diff --git a/lib/util/model/ModelCloneHelper.js b/lib/util/model/ModelCloneHelper.js
index 776fc0ee..4dad2120 100644
--- a/lib/util/model/ModelCloneHelper.js
+++ b/lib/util/model/ModelCloneHelper.js
@@ -36,8 +36,10 @@ function ModelCloneHelper(eventBus) {
 module.exports = ModelCloneHelper;
 
 
-ModelCloneHelper.prototype.clone = function(oldElement, newElement, properties) {
-  this._newElement = newElement;
+ModelCloneHelper.prototype.clone = function(refElement, newElement, properties) {
+  var context = {
+    newElement: newElement
+  };
 
   // we want the extensionElements to be cloned last
   // so that they can check certain properties
@@ -46,7 +48,7 @@ ModelCloneHelper.prototype.clone = function(oldElement, newElement, properties)
   });
 
   forEach(properties, function(propName) {
-    var oldElementProp = oldElement.get(propName),
+    var refElementProp = refElement.get(propName),
         newElementProp = newElement.get(propName),
         propDescriptor = newElement.$model.getPropertyDescriptor(newElement, propName),
         name;
@@ -55,22 +57,26 @@ ModelCloneHelper.prototype.clone = function(oldElement, newElement, properties)
     // - same values from simple types
     // - cloning id's
     // - cloning reference elements
-    if (newElementProp === oldElementProp ||
+    if (newElementProp === refElementProp ||
        (propDescriptor && (propDescriptor.isId || propDescriptor.isReference))) {
       return;
     }
 
     // if the property is of type 'boolean', 'string', 'number' or 'null', just set it
-    if (isType(oldElementProp, [ 'boolean', 'string', 'number' ]) || oldElementProp === null) {
-      newElement.set(propName, oldElementProp);
+    if (isType(refElementProp, [ 'boolean', 'string', 'number' ]) || refElementProp === null) {
+      newElement.set(propName, refElementProp);
 
       return;
     }
 
-    if (isArray(oldElementProp)) {
+    if (isArray(refElementProp)) {
 
-      forEach(oldElementProp, function(extElement) {
-        var newProp = this._deepClone(extElement);
+      forEach(refElementProp, function(extElement) {
+        var newProp;
+
+        context.refTopLevelProperty = extElement;
+
+        newProp = this._deepClone(extElement, context);
 
         newProp.$parent = newElement;
 
@@ -79,21 +85,21 @@ ModelCloneHelper.prototype.clone = function(oldElement, newElement, properties)
     } else {
       name = propName.replace(/bpmn:/, '');
 
-      newElement[name] = this._deepClone(oldElementProp);
+      context.refTopLevelProperty = refElementProp;
+
+      newElement[name] = this._deepClone(refElementProp, context);
     }
   }, this);
 
   return newElement;
 };
 
-ModelCloneHelper.prototype._deepClone = function _deepClone(element) {
+ModelCloneHelper.prototype._deepClone = function _deepClone(propertyElement, context) {
   var eventBus = this._eventBus;
 
-  var newElement = this._newElement;
+  var newProp = propertyElement.$model.create(propertyElement.$type);
 
-  var newProp = element.$model.create(element.$type);
-
-  var properties = filter(Object.keys(element), function(prop) {
+  var properties = filter(Object.keys(propertyElement), function(prop) {
     var descriptor = newProp.$model.getPropertyDescriptor(newProp, prop);
 
     if (descriptor && (descriptor.isId || descriptor.isReference)) {
@@ -111,14 +117,15 @@ ModelCloneHelper.prototype._deepClone = function _deepClone(element) {
   });
 
   forEach(properties, function(propName) {
-    // check if the element has this property defined
-    if (element[propName] !== undefined && (element[propName].$type || isArray(element[propName]))) {
+    // check if the propertyElement has this property defined
+    if (propertyElement[propName] !== undefined &&
+       (propertyElement[propName].$type || isArray(propertyElement[propName]))) {
 
-      if (isArray(element[propName])) {
+      if (isArray(propertyElement[propName])) {
         newProp[propName] = [];
 
-        forEach(element[propName], function(property) {
-          var extProp = element.$model.getTypeDescriptor(property.$type),
+        forEach(propertyElement[propName], function(property) {
+          var extProp = propertyElement.$model.getTypeDescriptor(property.$type),
               newDeepProp;
 
