diff --git a/packages/core/src/composables/useHandle.ts b/packages/core/src/composables/useHandle.ts
index 2e0148e7..dc5b2df9 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/composables/useHandle.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/composables/useHandle.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import type { MaybeRefOrGetter } from '@vueuse/core'
 import { toValue } from '@vueuse/core'
 import { useVueFlow } from './useVueFlow'
-import type { Connection, ConnectionHandle, HandleType, MouseTouchEvent, ValidConnectionFunc, ValidHandleResult } from '~/types'
+import type { Connection, ConnectionHandle, HandleType, MouseTouchEvent, ValidConnectionFunc } from '~/types'
 import {
   calcAutoPan,
   getClosestHandle,
@@ -135,20 +135,12 @@ export function useHandle({
       function onPointerMove(event: MouseTouchEvent) {
         connectionPosition = getEventPosition(event, containerBounds)
 
-        let result: ValidHandleResult | null = {
-          handleDomNode: null,
-          isValid: false,
-          connection: { source: '', target: '', sourceHandle: null, targetHandle: null },
-          endHandle: null,
-        }
-
-        closestHandle =
-          getClosestHandle(
-            pointToRendererPoint(connectionPosition, viewport.value, false, [1, 1]),
-            connectionRadius.value,
-            handleLookup,
-          )?.find((handle) => {
-            const validHandleResult = isValidHandle(
+        const { handle, validHandleResult } = getClosestHandle(
+          pointToRendererPoint(connectionPosition, viewport.value, false, [1, 1]),
+          connectionRadius.value,
+          handleLookup,
+          (handle) =>
+            isValidHandle(
               event,
               handle,
               connectionMode.value,
@@ -159,27 +151,19 @@ export function useHandle({
               doc,
               edges.value,
               findNode,
-            )
+            ),
+        )
 
-            if (validHandleResult.isValid) {
-              result = validHandleResult
-            }
-
-            return validHandleResult.isValid
-          }) || null
+        closestHandle = handle
 
         if (!autoPanStarted) {
           autoPan()
           autoPanStarted = true
         }
 
-        if (!result) {
-          return
-        }
-
-        connection = result.connection
-        isValid = result.isValid
-        handleDomNode = result.handleDomNode
+        connection = validHandleResult.connection
+        isValid = validHandleResult.isValid
+        handleDomNode = validHandleResult.handleDomNode
 
         updateConnection(
           closestHandle && isValid
@@ -191,7 +175,7 @@ export function useHandle({
                 viewport.value,
               )
             : connectionPosition,
-          result.endHandle,
+          validHandleResult.endHandle,
           getConnectionStatus(!!closestHandle, isValid),
         )
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/utils/handle.ts b/packages/core/src/utils/handle.ts
index cb51c740..22020389 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/utils/handle.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/utils/handle.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,15 @@ export interface ConnectionHandle {
   y: number
 }
 
+function defaultValidHandleResult(): ValidHandleResult {
+  return {
+    handleDomNode: null,
+    isValid: false,
+    connection: { source: '', target: '', sourceHandle: null, targetHandle: null },
+    endHandle: null,
+  }
+}
+
 export function resetRecentHandle(handleDomNode: Element): void {
   handleDomNode?.classList.remove('valid', 'connecting', 'vue-flow__handle-valid', 'vue-flow__handle-connecting')
 }
@@ -53,29 +62,45 @@ export function getHandles(
   }, [])
 }
 
-export function getClosestHandle(pos: XYPosition, connectionRadius: number, handles: ConnectionHandle[]) {
-  let closestHandles: ConnectionHandle[] = []
+export function getClosestHandle(
+  pos: XYPosition,
+  connectionRadius: number,
+  handles: ConnectionHandle[],
+  validator: (handle: ConnectionHandle) => ValidHandleResult,
+) {
+  let closestHandles: { handle: ConnectionHandle; validHandleResult: ValidHandleResult }[] = []
   let minDistance = Infinity
 
   handles.forEach((handle) => {
     const distance = Math.sqrt((handle.x - pos.x) ** 2 + (handle.y - pos.y) ** 2)
-    if (distance <= connectionRadius) {
-      if (distance < minDistance) {
-        closestHandles = [handle]
-      } else if (distance === minDistance) {
-        // when multiple handles are on the same distance we collect all of them
-        closestHandles.push(handle)
-      }
 
-      minDistance = distance
+    if (distance <= connectionRadius) {
+      const validHandleResult = validator(handle)
+
+      if (distance <= minDistance && validHandleResult.isValid) {
+        if (distance < minDistance) {
+          closestHandles = [{ handle, validHandleResult }]
+        } else if (distance === minDistance) {
+          // when multiple handles are on the same distance we collect all of them
+          closestHandles.push({
+            handle,
+            validHandleResult,
+          })
+        }
+
+        minDistance = distance
+      }
     }
   })
 
   if (!closestHandles.length) {
-    return null
+    return { handle: null, validHandleResult: defaultValidHandleResult() }
   }
 
-  return closestHandles
+  return closestHandles.length === 1
+    ? closestHandles[0]
+    : // if multiple handles are layout on top of each other we take the one with type = target because it's more likely that the user wants to connect to this one
+      closestHandles.find(({ handle }) => handle.type === 'target') || closestHandles[0]
 }
 
 // checks if  and returns connection in fom of an object { source: 123, target: 312 }
@@ -101,12 +126,7 @@ export function isValidHandle(
   // because it could be that the center of another handle is closer to the mouse pointer than the handle below the cursor
   const handleToCheck = handleBelow?.classList.contains('vue-flow__handle') ? handleBelow : handleDomNode
 
-  const result: ValidHandleResult = {
-    handleDomNode: handleToCheck,
-    isValid: false,
-    connection: { source: '', target: '', sourceHandle: null, targetHandle: null },
-    endHandle: null,
-  }
+  const result = defaultValidHandleResult()
 
   if (handleToCheck) {
     const handleType = getHandleType(undefined, handleToCheck)