diff --git a/src/Mod/Sketcher/App/SketchObject.cpp b/src/Mod/Sketcher/App/SketchObject.cpp
index cc0477031a22..5212adca43c5 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Sketcher/App/SketchObject.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/Sketcher/App/SketchObject.cpp
@@ -7616,15 +7616,24 @@ int SketchObject::addExternal(App::DocumentObject *Obj, const char* SubName, boo
     if (!isExternalAllowed(Obj->getDocument(), Obj))
         return -1;
 
-    auto wholeShape = Part::Feature::getTopoShape(Obj);
-    auto shape = wholeShape.getSubTopoShape(SubName, /*silent*/true);
+    Part::TopoShape wholeShape = Part::Feature::getTopoShape(Obj);
+    Part::TopoShape shape;
     TopAbs_ShapeEnum shapeType = TopAbs_SHAPE;
-    if (shape.shapeType(/*silent*/true) != TopAbs_FACE) {
-        if (shape.hasSubShape(TopAbs_FACE))
-            shapeType = TopAbs_FACE;
-        else if (shape.shapeType(/*silent*/true) != TopAbs_EDGE
-                && shape.hasSubShape(TopAbs_EDGE))
-            shapeType = TopAbs_EDGE;
+    if (!SubName && !SubName[0]) {
+        shape = wholeShape.getSubTopoShape(SubName, /*silent*/true);
+        if (shape.shapeType(/*silent*/true) != TopAbs_FACE
+                && shape.shapeType(/*silent*/true) != TopAbs_WIRE) {
+            if (shape.hasSubShape(TopAbs_FACE)) {
+                shapeType = TopAbs_FACE;
+            }
+            else if (shape.hasSubShape(TopAbs_WIRE)) {
+                shapeType = TopAbs_WIRE;
+            }
+            else if (shape.shapeType(/*silent*/true) != TopAbs_EDGE
+                    && shape.hasSubShape(TopAbs_EDGE)) {
+                shapeType = TopAbs_EDGE;
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     if (shapeType != TopAbs_SHAPE) {
@@ -8543,6 +8552,21 @@ void SketchObject::rebuildExternalGeometry(bool defining, bool addIntersection)
                 FC_WARN("Null shape from geometry reference in " << getFullName() << ": " << key);
                 continue;
             }
+            if (refSubShape.ShapeType() != TopAbs_FACE
+                    && refSubShape.ShapeType() != TopAbs_EDGE
+                    && refSubShape.ShapeType() != TopAbs_VERTEX
+                    && refSubShape.ShapeType() != TopAbs_WIRE)
+            {
+                const std::array<TopAbs_ShapeEnum, 4> types = {
+                    TopAbs_FACE, TopAbs_WIRE, TopAbs_EDGE, TopAbs_VERTEX};
+                Part::TopoShape shape(refSubShape);
+                for (auto type : types) {
+                    if (shape.hasSubShape(type)) {
+                        refSubShape = shape.getSubShape(type, 1);
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
 
             auto importFace = [&](const TopoDS_Shape &refSubShape) {
                 gp_Pln plane;
@@ -9116,6 +9140,10 @@ void SketchObject::rebuildExternalGeometry(bool defining, bool addIntersection)
                 if (!intersection)
                     importFace(refSubShape);
                 break;
+            case TopAbs_WIRE:
+                for (const auto &s : Part::TopoShape(refSubShape).getSubShapes(TopAbs_EDGE))
+                    importEdge(s);
+                break;
             case TopAbs_EDGE:
                 importEdge(refSubShape);
                 break;
diff --git a/src/Mod/Sketcher/Gui/DrawSketchHandlerExternal.h b/src/Mod/Sketcher/Gui/DrawSketchHandlerExternal.h
index 01e47bce0da4..796df83ed832 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Sketcher/Gui/DrawSketchHandlerExternal.h
+++ b/src/Mod/Sketcher/Gui/DrawSketchHandlerExternal.h
@@ -23,20 +23,7 @@
 #ifndef SKETCHERGUI_DrawSketchHandlerExternal_H
 #define SKETCHERGUI_DrawSketchHandlerExternal_H
 
