diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1560b157..1b5782f1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ All notable changes to [bpmn-js](https://github.com/bpmn-io/bpmn-js) are documen
 ___Note:__ Yet to be released changes appear here._
 
 * `FEAT`: add initial snapping when creating associations
+* `FIX`: allow message flows between collapsed pools
 
 ## 1.1.1
 
diff --git a/lib/features/rules/BpmnRules.js b/lib/features/rules/BpmnRules.js
index 53c6a13c..745a6582 100644
--- a/lib/features/rules/BpmnRules.js
+++ b/lib/features/rules/BpmnRules.js
@@ -221,7 +221,10 @@ function getOrganizationalParent(element) {
     }
 
     if (is(element, 'bpmn:Participant')) {
-      return getBusinessObject(element).processRef;
+      return (
+        getBusinessObject(element).processRef ||
+        getBusinessObject(element)
+      );
     }
   } while ((element = element.parent));
 
diff --git a/test/spec/features/rules/BpmnRules.collapsedPools.bpmn b/test/spec/features/rules/BpmnRules.collapsedPools.bpmn
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..431fc4ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/spec/features/rules/BpmnRules.collapsedPools.bpmn
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<definitions xmlns="http://www.omg.org/spec/BPMN/20100524/MODEL" xmlns:bpmndi="http://www.omg.org/spec/BPMN/20100524/DI" xmlns:omgdc="http://www.omg.org/spec/DD/20100524/DC" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" id="Definitions_ah3a1f" targetNamespace="http://bpmn.io/bpmn" exporter="http://bpmn.io" exporterVersion="0.10.1">
+  <collaboration id="Collaboration_1">
+    <participant id="CollapsedPool_A" name="A" />
+    <participant id="CollapsedPool_B" name="B" />
+    <participant id="ExpandedPool" name="C" processRef="Process_C" />
+  </collaboration>
+  <process id="Process_C" />
+  <bpmndi:BPMNDiagram id="BpmnDiagram_1">
+    <bpmndi:BPMNPlane id="BpmnPlane_1" bpmnElement="Collaboration_1">
+      <bpmndi:BPMNShape id="Participant_150rzdx_di" bpmnElement="CollapsedPool_A">
+        <omgdc:Bounds x="142" y="79" width="355" height="100" />
+      </bpmndi:BPMNShape>
+      <bpmndi:BPMNShape id="CollapsedPool_B_di" bpmnElement="CollapsedPool_B">
+        <omgdc:Bounds x="142" y="237" width="355" height="100" />
+      </bpmndi:BPMNShape>
+      <bpmndi:BPMNShape id="ExpandedPool_di" bpmnElement="ExpandedPool">
+        <omgdc:Bounds x="565" y="79" width="305" height="99" />
+      </bpmndi:BPMNShape>
+    </bpmndi:BPMNPlane>
+  </bpmndi:BPMNDiagram>
+</definitions>
diff --git a/test/spec/features/rules/BpmnRulesSpec.js b/test/spec/features/rules/BpmnRulesSpec.js
index cff477a7..3e4c8fee 100644
--- a/test/spec/features/rules/BpmnRulesSpec.js
+++ b/test/spec/features/rules/BpmnRulesSpec.js
@@ -926,6 +926,51 @@ describe('features/modeling/rules - BpmnRules', function() {
   });
 
 
+  describe('participants', function() {
+
+    var testXML = require('./BpmnRules.collapsedPools.bpmn');
+
+    beforeEach(bootstrapModeler(testXML, { modules: testModules }));
+
+
+    it('connect CollapsedPool_A -> CollapsedPool_B', inject(function() {
+
+      expectCanConnect('CollapsedPool_A', 'CollapsedPool_B', {
+        sequenceFlow: false,
+        messageFlow: true,
+        association: false,
+        dataAssociation: false
+      });
+
+    }));
+
+
+    it('connect CollapsedPool_A -> ExpandedPool', inject(function() {
+
+      expectCanConnect('CollapsedPool_A', 'ExpandedPool', {
+        sequenceFlow: false,
+        messageFlow: true,
+        association: false,
+        dataAssociation: false
+      });
+
+    }));
+
+
+    it('connect ExpandedPool -> CollapsedPool_A', inject(function() {
+
+      expectCanConnect('ExpandedPool', 'CollapsedPool_A', {
+        sequenceFlow: false,
+        messageFlow: true,
+        association: false,
+        dataAssociation: false
+      });
+
+    }));
+
+  });
+
+
   describe('message flows', function() {
 
     var testXML = require('./BpmnRules.messageFlow.bpmn');