           // we're not going to copy undefined types
@@ -127,35 +134,36 @@ ModelCloneHelper.prototype._deepClone = function _deepClone(element) {
           }
 
           var canClone = eventBus.fire('property.clone', {
-            newElement: newElement,
+            newElement: context.newElement,
+            refTopLevelProperty: context.refTopLevelProperty,
             propertyDescriptor: extProp
           });
 
           if (!canClone) {
             // if can clone is 'undefined' or 'false'
             // check for the meta information if it is allowed
-            if (element.$type === 'bpmn:ExtensionElements' &&
+            if (propertyElement.$type === 'bpmn:ExtensionElements' &&
                 extProp.meta && extProp.meta.allowedIn &&
-                !isAllowedIn(extProp, newElement.$type)) {
+                !isAllowedIn(extProp, context.newElement.$type)) {
               return false;
             }
           }
 
-          newDeepProp = this._deepClone(property);
+          newDeepProp = this._deepClone(property, context);
 
           newDeepProp.$parent = newProp;
 
           newProp[propName].push(newDeepProp);
         }, this);
 
-      } else if (element[propName].$type) {
-        newProp[propName] = this._deepClone(element[propName]);
+      } else if (propertyElement[propName].$type) {
+        newProp[propName] = this._deepClone(propertyElement[propName], context);
 
         newProp[propName].$parent = newProp;
       }
     } else {
       // just assign directly if it's a value
-      newProp[propName] = element[propName];
+      newProp[propName] = propertyElement[propName];
     }
   }, this);
 
diff --git a/test/spec/util/ModelCloneHelperSpec.js b/test/spec/util/ModelCloneHelperSpec.js
index 261c8113..b95f55a1 100644
--- a/test/spec/util/ModelCloneHelperSpec.js
+++ b/test/spec/util/ModelCloneHelperSpec.js
@@ -276,16 +276,14 @@ describe('util/ModelCloneHelper', function() {
           newSubProcessExtElems = newSubProcess.extensionElements.values;
 
       // then
-      function expectTimeCycle(extElems) {
-        expect(extElems[0].$type).to.equal('camunda:FailedJobRetryTimeCycle');
-        expect(extElems[0].body).to.equal('foobar');
-      }
+      expect(intCatchEvtExtElems[0].$type).to.equal('camunda:FailedJobRetryTimeCycle');
+      expect(intCatchEvtExtElems[0].body).to.equal('foobar');
 
-      expectTimeCycle(intCatchEvtExtElems);
+      expect(startEvtExtElems[0].$type).to.equal('camunda:FailedJobRetryTimeCycle');
+      expect(startEvtExtElems[0].body).to.equal('foobar');
 
-      expectTimeCycle(startEvtExtElems);
-
-      expectTimeCycle(newSubProcessExtElems);
+      expect(newSubProcessExtElems[0].$type).to.equal('camunda:FailedJobRetryTimeCycle');
+      expect(newSubProcessExtElems[0].body).to.equal('foobar');
     }));
 
 
@@ -298,10 +296,11 @@ describe('util/ModelCloneHelper', function() {
 
       var extensionElements = moddle.create('bpmn:ExtensionElements', { values: [ connector ] });
 
-      var msgEvtDef = moddle.create('bpmn:MessageEventDefinition');
+      var msgEvtDef = moddle.create('bpmn:MessageEventDefinition', {
+        extensionElements: extensionElements
+      });
 
       var msgIntermThrowEvt = moddle.create('bpmn:IntermediateThrowEvent', {
-        extensionElements: extensionElements,
         eventDefinitions: [ msgEvtDef ]
       });
 
@@ -310,7 +309,7 @@ describe('util/ModelCloneHelper', function() {
         'bpmn:eventDefinitions'
       ]);
 
-      var extElems = clonedElement.extensionElements.values;
+      var extElems = clonedElement.eventDefinitions[0].extensionElements.values;
 
       // then
       expect(extElems[0].$type).to.equal('camunda:Connector');
@@ -327,10 +326,11 @@ describe('util/ModelCloneHelper', function() {
 
       var extensionElements = moddle.create('bpmn:ExtensionElements', { values: [ field ] });
 