-#include <App/OriginFeature.h>
-#include <Mod/Part/App/DatumFeature.h>
-
-#include <Gui/Notifications.h>
-#include <Gui/SelectionFilter.h>
-#include <Gui/Command.h>
-#include <Gui/CommandT.h>
-#include <Gui/View3DInventor.h>
-#include <Gui/View3DInventorViewer.h>
-#include <Gui/MDIView.h>
-
-#include <Mod/Sketcher/App/SketchObject.h>
-
-#include "DrawSketchHandler.h"
+#include <array>
 #include "GeometryCreationMode.h"
 #include "Utils.h"
 #include "ViewProviderSketch.h"
@@ -59,13 +46,52 @@ class ExternalSelection : public SketcherSelectionFilterGate
     bool allow(App::Document* pDoc, App::DocumentObject* pObj, const char* sSubName) override
     {
         Sketcher::SketchObject* sketch = static_cast<Sketcher::SketchObject*>(object);
+        static const std::array<const char *, 4> allowedTypes = {"Face", "Wire", "Edge", "Vertex"};
 
         this->notAllowedReason = "";
 
-        if (!sSubName || sSubName[0] == '\0') {
-            this->notAllowedReason = QT_TR_NOOP("No element. ");
+        bool checkShape = true;
+        if (sSubName && sSubName[0]) {
+            for (auto type : allowedTypes) {
+                if (boost::starts_with(sSubName, type)) {
+                    checkShape = false;
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        else if (!(QApplication::queryKeyboardModifiers() & Qt::AltModifier)) {
+            this->notAllowedReason = QT_TR_NOOP("Hold Alt key to enable whole object selection.");
             return false;
         }
+        
+        if (checkShape) {
+            auto shape = Part::TopoShape(Part::Feature::getShape(pObj));
+            if (shape.isNull()) {
+                this->notAllowedReason = QT_TR_NOOP("No shape. ");
+                return false;
+            }
+            sSubName = nullptr;
+            for (auto type : allowedTypes) {
+                auto shapeType = Part::TopoShape::shapeType(type);
+                if (shape.shapeType() == shapeType) {
+                    sSubName = type;
+                    break;
+                }
+                int count = shape.countSubShapes(shapeType);
+                if (count == 1) {
+                    sSubName = type;
+                    break;
+                }
+                if (count > 1) {
+                    this->notAllowedReason = QT_TR_NOOP("Multiple elements. ");
+                    return false;
+                }
+            }
+            if (!sSubName) {
+                this->notAllowedReason = QT_TR_NOOP("Unknown element. ");
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
 
         if (!ViewProviderSketch::allowFaceExternalPick() && boost::starts_with(sSubName, "Face")) {
             this->notAllowedReason = QT_TR_NOOP("Face picking disabled in the task panel. ");
@@ -272,10 +298,16 @@ class DrawSketchHandlerExternal: public DrawSketchHandler
                 throw Base::ValueError("Sketcher: External geometry: Invalid object in selection");
             }
 
+            if (msg.Object.getOldElementName().empty()
+                    && !(QApplication::queryKeyboardModifiers() & Qt::AltModifier)) {
+                return false;
+            }
+
             auto indexedName = Data::IndexedName(msg.Object.getOldElementName().c_str());
             if (intersection ||
                 obj->getTypeId().isDerivedFrom(App::Plane::getClassTypeId()) ||
                 obj->getTypeId().isDerivedFrom(Part::Datum::getClassTypeId()) ||
+                msg.Object.getOldElementName().empty() ||
                 boost::iends_with(indexedName.getType(), "edge") ||
                 boost::iends_with(indexedName.getType(), "vertex") ||
                 boost::iends_with(indexedName.getType(), "face") ||