diff --git a/lib/features/rules/BpmnRules.js b/lib/features/rules/BpmnRules.js
index 079cb277d6..c2df36eb98 100644
--- a/lib/features/rules/BpmnRules.js
+++ b/lib/features/rules/BpmnRules.js
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ BpmnRules.prototype.init = function() {
 
     return every(elements, function(element) {
       if (isConnection(element)) {
-        return canConnect(element.source, element.target, element);
+        return (canConnect(element.source, element.target, element) || {}).type === element.type;
       }
 
       if (element.host) {
@@ -1068,11 +1068,11 @@ function canConnectMessageFlow(source, target) {
     return false;
   }
 
-  return (
-    isMessageFlowSource(source) &&
-    isMessageFlowTarget(target) &&
-    !isSameOrganization(source, target)
-  );
+  return isMessageFlowSource(source)
+    && (is(source, 'bpmn:Participant') || !!getParent(source, 'bpmn:Participant'))
+    && isMessageFlowTarget(target)
+    && (is(target, 'bpmn:Participant') || !!getParent(target, 'bpmn:Participant'))
+    && !isSameOrganization(source, target);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1143,16 +1143,6 @@ function canInsert(shape, connection, position) {
     canDrop(shape, connection.parent, position));
 }
 
-/**
- * @param {Element[]} elements
- * @param {Element} element
- *
- * @return {boolean}
- */
-function includes(elements, element) {
-  return (elements && element) && elements.indexOf(element) !== -1;
-}
-
 /**
  * @param {Element[]} elements
  * @param {Element} element
@@ -1164,10 +1154,18 @@ function canCopy(elements, element) {
     return true;
   }
 
-  if (is(element, 'bpmn:Lane') && !includes(elements, element.parent)) {
+  if (is(element, 'bpmn:Lane') && !elements.includes(element.parent)) {
     return false;
   }
 
+  if (is(element, 'bpmn:MessageFlow')) {
+    const source = element.source,
+          target = element.target;
+
+    return elements.includes(is(source, 'bpmn:Participant') ? source : getParent(source, 'bpmn:Participant'))
+      && elements.includes(is(target, 'bpmn:Participant') ? target : getParent(target, 'bpmn:Participant'));
+  }
+
   return true;
 }
 
@@ -1178,4 +1176,4 @@ function canCopy(elements, element) {
  */
 function getRootElement(element) {
   return getParent(element, 'bpmn:Process') || getParent(element, 'bpmn:Collaboration');
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/spec/features/copy-paste/BpmnCopyPasteSpec.js b/test/spec/features/copy-paste/BpmnCopyPasteSpec.js
index 165ce05278..444bf39580 100644
--- a/test/spec/features/copy-paste/BpmnCopyPasteSpec.js
+++ b/test/spec/features/copy-paste/BpmnCopyPasteSpec.js
@@ -964,6 +964,31 @@ describe('features/copy-paste', function() {
 
   });
 
+
+  describe('rules', function() {
+
+    beforeEach(bootstrapModeler(collaborationMultipleXML, {
+      modules: testModules,
+      moddleExtensions: {
+        camunda: camundaPackage
+      }
+    }));
+
+
+    it('should allow copying message flow with parent participants of source and target', inject(function(elementRegistry) {
+
+      // when
+      var tree = copy([ 'IntermediateThrowEvent_1', 'Task_2', 'MessageFlow_1' ]);
+
+      console.log(tree, keys(tree));
+
+      // then
+      expect(keys(tree)).to.have.length(1);
+      expect(getAllElementsInTree(tree, 0)).to.have.length(2);
+    }));
+
+  });
+
 });
 
 
diff --git a/test/spec/features/rules/BpmnRulesSpec.js b/test/spec/features/rules/BpmnRulesSpec.js
index 90c2f3e145..e320f92334 100644
--- a/test/spec/features/rules/BpmnRulesSpec.js
+++ b/test/spec/features/rules/BpmnRulesSpec.js
@@ -58,7 +58,8 @@ describe('features/modeling/rules - BpmnRules', function() {
           sequenceFlow = elementFactory.createConnection({
             type: 'bpmn:SequenceFlow',
             source: task1,
-            target: task2
+            target: task2,
+            waypoints: []
           });
 
       // then
@@ -74,7 +75,8 @@ describe('features/modeling/rules - BpmnRules', function() {
           sequenceFlow = elementFactory.createConnection({
             type: 'bpmn:MessageFlow',
             source: task1,
-            target: task2
+            target: task2,
+            waypoints: []
           });
 
       // then
@@ -218,6 +220,32 @@ describe('features/modeling/rules - BpmnRules', function() {
       expectCanCopy(boundaryEvent, [ boundaryEvent ], true);
     }));
 
+
+    it('copy message flow with parent participants of source and target', inject(function(elementFactory) {
+
+      // given
+      var sourceParticipant = elementFactory.createShape({ type: 'bpmn:Participant' }),
+          targetParticipant = elementFactory.createShape({ type: 'bpmn:Participant' }),
+          source = elementFactory.createShape({ type: 'bpmn:Task', parent: sourceParticipant }),
+          target = elementFactory.createShape({ type: 'bpmn:Task', parent: targetParticipant }),
+          messageFlow = elementFactory.createConnection({ type: 'bpmn:MessageFlow', source: source, target: target, waypoints: [] });
+
+      // then
+      expectCanCopy(messageFlow, [ sourceParticipant, targetParticipant, source, target, messageFlow ], true);
+    }));
+
+
+    it('copy message flow without parent participants of source and target', inject(function(elementFactory) {
+
+      // given
+      var source = elementFactory.createShape({ type: 'bpmn:Task' }),
+          target = elementFactory.createShape({ type: 'bpmn:Task' }),
+          messageFlow = elementFactory.createConnection({ type: 'bpmn:MessageFlow', source: source, target: target, waypoints: [] });
+
+      // then
+      expectCanCopy(messageFlow, [ source, target, messageFlow ], false);
+    }));
+
   });