diff --git a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Layouts/Framework/Elements/ElementRemovingContext.cs b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Layouts/Framework/Elements/ElementRemovingContext.cs
index f047859e8..a1c6b61f3 100644
--- a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Layouts/Framework/Elements/ElementRemovingContext.cs
+++ b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Layouts/Framework/Elements/ElementRemovingContext.cs
@@ -1,13 +1,20 @@
-using Orchard.ContentManagement;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using Orchard.ContentManagement;
 
 namespace Orchard.Layouts.Framework.Elements {
     public class ElementRemovingContext {
-        public ElementRemovingContext(Element element, IContent content) {
+        public ElementRemovingContext(Element element, IEnumerable<Element> elements, IEnumerable<Element> removedElements, IContent content) {
             Element = element;
+            Elements = elements;
+            RemovedElements = removedElements;
             Content = content;
         }
 
         public IContent Content { get; private set; }
+        // All the other elements on the canvas.
+        public IEnumerable<Element> Elements { get; set; }
+        // All the other removed elements from the canvas (including the current element).
+        public IEnumerable<Element> RemovedElements { get; set; }
         public Element Element { get; private set; }
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Layouts/Providers/PlaceableContentElementHarvester.cs b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Layouts/Providers/PlaceableContentElementHarvester.cs
index c03d5350c..62c49377f 100644
--- a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Layouts/Providers/PlaceableContentElementHarvester.cs
+++ b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Layouts/Providers/PlaceableContentElementHarvester.cs
@@ -129,6 +129,19 @@ namespace Orchard.Layouts.Providers {
         private void RemoveContentItem(ElementRemovingContext context) {
             var element = (PlaceableContentItem) context.Element;
             var contentItemId = element.ContentItemId;
+
+            // Only remove the content item if no other elements are referencing this one.
+            // This can happen if the user cut an element and then pasted it back.
+            // That will delete the initial element and create a copy.
+            var placeableElements =
+                from e in context.Elements.Flatten()
+                let p = e as PlaceableContentItem
+                where p != null && p.ContentItemId == contentItemId
+                select p;
+
+            if (placeableElements.Any())
+                return;
+
             var contentItem = contentItemId != null ? _contentManager.Value.Get(contentItemId.Value, VersionOptions.Latest) : default(ContentItem);
 
             if(contentItem != null)
diff --git a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Layouts/Services/ElementManager.cs b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Layouts/Services/ElementManager.cs
index 0e10ae9c9..863672541 100644
--- a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Layouts/Services/ElementManager.cs
+++ b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Layouts/Services/ElementManager.cs
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ namespace Orchard.Layouts.Services {
             var elements = context.RemovedElements.Flatten().ToList();
 
             foreach (var element in elements) {
-                var removingContext = new ElementRemovingContext(element, context.Content);
+                var removingContext = new ElementRemovingContext(element, context.Elements, context.RemovedElements, context.Content);
                 _elementEventHandler.Removing(removingContext);
                 element.Descriptor.Removing(removingContext);
             }