diff --git a/examples/react/src/examples/TouchDevice/index.tsx b/examples/react/src/examples/TouchDevice/index.tsx
index 636a36a4..e412bee5 100644
--- a/examples/react/src/examples/TouchDevice/index.tsx
+++ b/examples/react/src/examples/TouchDevice/index.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { useCallback } from 'react';
 import { ReactFlow, Node, Edge, useNodesState, useEdgesState, Position, Connection, addEdge } from '@xyflow/react';
 
-import styles from './touch-device.module.css';
+import './touch-device.css';
 
 const initialNodes: Node[] = [
   {
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ const TouchDeviceFlow = () => {
       onConnectEnd={onConnectEnd}
       onClickConnectStart={onClickConnectStart}
       onClickConnectEnd={onClickConnectEnd}
-      className={styles.flow}
+      className="touch-flow"
     />
   );
 };
diff --git a/examples/react/src/examples/TouchDevice/touch-device.css b/examples/react/src/examples/TouchDevice/touch-device.css
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..92f85c27
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/react/src/examples/TouchDevice/touch-device.css
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+.react-flow.touch-flow .react-flow__handle {
+  width: 20px;
+  height: 20px;
+  border-radius: 3px;
+  background-color: #9f7aea;
+}
+
+.touch-flow .react-flow__handle-right {
+  --translate: translate(50%, -50%);
+}
+
+.touch-flow .react-flow__handle-left {
+  --translate: translate(-50%, -50%);
+}
+
+@keyframes bounce {
+  0% {
+    transform: var(--translate) scale(1);
+  }
+  50% {
+    transform: var(--translate) scale(1.1);
+  }
+}
+
+.react-flow.touch-flow .react-flow__handle.clickconnecting {
+  animation: bounce 1600ms infinite ease-in;
+}
diff --git a/examples/react/src/examples/TouchDevice/touch-device.module.css b/examples/react/src/examples/TouchDevice/touch-device.module.css
deleted file mode 100644
index b5f65209..00000000
--- a/examples/react/src/examples/TouchDevice/touch-device.module.css
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,19 +0,0 @@
-.flow :global .react-flow__handle {
-  width: 20px;
-  height: 20px;
-  border-radius: 3px;
-  background-color: #9f7aea;
-}
-
-.flow :global .react-flow__handle.connecting {
-  animation: bounce 1600ms infinite ease-out;
-}
-
-@keyframes bounce {
-  0% {
-    transform: translate(0, -50%) scale(1);
-  }
-  50% {
-    transform: translate(0, -50%) scale(1.1);
-  }
-}
diff --git a/examples/react/src/examples/Validation/validation.module.css b/examples/react/src/examples/Validation/validation.module.css
index c19a8723..3fbe2f94 100644
--- a/examples/react/src/examples/Validation/validation.module.css
+++ b/examples/react/src/examples/Validation/validation.module.css
@@ -24,10 +24,14 @@
   background: #fff;
 }
 
-.validationflow :global .connecting {
+.validationflow :global .connectingto {
   background: #ff6060;
 }
 
+.validationflow :global .react-flow__node-custominput .connectingfrom {
+  background: #55dd99;
+}
+
 .validationflow :global .valid {
   background: #55dd99;
 }
diff --git a/examples/svelte/src/routes/examples/validation/style.css b/examples/svelte/src/routes/examples/validation/style.css
index 6839e129..a6bbf75a 100644
--- a/examples/svelte/src/routes/examples/validation/style.css
+++ b/examples/svelte/src/routes/examples/validation/style.css
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
-.svelte-flow__handle.connecting {
+.svelte-flow__handle.connectingto {
 	background: #ff6060;
 }
 
+.svelte-flow__handle.connectingfrom {
+	background: #55dd99;
+}
+
 .svelte-flow__handle.valid {
 	background: #55dd99;
 }
diff --git a/packages/react/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/react/CHANGELOG.md
index 69b51bf7..0f5f3b92 100644
--- a/packages/react/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/packages/react/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 ## ⚠️ Breaking changes
 
 - `useNodesData` not only returns data objects but also the type and the id of the node
+- status class names for Handle components are slightly different. It's now "connectingfrom" and "connectingto" instead of "connecting"
 
 ## Patch changes
 
diff --git a/packages/react/src/components/Handle/index.tsx b/packages/react/src/components/Handle/index.tsx
index 36778039..75c36b8c 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/components/Handle/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/react/src/components/Handle/index.tsx
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import {
   type HandleProps,
   type Connection,
   type HandleType,
+  ConnectionMode,
 } from '@xyflow/system';
 
 import { useStore, useStoreApi } from '../../hooks/useStore';
@@ -36,14 +37,24 @@ const connectingSelector =
       connectionStartHandle: startHandle,
       connectionEndHandle: endHandle,
       connectionClickStartHandle: clickHandle,
+      connectionMode,
+      connectionStatus,
     } = state;
 
