diff --git a/src/component.ts b/src/component.ts
index 736e64f1..59aa2481 100644
--- a/src/component.ts
+++ b/src/component.ts
@@ -280,7 +280,9 @@ export class Component<
       this.env = Object.create(this.env);
     }
     Object.assign(this.env, nextEnv);
-    return this.render();
+    if (this.__widget__.isMounted) {
+      return this.render();
+    }
   }
 
   async updateProps(nextProps: Props): Promise<void> {
diff --git a/tests/component.test.ts b/tests/component.test.ts
index 025cb0c4..9fe53bb3 100644
--- a/tests/component.test.ts
+++ b/tests/component.test.ts
@@ -1096,6 +1096,29 @@ describe("updating environment", () => {
     expect((<any>widget).env.somekey).toBe(4);
   });
 
+  test("updating widget env does not render widget (if not mounted)", async () => {
+    let n = 0;
+    class TestWidget extends Widget {
+      _render() {
+        n++;
+        return super._render();
+      }
+    }
+
+    const widget = new TestWidget(env);
+    expect(n).toBe(0);
+    await widget.updateEnv(<any>{ somekey: 4 });
+    expect(n).toBe(0);
+    await widget.mount(fixture);
+    expect(n).toBe(1);
+    await widget.updateEnv(<any>{ somekey: 5 });
+    expect(n).toBe(2);
+    widget.detach();
+    expect(n).toBe(2);
+    await widget.updateEnv(<any>{ somekey: 5 });
+    expect(n).toBe(2);
+  });
+
   test("updating child env does not modify parent env", async () => {
     class ParentWidget extends Widget {
       inlineTemplate = `<div><t t-widget="child"/></div>`;