89,6 +90,12 @@ class phone_common(orm.AbstractModel):
                     try:
                         res_parse = phonenumbers.parse(
                             vals.get(field), user_countrycode)
+                        vals[field] = phonenumbers.format_number(
+                            res_parse, phonenumbers.PhoneNumberFormat.E164)
+                        if init_value != vals[field]:
+                            _logger.info(
+                                "%s initial value: '%s' updated value: '%s'"
+                                % (field, init_value, vals[field]))
                     except Exception, e:
                         # I do BOTH logger and raise, because:
                         # raise is usefull when the record is created/written
@@ -96,19 +103,14 @@ class phone_common(orm.AbstractModel):
                         # logger is usefull when the record is created/written
                         #    via the webservices
                         _logger.error(
-                            "Cannot reformat the phone number %s to "
+                            "Cannot reformat the phone number '%s' to "
                             "international format" % vals.get(field))
-                        raise orm.except_orm(
-                            _('Error:'),
-                            _("Cannot reformat the phone number '%s' to "
-                                "international format. Error message: %s")
-                            % (vals.get(field), e))
-                    vals[field] = phonenumbers.format_number(
-                        res_parse, phonenumbers.PhoneNumberFormat.E164)
-                    if init_value != vals[field]:
-                        _logger.info(
-                            "%s initial value: '%s' updated value: '%s'"
-                            % (field, init_value, vals[field]))
+                        if raise_if_parse_fails:
+                           raise orm.except_orm(
+                               _('Error:'),
+                               _("Cannot reformat the phone number '%s' to "
+                                   "international format. Error message: %s")
+                               % (vals.get(field), e))
         return vals
 
     def get_name_from_phone_number(
diff --git a/base_phone/static/src/js/phone_widget.js b/base_phone/static/src/js/phone_widget.js
index 07f358d..478a30f 100644
--- a/base_phone/static/src/js/phone_widget.js
+++ b/base_phone/static/src/js/phone_widget.js
@@ -27,9 +27,15 @@ openerp.base_phone = function (instance) {
                   href = 'tel:' + phone_num;
                   href_text = formatInternational('', phone_num) || '';
                 }
-                this.$el.find('a.oe_form_uri').attr('href', href).text(href_text);
+                if (href_text) {
+                    this.$el.find('a.oe_form_uri').attr('href', href).text(href_text);
+                    this.$el.find('span.oe_form_char_content').text('');
+                } else {
+                    this.$el.find('a.oe_form_uri').attr('href', '').text('');
+                    this.$el.find('span.oe_form_char_content').text(phone_num || '');
+                }
                 var click2dial_text = '';
-                if (phone_num && !this.options.dial_button_invisible) {
+                if (href_text && !this.options.dial_button_invisible) {
                   click2dial_text = _t('Dial');
                 }
                 this.$el.find('#click2dial')
@@ -92,10 +98,19 @@ openerp.base_phone = function (instance) {
                 this._super();
             } else {
                 var fax_num = this.get('value');
+                //console.log('BASE_PHONE fax_num = %s', fax_num);
+                var href = '#';
+                var href_text = '';
                 if (fax_num) {
-                    this.$el.find('a.oe_form_uri')
-                        .attr('href', 'fax:' + fax_num)
-                        .text(formatInternational('', fax_num) || '');
+                    href = 'fax:' + fax_num;
+                    href_text = formatInternational('', fax_num) || '';
+                }
+                if (href_text) {
+                    this.$el.find('a.oe_form_uri').attr('href', href).text(href_text);
+                    this.$el.find('span.oe_form_char_content').text('');
+                } else {
+                    this.$el.find('a.oe_form_uri').attr('href', '').text('');
+                    this.$el.find('span.oe_form_char_content').text(fax_num || '');
                 }
             }
         },
diff --git a/base_phone/static/src/xml/phone.xml b/base_phone/static/src/xml/phone.xml
index 0cd269c..d1d4a59 100644
--- a/base_phone/static/src/xml/phone.xml
+++ b/base_phone/static/src/xml/phone.xml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 <t t-name="FieldPhone">
     <span class="oe_form_field oe_form_field_email" t-att-style="widget.node.attrs.style">
         <t t-if="widget.get('effective_readonly')">
-            <a href="#" class="oe_form_uri"/>
+            <a href="#" class="oe_form_uri"/><span class="oe_form_char_content"/>
             <!--
             You should add the following "<a .. />" in your IPBX-specific
             module (such as asterisk_click2dial) via <t t-extend="FieldPhone">
@@ -33,7 +33,9 @@
 
 <t t-name="FieldFax">
     <span class="oe_form_field oe_form_field_email" t-att-style="widget.node.attrs.style">
-        <a t-if="widget.get('effective_readonly')" href="#" class="oe_form_uri"/>
+        <t t-if="widget.get('effective_readonly')">
+            <a href="#" class="oe_form_uri"/><span class="oe_form_char_content"/>
+        </t>
         <t t-if="!widget.get('effective_readonly')">
             <div>
                 <input type="text"