diff --git a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/source/selector/InheritanceSelector.java b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/source/selector/InheritanceSelector.java
index 7c941f3a5..4ad873b8b 100644
--- a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/source/selector/InheritanceSelector.java
+++ b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/source/selector/InheritanceSelector.java
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 package org.mapstruct.ap.model.source.selector;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
 
 import org.mapstruct.ap.model.common.Parameter;
@@ -37,7 +36,7 @@ public class InheritanceSelector implements MethodSelector {
     @Override
     public <T extends Method> List<T> getMatchingMethods(
         SourceMethod mappingMethod,
-        Collection<T> methods,
+        List<T> methods,
         Type parameterType,
         Type returnType,
         String targetPropertyName
diff --git a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/source/selector/MethodSelector.java b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/source/selector/MethodSelector.java
index ea502f224..a48009e24 100644
--- a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/source/selector/MethodSelector.java
+++ b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/source/selector/MethodSelector.java
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
  */
 package org.mapstruct.ap.model.source.selector;
 
-import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
 
 import org.mapstruct.ap.model.common.Type;
@@ -39,13 +38,13 @@ public interface MethodSelector {
      *
      * @param <T> either SourceMethod or BuiltInMethod
      * @param mappingMethod mapping method, defined in Mapper for which this selection is carried out
-     * @param methods set of available methods
+     * @param methods list of available methods
      * @param parameterType parameter type that should be matched
      * @param returnType return type that should be matched
      * @param targetPropertyName some information can be derived from the target property
      *
      * @return list of methods that passes the matching process
      */
-    <T extends Method> List<T> getMatchingMethods(SourceMethod mappingMethod, Collection<T> methods, Type parameterType,
+    <T extends Method> List<T> getMatchingMethods(SourceMethod mappingMethod, List<T> methods, Type parameterType,
                                                   Type returnType, String targetPropertyName);
 }
diff --git a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/source/selector/MethodSelectors.java b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/source/selector/MethodSelectors.java
index 40bb33197..83dee2f9f 100644
--- a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/source/selector/MethodSelectors.java
+++ b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/source/selector/MethodSelectors.java
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ package org.mapstruct.ap.model.source.selector;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
-import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
+
 import javax.lang.model.util.Types;
 
 import org.mapstruct.ap.model.common.Type;
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ public class MethodSelectors implements MethodSelector {
     }
 
     @Override
-    public <T extends Method> List<T> getMatchingMethods(SourceMethod mappingMethod, Collection<T> methods,
+    public <T extends Method> List<T> getMatchingMethods(SourceMethod mappingMethod, List<T> methods,
                                                          Type parameterType, Type returnType,
                                                          String targetPropertyName) {
 
diff --git a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/source/selector/TypeSelector.java b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/source/selector/TypeSelector.java
index 24a22e3c8..d2d631149 100644
--- a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/source/selector/TypeSelector.java
+++ b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/source/selector/TypeSelector.java
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 package org.mapstruct.ap.model.source.selector;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
 
 import org.mapstruct.ap.model.common.Type;
@@ -36,7 +35,7 @@ import org.mapstruct.ap.model.source.SourceMethod;
 public class TypeSelector implements MethodSelector {
 
     @Override
-    public <T extends Method> List<T> getMatchingMethods(SourceMethod mappingMethod, Collection<T> methods,
+    public <T extends Method> List<T> getMatchingMethods(SourceMethod mappingMethod, List<T> methods,
                                                          Type parameterType, Type returnType,
                                                          String targetPropertyName) {
 
diff --git a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/source/selector/XmlElementDeclSelector.java b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/source/selector/XmlElementDeclSelector.java
index c1a2c2fb2..f45f5c820 100644
--- a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/source/selector/XmlElementDeclSelector.java
+++ b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/source/selector/XmlElementDeclSelector.java
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 package org.mapstruct.ap.model.source.selector;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
 
 import javax.lang.model.type.TypeMirror;
@@ -53,67 +52,57 @@ public class XmlElementDeclSelector implements MethodSelector {
     }
 
     @Override
-    public <T extends Method> List<T> getMatchingMethods(SourceMethod mappingMethod, Collection<T> methods,
+    public <T extends Method> List<T> getMatchingMethods(SourceMethod mappingMethod, List<T> methods,
                                                          Type parameterType, Type returnType,
                                                          String targetPropertyName) {
 
