diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/cp.go b/cmd/podman/containers/cp.go
index 0ad2588242..af8739fac4 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/cp.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/cp.go
@@ -80,11 +80,14 @@ func cp(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if len(sourceContainerStr) > 0 {
+	if len(sourceContainerStr) > 0 && len(destContainerStr) > 0 {
+		return copyContainerToContainer(sourceContainerStr, sourcePath, destContainerStr, destPath)
+	} else if len(sourceContainerStr) > 0 {
 		return copyFromContainer(sourceContainerStr, sourcePath, destPath)
 	}
 
 	return copyToContainer(destContainerStr, destPath, sourcePath)
+
 }
 
 // containerMustExist returns an error if the specified container does not
@@ -113,6 +116,82 @@ func doCopy(funcA func() error, funcB func() error) error {
 	return errorhandling.JoinErrors(copyErrors)
 }
 
+func copyContainerToContainer(fromContainer string, sourcePath string, toContainer string, destPath string) error {
+	if err := containerMustExist(fromContainer); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if err := containerMustExist(toContainer); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	fromContainerInfo, err := registry.ContainerEngine().ContainerStat(registry.GetContext(), fromContainer, sourcePath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "%q could not be found on container %s", sourcePath, fromContainer)
+	}
+
+	var toContainerBaseName string
+	_ = toContainerBaseName
+	toContainerInfo, err := registry.ContainerEngine().ContainerStat(registry.GetContext(), toContainer, destPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		if strings.HasSuffix(destPath, "/") {
+			return errors.Wrapf(err, "%q could not be found on container %s", destPath, toContainer)
+		}
+		if toContainerInfo != nil {
+			toContainerBaseName = filepath.Base(toContainerInfo.LinkTarget)
+		} else {
+			toContainerBaseName = filepath.Base(destPath)
+		}
+
+		parentDir, err := containerParentDir(toContainer, destPath)
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrapf(err, "could not determine parent dir of %q on container %s", destPath, toContainer)
+		}
+		toContainerInfo, err = registry.ContainerEngine().ContainerStat(registry.GetContext(), toContainer, parentDir)
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrapf(err, "%q could not be found on container %s", destPath, toContainer)
+		}
+	} else {
+		toContainerBaseName = filepath.Base(toContainerInfo.LinkTarget)
+	}
+
+	if fromContainerInfo.IsDir && !toContainerInfo.IsDir {
+		return errors.New("destination must be a directory when copying a directory")
+	}
+
+	fromContainerTarget, toContainerTarget := fromContainerInfo.LinkTarget, toContainerInfo.LinkTarget
+	if !toContainerInfo.IsDir {
+		toContainerTarget = filepath.Dir(destPath)
+	}
+	reader, writer := io.Pipe()
+
+	fromContainerCopy := func() error {
+		defer writer.Close()
+		copyFunc, err := registry.ContainerEngine().ContainerCopyToArchive(registry.GetContext(), fromContainer, fromContainerTarget, writer)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if err := copyFunc(); err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "error copying from container")
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	toContainerCopy := func() error {
+		defer reader.Close()
+		copyFunc, err := registry.ContainerEngine().ContainerCopyFromArchive(registry.GetContext(), toContainer, toContainerTarget, reader)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if err := copyFunc(); err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "error copying to container")
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return doCopy(fromContainerCopy, toContainerCopy)
+}
+
 // copyFromContainer copies from the containerPath on the container to hostPath.
 func copyFromContainer(container string, containerPath string, hostPath string) error {
 	if err := containerMustExist(container); err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/copy/parse.go b/pkg/copy/parse.go
index 39e0e15471..93edec5fa6 100644
--- a/pkg/copy/parse.go
+++ b/pkg/copy/parse.go
@@ -18,18 +18,6 @@ func ParseSourceAndDestination(source, destination string) (string, string, stri
 	sourceContainer, sourcePath := parseUserInput(source)
 	destContainer, destPath := parseUserInput(destination)
 
-	numContainers := 0
-	if len(sourceContainer) > 0 {
-		numContainers++
-	}
-	if len(destContainer) > 0 {
-		numContainers++
-	}
-
-	if numContainers != 1 {
-		return "", "", "", "", errors.Errorf("invalid arguments %q, %q: exactly 1 container expected but %d specified", source, destination, numContainers)
-	}
-
 	if len(sourcePath) == 0 || len(destPath) == 0 {
 		return "", "", "", "", errors.Errorf("invalid arguments %q, %q: you must specify paths", source, destination)
 	}