diff --git a/lib/features/label-editing/LabelEditingProvider.js b/lib/features/label-editing/LabelEditingProvider.js
index 38b62cdf..7662707c 100644
--- a/lib/features/label-editing/LabelEditingProvider.js
+++ b/lib/features/label-editing/LabelEditingProvider.js
@@ -8,9 +8,11 @@ var LabelUtil = require('./LabelUtil'),
     DiUtil = require('../../util/Di');
 
 
-var minBounds = {
+var PADDING = 4;
+
+var MIN_BOUNDS = {
   width: 150,
-  height: 100
+  height: 50
 };
 
 
@@ -60,8 +62,8 @@ LabelEditingProvider.prototype.activate = function(element) {
   if ((semantic.$instanceOf('bpmn:Participant') && DiUtil.isExpandedPool(semantic)) ||
        semantic.$instanceOf('bpmn:Lane')) {
 
-    bbox.width = minBounds.width;
-    bbox.height = minBounds.height;
+    bbox.width = MIN_BOUNDS.width;
+    bbox.height = MIN_BOUNDS.height;
 
     bbox.x = bbox.x + 10 - bbox.width / 2;
     bbox.y = bbox.mid.y - bbox.height / 2;
@@ -70,7 +72,7 @@ LabelEditingProvider.prototype.activate = function(element) {
   // adjust for sub processes
   if (semantic.$instanceOf('bpmn:SubProcess') && DiUtil.isExpanded(semantic, di)) {
 
-    bbox.height = minBounds.height;
+    bbox.height = MIN_BOUNDS.height;
 
     bbox.x = bbox.mid.x - bbox.width / 2;
     bbox.y = bbox.y + 10 - bbox.height / 2;
@@ -82,18 +84,22 @@ LabelEditingProvider.prototype.activate = function(element) {
 
 LabelEditingProvider.prototype.getEditingBBox = function(element, maxBounds) {
 
-  var bbox = this._canvas.getAbsoluteBBox(element.label || element);
+  var target = element.label || element;
+
+  var bbox = this._canvas.getAbsoluteBBox(target);
 
   var mid = {
     x: bbox.x + bbox.width / 2,
     y: bbox.y + bbox.height / 2
   };
 
-  bbox.width = Math.max(bbox.width, minBounds.width);
-  bbox.height = Math.max(bbox.height, minBounds.height);
+  // external label
+  if (target.labelTarget) {
+    bbox.width = Math.max(bbox.width, MIN_BOUNDS.width);
+    bbox.height = Math.max(bbox.height, MIN_BOUNDS.height);
 
-  bbox.x = mid.x - bbox.width / 2;
-  bbox.y = mid.y - bbox.height / 2;
+    bbox.x = mid.x - bbox.width / 2;
+  }
 
   bbox.mid = mid;