-        List<T> noXmlDeclMatch = new ArrayList<T>();
-        List<T> nameMatch = new ArrayList<T>();
-        List<T> scopeMatch = new ArrayList<T>();
-        List<T> nameAndScopeMatch = new ArrayList<T>();
+        List<T> nameMatches = new ArrayList<T>();
+        List<T> scopeMatches = new ArrayList<T>();
+        List<T> nameAndScopeMatches = new ArrayList<T>();
 
         for ( T candidate : methods ) {
-            if ( candidate instanceof SourceMethod ) {
-                SourceMethod candidateMethod = (SourceMethod) candidate;
-                XmlElementDeclPrism xmlElememtDecl
-                    = XmlElementDeclPrism.getInstanceOn( candidateMethod.getExecutable() );
-                if ( xmlElememtDecl != null ) {
-                    String name = xmlElememtDecl.name();
-                    TypeMirror scope = xmlElememtDecl.scope();
-                    TypeMirror target = mappingMethod.getExecutable().getReturnType();
-                    if ( ( scope != null ) && ( name != null ) ) {
-                        // both scope and name should match when both defined
-                        if ( name.equals( targetPropertyName ) && typeUtils.isSameType( scope, target ) ) {
-                            nameAndScopeMatch.add( candidate );
-                        }
-                    }
-                    else if ( ( scope == null ) && ( name != null ) ) {
-                        // name should match when defined
-                        if ( name.equals( targetPropertyName ) ) {
-                            nameMatch.add( candidate );
-                        }
-                    }
-                    else if ( ( scope != null ) && ( name == null ) ) {
-                        // scope should match when defined
-                        if ( typeUtils.isSameType( scope, target ) ) {
-                            scopeMatch.add( candidate );
-                        }
-                    }
-                    else {
-                        // cannot make verdict based on scope or name, so add
-                        noXmlDeclMatch.add( candidate );
-                    }
+            if ( !(candidate instanceof SourceMethod ) ) {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            SourceMethod candidateMethod = (SourceMethod) candidate;
+            XmlElementDeclPrism xmlElememtDecl = XmlElementDeclPrism.getInstanceOn( candidateMethod.getExecutable() );
+
+            if ( xmlElememtDecl == null ) {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            String name = xmlElememtDecl.name();
+            TypeMirror scope = xmlElememtDecl.scope();
+            TypeMirror target = mappingMethod.getExecutable().getReturnType();
+
+            boolean nameIsSetAndMatches = name != null && name.equals( targetPropertyName );
+            boolean scopeIsSetAndMatches = scope != null && typeUtils.isSameType( scope, target );
+
+            if ( nameIsSetAndMatches ) {
+                if ( scopeIsSetAndMatches ) {
+                    nameAndScopeMatches.add( candidate );
                 }
                 else {
-                    // cannot make a verdict on xmldeclannotation, so add
-                    noXmlDeclMatch.add( candidate );
+                    nameMatches.add( candidate );
                 }
             }
-            else {
-                // cannot make a verdict on xmldeclannotation, so add
-                noXmlDeclMatch.add( candidate );
+            else if ( scopeIsSetAndMatches ) {
+                scopeMatches.add( candidate );
             }
         }
 
-        if ( nameAndScopeMatch.size() > 0 ) {
-            return nameAndScopeMatch;
+        if ( nameAndScopeMatches.size() > 0 ) {
+            return nameAndScopeMatches;
         }
-        else if ( scopeMatch.size() > 0 ) {
-            return scopeMatch;
+        else if ( scopeMatches.size() > 0 ) {
+            return scopeMatches;
         }
-        else if ( nameMatch.size() > 0 ) {
-            return nameMatch;
+        else if ( nameMatches.size() > 0 ) {
+            return nameMatches;
+        }
+        else {
+            return methods;
         }
-        return noXmlDeclMatch;
     }
 }
diff --git a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/processor/MapperCreationProcessor.java b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/processor/MapperCreationProcessor.java
index af39120b0..2769a0053 100644
--- a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/processor/MapperCreationProcessor.java
+++ b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/processor/MapperCreationProcessor.java
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ package org.mapstruct.ap.processor;
 
 import java.text.MessageFormat;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.LinkedList;
@@ -954,7 +953,7 @@ public class MapperCreationProcessor implements ModelElementProcessor<List<Sourc
 
     private <T extends Method> T getBestMatch(SourceMethod mappingMethod,
                                               String mappedElement,
-                                              Collection<T> methods,
+                                              List<T> methods,
                                               Type parameterType,
                                               Type returnType,
                                               String targetPropertyName) {