diff --git a/lib/draw/BpmnRenderer.js b/lib/draw/BpmnRenderer.js
index ee9bb649..a61ef150 100644
--- a/lib/draw/BpmnRenderer.js
+++ b/lib/draw/BpmnRenderer.js
@@ -482,8 +482,8 @@ export default function BpmnRenderer(
   function renderExternalLabel(parentGfx, element) {
 
     var box = {
-      width: 90,
-      height: 30,
+      width: element.width,
+      height: element.height,
       x: element.width / 2 + element.x,
       y: element.height / 2 + element.y
     };
diff --git a/lib/features/label-editing/LabelEditingProvider.js b/lib/features/label-editing/LabelEditingProvider.js
index 54c31cd5..18295aa2 100644
--- a/lib/features/label-editing/LabelEditingProvider.js
+++ b/lib/features/label-editing/LabelEditingProvider.js
@@ -171,7 +171,8 @@ LabelEditingProvider.prototype.activate = function(element) {
   // external labels
   if (isLabelExternal(element)) {
     assign(options, {
-      autoResize: true
+      resizable: true,
+      autoResize: true,
     });
   }
 
@@ -291,7 +292,7 @@ LabelEditingProvider.prototype.getEditingBBox = function(element) {
     });
   }
 
-  var width = 90 * zoom,
+  var width = Math.max(90 * zoom, bbox.width),
       paddingTop = 7 * zoom,
       paddingBottom = 4 * zoom;
 
diff --git a/lib/features/rules/BpmnRules.js b/lib/features/rules/BpmnRules.js
index 19ec96d1..442e1358 100644
--- a/lib/features/rules/BpmnRules.js
+++ b/lib/features/rules/BpmnRules.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import {
 } from '../modeling/util/ModelingUtil';
 
 import {
-  isLabel
+  isLabel, isLabelExternal
 } from '../../util/LabelUtil';
 
 import {
@@ -798,6 +798,10 @@ function canResize(shape, newBounds) {
     return true;
   }
 
+  if (isLabelExternal(shape)) {
+    return true;
+  }
+
   return false;
 }