diff --git a/lib/Slic3r/Print.pm b/lib/Slic3r/Print.pm
index 3be7fe87bf..0753a27680 100644
--- a/lib/Slic3r/Print.pm
+++ b/lib/Slic3r/Print.pm
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ sub add_model {
         
         if ($object->instances) {
             # replace the default [0,0] instance with the custom ones
-            @{$print_object->copies} = map [ scale $_->offset->[X], scale $_->offset->[Y] ], @{$object->instances};
+            $print_object->copies([ map [ scale $_->offset->[X], scale $_->offset->[Y] ], @{$object->instances} ]);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/lib/Slic3r/Print/Object.pm b/lib/Slic3r/Print/Object.pm
index 3abc5c2d71..618cf69504 100644
--- a/lib/Slic3r/Print/Object.pm
+++ b/lib/Slic3r/Print/Object.pm
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ use Moo;
 
 use List::Util qw(min sum first);
 use Slic3r::ExtrusionPath ':roles';
-use Slic3r::Geometry qw(Z PI scale unscale deg2rad rad2deg scaled_epsilon);
+use Slic3r::Geometry qw(Z PI scale unscale deg2rad rad2deg scaled_epsilon chained_path_points);
 use Slic3r::Geometry::Clipper qw(diff_ex intersection_ex union_ex offset collapse_ex);
 use Slic3r::Surface ':types';
 
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ has 'print'             => (is => 'ro', weak_ref => 1, required => 1);
 has 'input_file'        => (is => 'rw', required => 0);
 has 'meshes'            => (is => 'rw', default => sub { [] });  # by region_id
 has 'size'              => (is => 'rw', required => 1);
-has 'copies'            => (is => 'rw', default => sub {[ [0,0] ]});
+has 'copies'            => (is => 'rw', default => sub {[ [0,0] ]}, trigger => 1);
 has 'layers'            => (is => 'rw', default => sub { [] });
 has 'layer_height_ranges' => (is => 'rw', default => sub { [] }); # [ z_min, z_max, layer_height ]
 
@@ -50,6 +50,14 @@ sub BUILD {
     }
 }
 
+sub _trigger_copies {
+    my $self = shift;
+    return unless @{$self->copies} > 1;
+    
+    # order copies with a nearest neighbor search
+    @{$self->copies} = @{chained_path_points($self->copies)}
+}
+
 sub layer_count {
     my $self = shift;
     return scalar @{ $self->layers };