diff --git a/packages/joint-layout-directed-graph/DirectedGraph.mjs b/packages/joint-layout-directed-graph/DirectedGraph.mjs
index 5761e0be9..50e9d3e56 100644
--- a/packages/joint-layout-directed-graph/DirectedGraph.mjs
+++ b/packages/joint-layout-directed-graph/DirectedGraph.mjs
@@ -94,17 +94,6 @@ export const DirectedGraph = {
         }
     },
 
-    tryLayout: function(glGraph, opt) {
-        try {
-            dagreUtil.layout(glGraph, opt);
-        } catch (err) {
-            // ASSUMPTION: Only one error is relevant here:
-            // - `Uncaught TypeError: Cannot set property 'rank' of undefined`
-            // - See https://github.com/clientIO/joint/issues/455
-            throw new Error('DirectedGraph: It is not possible to connect a child to a container.');
-        }
-    },
-
     layout: function(graphOrCells, opt) {
 
         var graph;
@@ -120,6 +109,22 @@ export const DirectedGraph = {
         // This is not needed anymore.
         graphOrCells = null;
 
+        // Check that we are not trying to connect a child to a container:
+        // - child to a container
+        // - container to a child
+        // - container to a container
+        graph.getLinks().forEach((link) => {
+            const source = link.getSourceElement();
+            const target = link.getTargetElement();
+            // is container = is element && has at least one embedded element
+            const isSourceContainer = source && (source.getEmbeddedCells().filter((cell) => cell.isElement()).length !== 0);
+            const isTargetContainer = target && (target.getEmbeddedCells().filter((cell) => cell.isElement()).length !== 0);
+            if ((isSourceContainer && target) || (source && isTargetContainer)) {
+                // see https://github.com/clientIO/joint/issues/455
+                throw new Error('DirectedGraph: It is not possible to connect a child to a container.');
+            }
+        });
+
         opt = util.defaults(opt || {}, {
             resizeClusters: true,
             clusterPadding: 10,
@@ -127,8 +132,7 @@ export const DirectedGraph = {
             exportLink: this.exportLink
         });
 
-        // create a graphlib.Graph that represents the joint.dia.Graph
-        // var glGraph = graph.toGraphLib({
+        // Create a graphlib.Graph that represents the joint.dia.Graph
         var glGraph = DirectedGraph.toGraphLib(graph, {
             directed: true,
             // We are about to use edge naming feature.
@@ -170,9 +174,8 @@ export const DirectedGraph = {
         // Set the option object for the graph label.
         glGraph.setGraph(glLabel);
 
-        // Executes the layout.
-        // - See https://stackoverflow.com/a/19728876/2263595
-        this.tryLayout(glGraph, { debugTiming: !!opt.debugTiming });
+        // Execute the layout.
+        dagreUtil.layout(glGraph, { debugTiming: !!opt.debugTiming });
 
         // Wrap all graph changes into a batch.
         graph.startBatch('layout');
diff --git a/packages/joint-layout-directed-graph/test/index.js b/packages/joint-layout-directed-graph/test/index.js
index 25d1d71c2..db1f3143e 100644
--- a/packages/joint-layout-directed-graph/test/index.js
+++ b/packages/joint-layout-directed-graph/test/index.js
@@ -322,19 +322,26 @@ QUnit.module('DirectedGraph', function(hooks) {
             const  elements = [
                 new joint.shapes.standard.Rectangle({ position: { x: 50, y: 50 }, size: { width: 300, height: 300 } }),
                 new joint.shapes.standard.Rectangle({ position: { x: 175, y: 175 }, size: {width: 50, height: 50 } }),
-                new joint.shapes.standard.Rectangle({ position: { x: 400, y: 150 }, size: { width: 100, height: 100 } }),
-                new joint.shapes.standard.Rectangle({ position: { x: 150, y: 400 }, size: { width: 100, height: 100 } })
+                new joint.shapes.standard.Rectangle({ position: { x: 400, y: 50 }, size: { width: 300, height: 300 } }),
+                new joint.shapes.standard.Rectangle({ position: { x: 525, y: 175 }, size: { width: 50, height: 50 } }),
             ];
 
             elements[0].embed(elements[1]);
+            elements[2].embed(elements[3]);
 
             const links = [
-                new joint.shapes.standard.Link({ source: { id: elements[0].id }, target: { id: elements[1].id }}), // container -> its child
+                // this throws error:
                 new joint.shapes.standard.Link({ source: { id: elements[1].id }, target: { id: elements[0].id }}), // child -> its container
-                new joint.shapes.standard.Link({ source: { id: elements[0].id }, target: { id: elements[2].id }}) // container -> unrelated element
-                // these are ok:
-                //new joint.shapes.standard.Link({ source: { id: elements[1].id }, target: { id: elements[2].id }}), // child -> unrelated element
-                //new joint.shapes.standard.Link({ source: { id: elements[2].id }, target: { id: elements[3].id }}) // unrelated element -> unrelated element
+                new joint.shapes.standard.Link({ source: { id: elements[1].id }, target: { id: elements[2].id }}), // child -> unrelated container
+                new joint.shapes.standard.Link({ source: { id: elements[0].id }, target: { id: elements[1].id }}), // container -> its child
+                new joint.shapes.standard.Link({ source: { id: elements[0].id }, target: { id: elements[3].id }}), // container -> unrelated child
+                new joint.shapes.standard.Link({ source: { id: elements[0].id }, target: { id: elements[2].id }}), // container -> unrelated container
+                // this is ok:
+                new joint.shapes.standard.Link({ source: { id: elements[1].id }, target: { id: elements[3].id }}), // child -> unrelated child
+                new joint.shapes.standard.Link({ source: { id: elements[1].id }, target: { x: 0, y: 0 }}), // child -> point
+                new joint.shapes.standard.Link({ source: { x: 0, y: 0 }, target: { id: elements[1].id }}), // point -> child
+                new joint.shapes.standard.Link({ source: { id: elements[0].id }, target: { x: 0, y: 0 }}), // container -> point
+                new joint.shapes.standard.Link({ source: { x: 0, y: 0 }, target: { id: elements[0].id }}), // point -> container
             ];
 
             let cells;
@@ -357,6 +364,38 @@ QUnit.module('DirectedGraph', function(hooks) {
             assert.throws(() => {
                 DirectedGraph.layout(graph);
             }, error);
+
+            cells = elements.concat([links[3]]);
+            graph.resetCells(cells);
+            assert.throws(() => {
+                DirectedGraph.layout(graph);
+            }, error);
+
+            cells = elements.concat([links[4]]);
+            graph.resetCells(cells);
+            assert.throws(() => {
+                DirectedGraph.layout(graph);
+            }, error);
+
+            cells = elements.concat([links[5]]);
+            graph.resetCells(cells);
+            assert.ok(DirectedGraph.layout(graph) instanceof g.Rect);
+
+            cells = elements.concat([links[6]]);
+            graph.resetCells(cells);
+            assert.ok(DirectedGraph.layout(graph) instanceof g.Rect);
+
+            cells = elements.concat([links[7]]);
+            graph.resetCells(cells);
+            assert.ok(DirectedGraph.layout(graph) instanceof g.Rect);
+
+            cells = elements.concat([links[8]]);
+            graph.resetCells(cells);
+            assert.ok(DirectedGraph.layout(graph) instanceof g.Rect);
+
+            cells = elements.concat([links[9]]);
+            graph.resetCells(cells);
+            assert.ok(DirectedGraph.layout(graph) instanceof g.Rect);
         })
     });
 });