diff --git a/compiler/src/dmd/clone.d b/compiler/src/dmd/clone.d
index 2e4833e8fdd7..224249f89b9a 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dmd/clone.d
+++ b/compiler/src/dmd/clone.d
@@ -1695,27 +1695,67 @@ bool buildCopyCtor(StructDeclaration sd, Scope* sc)
     if (!needCopyCtor(sd, hasCpCtor))
         return hasCpCtor;
 
-    //printf("generating copy constructor for %s\n", sd.toChars());
-    const MOD paramMod = MODFlags.wild;
-    const MOD funcMod = MODFlags.wild;
-    auto ccd = generateCopyCtorDeclaration(sd, ModToStc(paramMod), ModToStc(funcMod));
-    auto copyCtorBody = generateCopyCtorBody(sd);
-    ccd.fbody = copyCtorBody;
-    sd.members.push(ccd);
-    ccd.addMember(sc, sd);
-    const errors = global.startGagging();
-    Scope* sc2 = sc.push();
-    sc2.stc = 0;
-    sc2.linkage = LINK.d;
-    ccd.dsymbolSemantic(sc2);
-    ccd.semantic2(sc2);
-    ccd.semantic3(sc2);
-    //printf("ccd semantic: %s\n", ccd.type.toChars());
-    sc2.pop();
-    if (global.endGagging(errors) || sd.isUnionDeclaration())
+    // some fields have copy ctors
+    // so we need to collect the copy ctor types
+
+    // hashtable used to store what copy constructors should be generated
+    bool[ModBits] copyCtorTable;
+
+    // see if any struct members define a copy constructor
+    foreach (v; sd.fields)
+    {
+        if (v.storage_class & STC.ref_)
+            continue;
+        if (v.overlapped)
+            continue;
+        Type tv = v.type.baseElemOf();
+        if (tv.ty != Tstruct)
+            continue;
+
+        auto ts = v.type.baseElemOf().isTypeStruct();
+        if (!ts)
+            continue;
+        if (ts.sym.hasCopyCtor)
+        {
+            foreach(key; ts.sym.copyCtorsQualifiers.keys())
+            {
+                copyCtorTable[key] = true;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    // if any field defines a copy constructor
+    if (copyCtorTable.length)
     {
-        ccd.storage_class |= STC.disable;
-        ccd.fbody = null;
+        // generate the body that does memberwise initialization
+        auto copyCtorBody = generateCopyCtorBody(sd);
+        foreach (key; copyCtorTable.keys)
+        {
+            MOD paramMod = cast(MOD)(key >> 8);
+            MOD funcMod = cast(MOD)key;
+            auto ccd = generateCopyCtorDeclaration(sd, ModToStc(paramMod), ModToStc(funcMod));
+            //printf("generating for %s\n", ccd.type.toChars());
+            ccd.fbody = copyCtorBody.syntaxCopy();
+            sd.members.push(ccd);
+            ccd.addMember(sc, sd);
+            const errors = global.startGagging();
+            Scope* sc2 = sc.push();
+            sc2.stc = 0;
+            sc2.linkage = LINK.d;
+            ccd.dsymbolSemantic(sc2);
+            ccd.semantic2(sc2);
+            ccd.semantic3(sc2);
+            //printf("ccd semantic: %s\n", ccd.type.toChars());
+            sc2.pop();
+            if (global.endGagging(errors) || sd.isUnionDeclaration())
+            {
+                ccd.storage_class |= STC.disable;
+                ccd.fbody = null;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return true;
     }
-    return true;
+
+    return false;
 }
diff --git a/compiler/src/dmd/declaration.d b/compiler/src/dmd/declaration.d
index a1202ed628a7..a19d3f52bf39 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dmd/declaration.d
+++ b/compiler/src/dmd/declaration.d
@@ -366,7 +366,8 @@ extern (C++) abstract class Declaration : Dsymbol
         {
             if (ctor.isCpCtor && ctor.isGenerated())
             {
-                .error(loc, "generating an `inout` copy constructor for `struct %s` failed, therefore instances of it are uncopyable", parent.toPrettyChars());
+                .error(loc, "generated copy constructor of type `%s` is disabled", ctor.type.toChars());
+                .errorSupplemental(loc, "some of the field types of struct `%s` do not define a copy constructor that can handle such copies", toParent().toChars());
                 return true;
             }
         }
diff --git a/compiler/src/dmd/dstruct.d b/compiler/src/dmd/dstruct.d
index 339b22323af1..fb0d94952514 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dmd/dstruct.d
+++ b/compiler/src/dmd/dstruct.d
@@ -192,6 +192,8 @@ enum StructFlags : int
     hasPointers = 0x1, // NB: should use noPointers as in ClassFlags
 }
 
