diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index fe8ea39..3dc4d04 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -134,4 +134,4 @@ dmypy.json
 # JetBrains IDE
 .idea/
 
-.vscode/
\ No newline at end of file
+.vscode/
diff --git a/bpmnconstraints/parser/bpmn_parser.py b/bpmnconstraints/parser/bpmn_parser.py
index 3bf146c..a61c6ee 100644
--- a/bpmnconstraints/parser/bpmn_parser.py
+++ b/bpmnconstraints/parser/bpmn_parser.py
@@ -59,12 +59,29 @@ def run(self):
             self.__mark_gateway_elements()
             if self.transitivity:
                 self.__add_transitivity()
+            self.validate_splitting_and_joining_gateway_cases()
             return self.sequence
         except Exception:
             logging.warning(
                 "\nCould not execute model. Make sure that model is:\n1. Formatted correctly.\n2. File ends with .xml or .json."
             )
 
+    def validate_splitting_and_joining_gateway_cases(self):
+        """Update 'is start' and 'is end' attributes of cfo based on splitting/joining gateways.
+        Otherwise, the parser interprets the gateways as start/end events instead of the activities.
+        """
+
+        item_indices = {item["name"]: index for index, item in enumerate(self.sequence)}
+        for cfo in self.sequence:
+            if cfo["is start"] and cfo["name"] == "XOR":
+                cfo["is start"] = False
+                for successor in cfo["successor"]:
+                    self.sequence[item_indices[successor["name"]]]["is start"] = True
+            if cfo["is end"] and cfo["name"] in GATEWAY_NAMES:
+                cfo["is end"] = False
+                for predecessor in cfo["predecessor"]:
+                    self.sequence[item_indices[predecessor["name"]]]["is end"] = True
+
     def __mark_gateway_elements(self):
         for cfo in self.sequence:
             predecessors = cfo.get("predecessor")
diff --git a/tests/test_end_constraints.py b/tests/test_end_constraints.py
index 963c20f..8b80d84 100644
--- a/tests/test_end_constraints.py
+++ b/tests/test_end_constraints.py
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
-from test_utils import init_test_setup_for_compiler
+from test_utils import init_test_setup_for_compiler, init_test_setup_for_parser
 from file_constants import (
     MULTIPLE_ENDINGS_DIAGRAM,
     LINEAR_SEQUENCE_DIAGRAM_WITHOUT_START_AND_END,
+    XOR_GATEWAY_SEQUENCE_DIAGRAM,
+    LINEAR_MERMAID_GRAPH,
 )
 
 
@@ -15,6 +17,26 @@ def test_end_constraint_is_generated_when_multiple_endings():
     assert all(constraint in res for constraint in expected_ending_constraints)
 
 
+def test_end_constraint_is_generated_with_linear_parser():
+    res = init_test_setup_for_parser(LINEAR_MERMAID_GRAPH)
+    assert res[-1]["is end"] == True
+
+
 def test_end_constraint_is_generated_without_explicit_end_event():
     res = init_test_setup_for_compiler(LINEAR_SEQUENCE_DIAGRAM_WITHOUT_START_AND_END)
     assert "End[second element]" in res
+
+
+def test_end_constraint_is_generated_when_multiple_endings():
+    res = init_test_setup_for_parser(XOR_GATEWAY_SEQUENCE_DIAGRAM)
+
+    assert res[-1]["is end"] and res[-2]["is end"] and not res[3]["is end"]
+
+
+def test_end_constraint_is_generated_when_xor_gateway():
+    res = init_test_setup_for_compiler(XOR_GATEWAY_SEQUENCE_DIAGRAM)
+    expected_ending_constraints = [
+        "End[activity four]",
+        "End[activity five]",
+    ]
+    assert all(constraint in res for constraint in expected_ending_constraints)
diff --git a/tests/test_init_constraints.py b/tests/test_init_constraints.py
index e4d3c38..247776b 100644
--- a/tests/test_init_constraints.py
+++ b/tests/test_init_constraints.py
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
-from test_utils import init_test_setup_for_compiler
+from test_utils import init_test_setup_for_compiler, init_test_setup_for_parser
 from file_constants import (
     LINEAR_SEQUENCE_DIAGRAM_WITHOUT_START_AND_END,
     MULTIPLE_STARTS_DIAGRAM,
+    XOR_GATEWAY_SEQUENCE_DIAGRAM,
 )
 
 
@@ -12,4 +13,19 @@ def test_init_constraint_is_generated_without_explicit_start_event():
 
 def test_that_each_start_has_init_constraint():
     res = init_test_setup_for_compiler(MULTIPLE_STARTS_DIAGRAM)
-    assert ["Init[path one]", "Init[path two]"] == res
+    expected_init_constraints = ["Init[path one]", "Init[path two]"]
+    assert all(constraint in res for constraint in expected_init_constraints)
+
+
+def test_missing_init_constraints_for_XOR_gate_parser():
+    res = init_test_setup_for_parser(XOR_GATEWAY_SEQUENCE_DIAGRAM)
+    assert res[4]["is start"] and res[5]["is start"] and not res[0]["is start"]
+
+
+def test_missing_init_constraints_for_XOR_gate():
+    res = init_test_setup_for_compiler(XOR_GATEWAY_SEQUENCE_DIAGRAM)
+    expected_init_constraints = [
+        "Init[activity one]",
+        "Init[activity two]",
+    ]
+    assert all(constraint in res for constraint in expected_init_constraints)