diff --git a/lib/features/auto-resize/AutoResize.js b/lib/features/auto-resize/AutoResize.js
index 28e67ed3..8e6ed928 100644
--- a/lib/features/auto-resize/AutoResize.js
+++ b/lib/features/auto-resize/AutoResize.js
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ var pick = require('lodash/object/pick'),
     assign = require('lodash/object/assign'),
     forEach = require('lodash/collection/forEach'),
     values = require('lodash/object/values'),
-    flatten = require('lodash/array/flatten');
+    flatten = require('lodash/array/flatten'),
+    groupBy = require('lodash/collection/groupBy');
 
 var CommandInterceptor = require('diagram-js/lib/command/CommandInterceptor');
 
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ var PADDING = { top: 2, bottom: 2, left: 15, right: 15 };
  * An auto resize component that takes care of expanding parent participants
  * and lanes if elements are modeled close to an edge of the parent element.
  */
-function AutoResize(eventBus, canvas, modeling){
+function AutoResize(eventBus, canvas, modeling, elementRegistry){
 
   CommandInterceptor.call(this, eventBus);
 
@@ -35,27 +36,15 @@ function AutoResize(eventBus, canvas, modeling){
   this.postExecuted([ 'elements.move' ], function(event) {
 
     var context = event.context,
-        elements = [],
-        parent = context.parent || context.newParent,
-        oldParent = context.hints && context.hints.oldParent,
-        primaryShape = context.hints && context.hints.primaryShape;
+        elements = flatten(values(context.closure.topLevel));
 
-    forEach(flatten(values(context.closure.topLevel)), function(element) {
-      /**
-       * exclude the element, when:
-       * - the primary selection does not change parent AND
-       * - the primary selection parent is the new parent AND
-       * - its parent is different from the new parent
-       */
-      if (oldParent && oldParent === parent &&
-          primaryShape && primaryShape.parent === parent &&
-          element.parent !== parent) {
-        return;
-      }
-      elements.push(element);
+    var expandings = groupBy(elements, function(element){
+      return element.parent.id;
     });
 
-    expand(elements, parent);
+    forEach(expandings, function(elements, parentId) {
+      expand(elements, parentId);
+    });
   });
 
   /**
@@ -76,10 +65,10 @@ function AutoResize(eventBus, canvas, modeling){
    */
   function isInbounds(bbox, target, padding) {
     return {
-      top: bbox.y < target.y + padding.top && bbox.y + bbox.height > target.y,
-      bottom: bbox.y < target.y + target.height && bbox.y + bbox.height > target.y + target.height - padding.bottom,
-      left: bbox.x < target.x + padding.left && bbox.x + bbox.width > target.x,
-      right: bbox.x < target.x + target.width && bbox.x + bbox.width > target.x + target.width - padding.right,
+      top: bbox.y < target.y + padding.top,
+      bottom: bbox.y + bbox.height > target.y + target.height - padding.bottom,
+      left: bbox.x < target.x + padding.left,
+      right: bbox.x + bbox.width > target.x + target.width - padding.right,
     };
   }
 
@@ -88,11 +77,15 @@ function AutoResize(eventBus, canvas, modeling){
    * considering the position of the bounding box in relation to the parent's edge plus padding.
    * The amount to expand can be defined for each edge in the OFFSET object.
    *
-   * @param  {Array<Shape>} [elements]
-   * @param  {Shape} target
+   * @param  {Array<Shape>} elements
+   * @param  {Shape|String} target|targetId
    */
   function expand(elements, target) {
 
+    if (typeof target === 'string') {
+      target = elementRegistry.get(target);
+    }
+
     var bbox = getBoundingBox(elements),
         canExpand = true;
 
@@ -149,7 +142,7 @@ function AutoResize(eventBus, canvas, modeling){
   }
 }
 
-AutoResize.$inject = [ 'eventBus', 'canvas', 'modeling' ];
+AutoResize.$inject = [ 'eventBus', 'canvas', 'modeling', 'elementRegistry' ];
 
 inherits(AutoResize, CommandInterceptor);
 
diff --git a/test/spec/features/auto-resize/AutoResizeSpec.js b/test/spec/features/auto-resize/AutoResizeSpec.js
index 982b30b2..818ceea7 100644
--- a/test/spec/features/auto-resize/AutoResizeSpec.js
+++ b/test/spec/features/auto-resize/AutoResizeSpec.js
@@ -120,17 +120,6 @@ describe('features/auto-resize', function() {
       }));
 
 
-      it('should not resize the parent if element is placed too far outside',
-          inject(function(modeling) {
-
-        // when
-        modeling.moveElements([ task ], { x: 300, y: 0 }, participant);
-
-        // then
-        expect(participant).to.have.bounds(originalBounds);
-      }));
-
-
       it('should resize the parent if element and parent edge intersect',
           inject(function(modeling) {
 
@@ -456,6 +445,23 @@ describe('features/auto-resize', function() {
     }));
 
 
+    it('should expand non-primary parents',
+      inject(function(modeling) {
+
+      // given
+      var originalBounds = getBounds(subProcessShape_1);
+
+      // when
+      modeling.moveElements([ taskShape_1, taskShape_2 ],
+        { x: 100, y: 0 }, rootShape, { primaryShape: taskShape_2 });
+
+      // then
+      var expectedBounds = assign(originalBounds, { width: 525 });
+      expect(subProcessShape_1).to.have.bounds(expectedBounds);
+
+    }));
+
+
     it('should expand, if elements keep their parents (same original parent)', inject(function(modeling) {
 
       // given