diff --git a/src/main/java/org/docx4j/XmlUtils.java b/src/main/java/org/docx4j/XmlUtils.java
index b10ff634b8..5296afe2ea 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/docx4j/XmlUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/docx4j/XmlUtils.java
@@ -965,13 +965,31 @@ public static <T> T deepCopy(T value, JAXBContext jc) {
 		if (value==null) {
 			throw new IllegalArgumentException("Can't clone a null argument");
 		}
+
+        JAXBElement<T> elem; 
 		
 		try {
-            @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-            Class<T> clazz = (Class<T>) value.getClass();
-            JAXBElement<T> contentObject = new JAXBElement<T>(new QName(clazz.getSimpleName()), clazz, value);
-            JAXBSource source = new JAXBSource(jc, contentObject);
-            JAXBElement<T> elem = jc.createUnmarshaller().unmarshal(source, clazz);
+			
+			if (value instanceof JAXBElement<?>) {
+	
+				Object wrapped = ((JAXBElement)value).getValue();
+				
+	            @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+	            Class clazz = wrapped.getClass();
+	            JAXBElement contentObject = new JAXBElement(new QName(clazz.getSimpleName()), clazz, wrapped);
+	            JAXBSource source = new JAXBSource(jc, contentObject);
+	            elem = jc.createUnmarshaller().unmarshal(source, clazz);				
+				
+			} else {
+				
+				// Usual case
+			
+	            @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+	            Class<T> clazz = (Class<T>) value.getClass();
+	            JAXBElement<T> contentObject = new JAXBElement<T>(new QName(clazz.getSimpleName()), clazz, value);
+	            JAXBSource source = new JAXBSource(jc, contentObject);
+	            elem = jc.createUnmarshaller().unmarshal(source, clazz);
+			}
 			
 			/*
 			 * Losing content here?
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/docx4j/XmlUtilsDeepCopyTest.java b/src/test/java/org/docx4j/XmlUtilsDeepCopyTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8b66b1197a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/org/docx4j/XmlUtilsDeepCopyTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+package org.docx4j;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.*;
+
+import javax.xml.bind.JAXBElement;
+
+import junit.framework.Assert;
+
+import org.docx4j.jaxb.Context;
+import org.docx4j.wml.CTBookmark;
+import org.docx4j.wml.P;
+import org.docx4j.wml.R;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+public class XmlUtilsDeepCopyTest {
+
+	/**
+	 * Test for https://github.com/plutext/docx4j/issues/212
+	 * 
+	 * With v3.3.0 and 3.3.1, deepCopy of a JAXBElement was broken. 
+	 * 
+	 * With moxY:
+	 * 
+	 *  java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: javax.xml.bind.UnmarshalException
+	 *  
+		 - with linked exception:
+		[Exception [EclipseLink-25007] (Eclipse Persistence Services - 2.5.2.v20140319-9ad6abd): org.eclipse.persistence.exceptions.XMLMarshalException
+		Exception Description: A descriptor for class javax.xml.bind.JAXBElement was not found in the project.  
+		For JAXB, if the JAXBContext was bootstrapped using TypeMappingInfo[] you must call a marshal method that accepts TypeMappingInfo 
+		as an input parameter.]
+
+	 * With Sun/Oracle, you got a JAXBElement, but null value
+
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void testIssue212() {
+		
+		CTBookmark bookmark = Context.getWmlObjectFactory().createCTBookmark();
+		JAXBElement<CTBookmark> el =Context.getWmlObjectFactory().createBodyBookmarkStart(bookmark);
+		
+		Object o = XmlUtils.deepCopy(el);
+		
+		//System.out.println(XmlUtils.marshaltoString(o));
+		
+		Assert.assertSame(el.getClass(), o.getClass());
+		Assert.assertSame(el.getValue().getClass(), ((JAXBElement)o).getValue().getClass());
+	}
+	
+	@Test
+	public void testSimpleP() {
+
+		P p = new P();
+		p.getContent().add( new R());
+		
+		Object o = XmlUtils.deepCopy(p);
+		
+		Assert.assertSame(p.getClass(), o.getClass());
+		Assert.assertSame(p.getContent().get(0).getClass(), ((P)o).getContent().get(0).getClass());
+		
+		
+	}
+
+}