+    const connectingTo = endHandle?.nodeId === nodeId && endHandle?.handleId === handleId && endHandle?.type === type;
+
     return {
-      connecting:
-        (startHandle?.nodeId === nodeId && startHandle?.handleId === handleId && startHandle?.type === type) ||
-        (endHandle?.nodeId === nodeId && endHandle?.handleId === handleId && endHandle?.type === type),
+      connectingFrom:
+        startHandle?.nodeId === nodeId && startHandle?.handleId === handleId && startHandle?.type === type,
+      connectingTo,
       clickConnecting:
         clickHandle?.nodeId === nodeId && clickHandle?.handleId === handleId && clickHandle?.type === type,
+      isPossibleEndHandle:
+        connectionMode === ConnectionMode.Strict
+          ? startHandle?.type !== type
+          : nodeId !== startHandle?.nodeId || handleId !== startHandle?.handleId,
+      connectionInProcess: !!startHandle,
+      valid: connectingTo && connectionStatus === 'valid',
     };
   };
 
@@ -71,7 +82,10 @@ const HandleComponent = forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, HandleComponentProps>(
     const store = useStoreApi();
     const nodeId = useNodeId();
     const { connectOnClick, noPanClassName, rfId } = useStore(selector, shallow);
-    const { connecting, clickConnecting } = useStore(connectingSelector(nodeId, handleId, type), shallow);
+    const { connectingFrom, connectingTo, clickConnecting, isPossibleEndHandle, connectionInProcess, valid } = useStore(
+      connectingSelector(nodeId, handleId, type),
+      shallow
+    );
 
     if (!nodeId) {
       store.getState().onError?.('010', errorMessages['error010']());
@@ -201,10 +215,16 @@ const HandleComponent = forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, HandleComponentProps>(
             connectable: isConnectable,
             connectablestart: isConnectableStart,
             connectableend: isConnectableEnd,
-            connecting: clickConnecting,
-            // this class is used to style the handle when the user is connecting
+            clickconnecting: clickConnecting,
+            connectingfrom: connectingFrom,
+            connectingto: connectingTo,
+            valid,
+            // shows where you can start a connection from
+            // and where you can end it while connecting
             connectionindicator:
-              isConnectable && ((isConnectableStart && !connecting) || (isConnectableEnd && connecting)),
+              isConnectable &&
+              (!connectionInProcess || isPossibleEndHandle) &&
+              (connectionInProcess ? isConnectableEnd : isConnectableStart),
           },
         ])}
         onMouseDown={onPointerDown}
diff --git a/packages/react/src/store/index.ts b/packages/react/src/store/index.ts
index 823d5022..a2b98c1a 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/store/index.ts
+++ b/packages/react/src/store/index.ts
@@ -303,13 +303,11 @@ const createRFStore = ({
           connectionEndHandle: null,
         }),
       updateConnection: (params) => {
-        const { connectionStatus, connectionStartHandle, connectionEndHandle, connectionPosition } = get();
+        const { connectionPosition } = get();
 
         const currentConnection = {
+          ...params,
           connectionPosition: params.connectionPosition ?? connectionPosition,
-          connectionStatus: params.connectionStatus ?? connectionStatus,
-          connectionStartHandle: params.connectionStartHandle ?? connectionStartHandle,
-          connectionEndHandle: params.connectionEndHandle ?? connectionEndHandle,
         };
 
         set(currentConnection);
diff --git a/packages/svelte/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/svelte/CHANGELOG.md
index 948e69eb..ea7f4181 100644
--- a/packages/svelte/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/packages/svelte/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 ## ⚠️ Breaking changes
 
 - `useNodesData` not only returns data objects but also the type and the id of the node
+- status class names for Handle components are slightly different. It's now "connectingfrom" and "connectingto" instead of "connecting"
 
 ## Patch changes
 
diff --git a/packages/svelte/src/lib/components/Handle/Handle.svelte b/packages/svelte/src/lib/components/Handle/Handle.svelte
index f8a43dd4..e35804fc 100644
--- a/packages/svelte/src/lib/components/Handle/Handle.svelte
+++ b/packages/svelte/src/lib/components/Handle/Handle.svelte
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@
     onconnect: onConnectAction,
     onconnectstart: onConnectStartAction,
     onconnectend: onConnectEndAction,
-    flowId
+    flowId,
+    connection
   } = store;
 
   function onPointerDown(event: MouseEvent | TouchEvent) {
@@ -123,6 +124,16 @@
     prevConnections = connections ?? new Map();
   }
 
