diff --git a/ges/ges-clip.c b/ges/ges-clip.c
index 73330b9ca7..dded10d65a 100644
--- a/ges/ges-clip.c
+++ b/ges/ges-clip.c
@@ -649,7 +649,6 @@ _paste (GESTimelineElement * element, GESTimelineElement * ref,
     if (!ges_layer_add_clip (self->priv->copied_layer, nclip)) {
       GST_INFO ("%" GES_FORMAT " could not be pasted to %" GST_TIME_FORMAT,
           GES_ARGS (element), GST_TIME_ARGS (paste_position));
-      gst_object_unref (nclip);
 
       return NULL;
     }
diff --git a/ges/ges-timeline-element.c b/ges/ges-timeline-element.c
index 66a8c2e406..36cf2fe14e 100644
--- a/ges/ges-timeline-element.c
+++ b/ges/ges-timeline-element.c
@@ -1897,7 +1897,8 @@ ges_timeline_element_get_track_types (GESTimelineElement * self)
  * using ges_timeline_element_copy with recurse=TRUE set,
  * otherwise it will fail.
  *
- * Returns: (transfer none): Paste @self copying the element
+ * Returns: (transfer full): New element resulting of pasting @self
+ * or %NULL
  *
  * Since: 1.6.0
  */
@@ -1925,7 +1926,7 @@ ges_timeline_element_paste (GESTimelineElement * self,
 
   g_clear_object (&self->priv->copied_from);
 
-  return g_object_ref (res);
+  return res ? g_object_ref (res) : res;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/tests/check/python/test_timeline.py b/tests/check/python/test_timeline.py
index ded93f3899..5126f13ee3 100644
--- a/tests/check/python/test_timeline.py
+++ b/tests/check/python/test_timeline.py
@@ -677,6 +677,28 @@ class TestInvalidOverlaps(common.GESSimpleTimelineTest):
             ]
         ])
 
+    def test_copy_paste_overlapping(self):
+        self.track_types = [GES.TrackType.AUDIO]
+        super().setUp()
+        clip = self.append_clip()
+
+        copy = clip.copy(True)
+        self.assertIsNone(copy.paste(copy.props.start))
+        self.assertTimelineTopology([
+            [
+                (GES.TestClip, 0, 10),
+
+            ]
+        ])
+        copy = clip.copy(True)
+        self.assertIsNotNone(copy.paste(copy.props.start + 1))
+        self.assertTimelineTopology([
+            [
+                (GES.TestClip, 0, 10),
+                (GES.TestClip, 1, 10),
+            ]
+        ])
+
     def test_move_group_with_overlaping_clips(self):
         self.track_types = [GES.TrackType.AUDIO]
         super().setUp()