diff --git a/core/src/main/kotlin/org/evomaster/core/search/gene/collection/TaintedArrayGene.kt b/core/src/main/kotlin/org/evomaster/core/search/gene/collection/TaintedArrayGene.kt
index 65dc2f4efb..e17de33d3d 100644
--- a/core/src/main/kotlin/org/evomaster/core/search/gene/collection/TaintedArrayGene.kt
+++ b/core/src/main/kotlin/org/evomaster/core/search/gene/collection/TaintedArrayGene.kt
@@ -129,8 +129,20 @@ class TaintedArrayGene(
            return false
         }
 
-        return this.arrayGene?.unsafeCopyValueFrom(other.arrayGene!!)
-            ?: true
+        val otherArray = other.arrayGene
+        if(otherArray == null){
+            // other is unresolved: drop the array, if any
+            killAllChildren()
+        } else if(arrayGene == null){
+            // other is resolved but this is not: resolve this with a copy of its array
+            addChild(otherArray.copy())
+        } else if(!arrayGene!!.unsafeCopyValueFrom(otherArray)){
+            return false
+        }
+
+        taintedValue = other.taintedValue
+        isActive = other.isActive
+        return true
     }
 
     override fun getPossiblyTaintedValue(): String {
diff --git a/core/src/test/kotlin/org/evomaster/core/search/gene/collection/TaintedArrayGeneTest.kt b/core/src/test/kotlin/org/evomaster/core/search/gene/collection/TaintedArrayGeneTest.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..85cf15da64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/test/kotlin/org/evomaster/core/search/gene/collection/TaintedArrayGeneTest.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+package org.evomaster.core.search.gene.collection
+
+import org.evomaster.client.java.instrumentation.shared.TaintInputName
+import org.evomaster.core.search.gene.Gene
+import org.evomaster.core.search.gene.numeric.IntegerGene
+import org.evomaster.core.search.gene.wrapper.ChoiceGene
+import org.evomaster.core.search.service.Randomness
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.*
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test
+
+class TaintedArrayGeneTest {
+
+    private val randomness = Randomness()
+
+    private fun resolved(taintId: Int = 1): TaintedArrayGene =
+        TaintedArrayGene("resolved", TaintInputName.getTaintName(taintId), true, ArrayGene("array", IntegerGene("element")))
+
+    private fun unresolved(taintId: Int = 2): TaintedArrayGene =
+        TaintedArrayGene("unresolved", TaintInputName.getTaintName(taintId))
+
+    @Test
+    fun testCopyBetweenResolvedGenes() {
+        val target = resolved().apply { doInitialize(randomness) }
+        val source = resolved().apply { doInitialize(randomness) }
+        source.randomize(randomness, true)
+
+        assertTrue(target.copyValueFrom(source))
+        assertTrue(target.containsSameValueAs(source))
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * This used to report a successful copy, even if the tainted value of the source was not copied.
+     */
+    @Test
+    fun testCopyBetweenUnresolvedGenes() {
+        val target = unresolved(2).apply { doInitialize(randomness) }
+        val source = unresolved(3).apply { doInitialize(randomness) }
+
+        assertTrue(target.copyValueFrom(source))
+        assertEquals(source.taintedValue, target.taintedValue)
+        assertTrue(target.containsSameValueAs(source))
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * This used to throw a NullPointerException, as the missing array of the source was dereferenced.
+     */
+    @Test
+    fun testCopyFromUnresolvedIntoResolved() {
+        val target = resolved().apply { doInitialize(randomness) }
+        val source = unresolved().apply { doInitialize(randomness) }
+
+        assertTrue(target.copyValueFrom(source))
+        assertFalse(target.isResolved())
+        assertTrue(target.containsSameValueAs(source))
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * This used to report a successful copy, even if the target was left without the array of the source.
+     */
+    @Test
+    fun testCopyFromResolvedIntoUnresolved() {
+        val target = unresolved().apply { doInitialize(randomness) }
+        val source = resolved().apply { doInitialize(randomness) }
+
+        assertTrue(target.copyValueFrom(source))
+        assertTrue(target.isResolved())
+        assertTrue(target.containsSameValueAs(source))
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * A choice copies into its first alternative of the same class as the source, which here is in a
+     * different state than the source. This used to throw a NullPointerException.
+     */
+    @Test
+    fun testChoiceCopiesIntoAnAlternativeInADifferentState() {
+        val choice = ChoiceGene<Gene>("choice", listOf(resolved(), unresolved()))
+        choice.doInitialize(randomness)
+
+        val target = choice.copy() as ChoiceGene<*>
+        target.selectActiveGene(0)
+        val source = choice.copy() as ChoiceGene<*>
+        source.selectActiveGene(1)
+
+        assertTrue(target.copyValueFrom(source))
+        assertTrue(target.containsSameValueAs(source))
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file