-      var msgEvtDef = moddle.create('bpmn:MessageEventDefinition');
+      var msgEvtDef = moddle.create('bpmn:MessageEventDefinition', {
+        extensionElements: extensionElements
+      });
 
       var msgIntermThrowEvt = moddle.create('bpmn:IntermediateThrowEvent', {
-        extensionElements: extensionElements,
         eventDefinitions: [ msgEvtDef ]
       });
 
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ describe('util/ModelCloneHelper', function() {
         'bpmn:eventDefinitions'
       ]);
 
-      var extElems = clonedElement.extensionElements.values;
+      var extElems = clonedElement.eventDefinitions[0].extensionElements.values;
 
       // then
       expect(extElems[0].$type).to.equal('camunda:Field');
@@ -356,10 +356,11 @@ describe('util/ModelCloneHelper', function() {
 
       var extensionElements = moddle.create('bpmn:ExtensionElements', { values: [ field ] });
 
-      var msgEvtDef = moddle.create('bpmn:MessageEventDefinition');
+      var msgEvtDef = moddle.create('bpmn:MessageEventDefinition', {
+        extensionElements: extensionElements
+      });
 
       var msgIntermThrowEvt = moddle.create('bpmn:IntermediateThrowEvent', {
-        extensionElements: extensionElements,
         eventDefinitions: [ msgEvtDef ]
       });
 
@@ -367,10 +368,8 @@ describe('util/ModelCloneHelper', function() {
         'bpmn:extensionElements'
       ]);
 
-      var extElems = clonedElement.extensionElements;
-
       // then
-      expect(extElems.values).be.empty;
+      expect(clonedElement.eventDefinitions).to.be.empty;
     }));
 
   });
diff --git a/test/spec/util/camunda-moddle.js b/test/spec/util/camunda-moddle.js
index 71bcbba0..65c2956f 100644
--- a/test/spec/util/camunda-moddle.js
+++ b/test/spec/util/camunda-moddle.js
@@ -41,27 +41,30 @@ function CamundaModdleExtension(eventBus) {
 
   eventBus.on('property.clone', function(context) {
     var newElement = context.newElement,
+        refTopLevelProperty = context.refTopLevelProperty,
         propDescriptor = context.propertyDescriptor;
 
-    if (isAllowed('camunda:FailedJobRetryTimeCycle', propDescriptor, newElement)) {
-      return includesType(newElement.eventDefinitions, 'bpmn:TimerEventDefinition') ||
-             includesType(newElement.eventDefinitions, 'bpmn:SignalEventDefinition') ||
-             is(newElement.loopCharacteristics, 'bpmn:MultiInstanceLoopCharacteristics');
-    }
-
-    if (isAllowed('camunda:Connector', propDescriptor, newElement)) {
-      return includesType(newElement.eventDefinitions, 'bpmn:MessageEventDefinition');
-    }
-
-    if (isAllowed('camunda:Field', propDescriptor, newElement)) {
-      return includesType(newElement.eventDefinitions, 'bpmn:MessageEventDefinition');
-    }
-  });
+    return this.canCloneProperty(newElement, refTopLevelProperty, propDescriptor);
+  }, this);
 }
 
 CamundaModdleExtension.$inject = [ 'eventBus' ];
 
-module.exports = {
-  __init__: [ 'CamundaModdleExtension' ],
-  CamundaModdleExtension: [ 'type', CamundaModdleExtension ]
+CamundaModdleExtension.prototype.canCloneProperty = function(newElement, refTopLevelProperty, propDescriptor) {
+
+  if (isAllowed('camunda:FailedJobRetryTimeCycle', propDescriptor, newElement)) {
+    return includesType(newElement.eventDefinitions, 'bpmn:TimerEventDefinition') ||
+           includesType(newElement.eventDefinitions, 'bpmn:SignalEventDefinition') ||
+           is(newElement.loopCharacteristics, 'bpmn:MultiInstanceLoopCharacteristics');
+  }
+
+  if (isAllowed('camunda:Connector', propDescriptor, newElement) ||
+      isAllowed('camunda:Field', propDescriptor, newElement)) {
+    return is(refTopLevelProperty, 'bpmn:MessageEventDefinition');
+  }
+};
+
+module.exports = {
+  __init__: [ 'camundaModdleExtension' ],
+  camundaModdleExtension: [ 'type', CamundaModdleExtension ]
 };