+  $: connectingFrom =
+    $connection.startHandle?.nodeId === nodeId &&
+    $connection.startHandle?.type === type &&
+    $connection.startHandle?.handleId === handleId;
+  $: connectingTo =
+    $connection.endHandle?.nodeId === nodeId &&
+    $connection.endHandle?.type === type &&
+    $connection.endHandle?.handleId === handleId;
+  $: valid = connectingTo && $connection.status === 'valid';
+
   // @todo implement connectablestart, connectableend
 </script>
 
@@ -141,6 +152,11 @@ The Handle component is the part of a node that can be used to connect nodes.
     'nodrag',
     'nopan',
     position,
+    {
+      valid,
+      connectingto: connectingTo,
+      connectingfrom: connectingFrom
+    },
     className
   ])}
   class:source={!isTarget}
diff --git a/packages/system/src/styles/init.css b/packages/system/src/styles/init.css
index 46628842..72f0b2e8 100644
--- a/packages/system/src/styles/init.css
+++ b/packages/system/src/styles/init.css
@@ -223,6 +223,10 @@ svg.xy-flow__connectionline {
   min-width: 5px;
   min-height: 5px;
 
+  &.connectingfrom {
+    pointer-events: all;
+  }
+
   &.connectionindicator {
     pointer-events: all;
     cursor: crosshair;
diff --git a/packages/system/src/xyhandle/XYHandle.ts b/packages/system/src/xyhandle/XYHandle.ts
index 4ddb5313..4f99a97c 100644
--- a/packages/system/src/xyhandle/XYHandle.ts
+++ b/packages/system/src/xyhandle/XYHandle.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import {
   type ConnectionHandle,
 } from '../types';
 
-import { getClosestHandle, getConnectionStatus, getHandleLookup, getHandleType, resetRecentHandle } from './utils';
+import { getClosestHandle, getConnectionStatus, getHandleLookup, getHandleType } from './utils';
 
 export type OnPointerDownParams = {
   autoPanOnConnect: boolean;
@@ -107,7 +107,6 @@ function onPointerDown(
     return;
   }
 
-  let prevActiveHandle: Element;
   let connectionPosition = getEventPosition(event, containerBounds);
   let autoPanStarted = false;
   let connection: Connection | null = null;
@@ -194,18 +193,6 @@ function onPointerDown(
       connectionStatus: getConnectionStatus(!!closestHandle, isValid),
       connectionEndHandle: result.endHandle,
     });
-
-    if (!closestHandle && !isValid && !handleDomNode) {
-      return resetRecentHandle(prevActiveHandle, lib);
-    }
-
-    if (connection?.source !== connection?.target && handleDomNode) {
-      resetRecentHandle(prevActiveHandle, lib);
-      prevActiveHandle = handleDomNode;
-      handleDomNode.classList.add('connecting', `${lib}-flow__handle-connecting`);
-      handleDomNode.classList.toggle('valid', isValid);
-      handleDomNode.classList.toggle(`${lib}-flow__handle-valid`, isValid);
-    }
   }
 
   function onPointerUp(event: MouseEvent | TouchEvent) {
@@ -221,7 +208,6 @@ function onPointerDown(
       onEdgeUpdateEnd?.(event);
     }
 
-    resetRecentHandle(prevActiveHandle, lib);
     cancelConnection();
     cancelAnimationFrame(autoPanId);
     autoPanStarted = false;
diff --git a/packages/system/src/xyhandle/utils.ts b/packages/system/src/xyhandle/utils.ts
index b829f691..8c82f6e3 100644
--- a/packages/system/src/xyhandle/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/system/src/xyhandle/utils.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ export function getClosestHandle(
   let closestHandles: ConnectionHandle[] = [];
   let minDistance = Infinity;
 
-  handles.forEach((handle) => {
+  for (const handle of handles) {
     const distance = Math.sqrt(Math.pow(handle.x - pos.x, 2) + Math.pow(handle.y - pos.y, 2));
     if (distance <= connectionRadius) {
       if (distance < minDistance) {
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ export function getClosestHandle(
       }
       minDistance = distance;
     }
-  });
+  }
 
   if (!closestHandles.length) {
     return null;
@@ -101,10 +101,6 @@ export function getHandleType(
   return null;
 }
 
-export function resetRecentHandle(handleDomNode: Element, lib: string): void {
-  handleDomNode?.classList.remove('valid', 'connecting', `${lib}-flow__handle-valid`, `${lib}-flow__handle-connecting`);
-}
-
 export function getConnectionStatus(isInsideConnectionRadius: boolean, isHandleValid: boolean) {
   let connectionStatus = null;