+alias ModBits = ushort;
+
 /***********************************************************
  * All `struct` declarations are an instance of this.
  */
@@ -199,6 +201,7 @@ extern (C++) class StructDeclaration : AggregateDeclaration
 {
     FuncDeclarations postblits; // Array of postblit functions
     FuncDeclaration postblit;   // aggregate postblit
+    bool[ModBits] copyCtorsQualifiers; // source-destination qualifiers for the struct cpctors
 
     FuncDeclaration xeq;        // TypeInfo_Struct.xopEquals
     FuncDeclaration xcmp;       // TypeInfo_Struct.xopCmp
diff --git a/compiler/src/dmd/dsymbolsem.d b/compiler/src/dmd/dsymbolsem.d
index 65a1b0436502..f3f7f77684f3 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dmd/dsymbolsem.d
+++ b/compiler/src/dmd/dsymbolsem.d
@@ -202,6 +202,24 @@ bool checkDeprecated(Dsymbol d, const ref Loc loc, Scope* sc)
     return true;
 }
 
+/**
+   Fit two mods in a ushort. This is used to create a
+   mod key that represents the source and destination
+   qualifiers for a copy constructor. The result of this
+   function is used as a key in a hashtable.
+
+Params:
+    mod1 = qualifier for source
+    mod2 = qualifier for destination
+
+Returns:
+    The qualifiers key
+*/
+ModBits createModKey(MOD mod1, MOD mod2)
+{
+    return ((mod1 << 8) | mod2);
+}
+
 /*********************************
  * Check type to see if it is based on a deprecated symbol.
  */
@@ -2422,6 +2440,8 @@ private extern(C++) final class DsymbolSemanticVisitor : Visitor
                 {
                     //printf("copy constructor\n");
                     ctd.isCpCtor = true;
+                    ModBits key = createModKey(param.type.mod, tf.mod);
+                    sd.copyCtorsQualifiers[key] = true;
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/compiler/test/compilable/test20876.d b/compiler/test/compilable/test20876.d
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c75c0d1c33a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/test/compilable/test20876.d
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+// https://issues.dlang.org/show_bug.cgi?id=20876
+
+struct Array
+{
+    void opSliceAssign(Foo) {}
+    void opSliceAssign(Foo, size_t, size_t) {}
+}
+
+struct Foo {
+    Bar _bar;
+}
+
+struct Bar {
+  version (Bug)
+    this(ref Bar) { }
+  else
+    this(Bar) { }
+}
+
+void main()
+{
+    Foo foo;
+    Array arr;
+    arr[] = foo;
+}
diff --git a/compiler/test/compilable/test21204.d b/compiler/test/compilable/test21204.d
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a849bf5e3870
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/test/compilable/test21204.d
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+// https://issues.dlang.org/show_bug.cgi?id=21204
+
+struct A
+{
+    this(ref A other) {}
+}
+
+struct B
+{
+    A a;
+}
+
+void example()
+{
+    B b1;
+    B b2 = b1;
+}
diff --git a/compiler/test/compilable/test23097.d b/compiler/test/compilable/test23097.d
index 092bd774f228..d24d33e921ee 100644
--- a/compiler/test/compilable/test23097.d
+++ b/compiler/test/compilable/test23097.d
@@ -2,11 +2,6 @@
 REQUIRED_ARGS: -verrors=spec
 TEST_OUTPUT:
 ---
-(spec:2) compilable/test23097.d(14): Error: `inout` constructor `test23097.S23097.this` creates const object, not mutable
-(spec:2) compilable/test23097.d(14): Error: `inout` constructor `test23097.S23097.this` creates const object, not mutable
-(spec:1) compilable/test23097.d(14): Error: generated function `test23097.S23097.opAssign(S23097 p)` is not callable using argument types `(const(S23097))`
-(spec:2) compilable/test23097.d(14): Error: `inout` constructor `test23097.S23097.this` creates const object, not mutable
-(spec:1) compilable/test23097.d(14):        `struct S23097` does not define a copy constructor for `const(S23097)` to `S23097` copies
 ---
 */
 void emplaceRef(UT, Args)(UT chunk, Args args)
diff --git a/compiler/test/fail_compilation/ice23097.d b/compiler/test/fail_compilation/ice23097.d
index 5cde816c668e..32ab743a4136 100644
--- a/compiler/test/fail_compilation/ice23097.d
+++ b/compiler/test/fail_compilation/ice23097.d
@@ -1,11 +1,8 @@
 /* https://issues.dlang.org/show_bug.cgi?id=23097
 TEST_OUTPUT:
 ---
-fail_compilation/ice23097.d(13): Error: undefined identifier `ICE`
-fail_compilation/ice23097.d(28): Error: template instance `ice23097.ice23097!(S23097)` error instantiating
-fail_compilation/ice23097.d(28): Error: function `ice23097` is not callable using argument types `(S23097)`
-fail_compilation/ice23097.d(28):        generating a copy constructor for `struct S23097` failed, therefore instances of it are uncopyable
-fail_compilation/ice23097.d(11):        `ice23097.ice23097!(S23097).ice23097(S23097 __param_0)` declared here
+fail_compilation/ice23097.d(10): Error: undefined identifier `ICE`
+fail_compilation/ice23097.d(25): Error: template instance `ice23097.ice23097!(S23097)` error instantiating
 ---
 */
 auto ice23097(I)(I)
diff --git a/compiler/test/fail_compilation/test21198.d b/compiler/test/fail_compilation/test21198.d
index 04c3bcff7d3c..0dd13a1950a0 100644
--- a/compiler/test/fail_compilation/test21198.d
+++ b/compiler/test/fail_compilation/test21198.d
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
 /*
 TEST_OUTPUT:
 ---
-fail_compilation/test21198.d(23): Error: generating an `inout` copy constructor for `struct test21198.U` failed, therefore instances of it are uncopyable
+fail_compilation/test21198.d(24): Error: generated copy constructor of type `inout ref @system inout(U)(return ref scope inout(U) p)` is disabled
+fail_compilation/test21198.d(24):        some of the field types of struct `U` do not define a copy constructor that can handle such copies
 ---
 */
 
diff --git a/compiler/test/fail_compilation/test21204.d b/compiler/test/fail_compilation/test21204.d
deleted file mode 100644
index 45bb6d727ab3..000000000000
--- a/compiler/test/fail_compilation/test21204.d
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-// https://issues.dlang.org/show_bug.cgi?id=21204
-/*
-TEST_OUTPUT:
----
-fail_compilation/test21204.d(22): Error: generating an `inout` copy constructor for `struct test21204.B` failed, therefore instances of it are uncopyable
----
-*/
-
-struct A
-{
-    this(ref A other) {}
-}
-
-struct B
-{
-    A a;
-}
-
-void example()
-{
-    B b1;
-    B b2 = b1;
-}
diff --git a/compiler/test/runnable/testCopyCtor.d b/compiler/test/runnable/testCopyCtor.d
index 9d86bdcd3e2f..cec40a0471f9 100644
--- a/compiler/test/runnable/testCopyCtor.d
+++ b/compiler/test/runnable/testCopyCtor.d
@@ -149,6 +149,50 @@ void test5()
     assert(result == "A");
 }
 
+struct Foo
+{
+    this(ref const Foo _) const
+    {
+        result ~= "A";
+    }
+
+    this(ref const Foo _) immutable
+    {
+        result ~= "B";
+    }
+}
+
+struct Bar
+{
+    this(ref const Bar _) const
+    {
+        result ~= "C";
+    }
+
+    this(ref const Bar _) immutable
+    {
+        result ~= "C";
+    }
+}
+
+struct FooBar
+{
+    Foo foo;
+    Bar bar;
+}
+
+void test6()
+{
+    result = "";
+
+    FooBar a;
+    const FooBar b = a;
+    assert(result == "AC");
+
+    immutable FooBar c = a;
+    assert(result == "ACBD");
+}
+
 void main()
 {
     test1();