diff --git a/src/Wt/WInPlaceEdit.C b/src/Wt/WInPlaceEdit.C
index d1fabf1db..6e95b7cce 100644
--- a/src/Wt/WInPlaceEdit.C
+++ b/src/Wt/WInPlaceEdit.C
@@ -103,8 +103,6 @@ void WInPlaceEdit::setText(const WString& text)
 
 void WInPlaceEdit::setPlaceholderText(const WString& text)
 {
-  placeholderText_ = text;
-
   edit_->setPlaceholderText(text);
   if (empty_)
     text_->setText(text);
@@ -112,7 +110,7 @@ void WInPlaceEdit::setPlaceholderText(const WString& text)
 
 const WString& WInPlaceEdit::placeholderText() const
 {
-  return placeholderText_;
+  return edit_->placeholderText();
 }
 
 void WInPlaceEdit::save()
diff --git a/src/Wt/WInPlaceEdit.h b/src/Wt/WInPlaceEdit.h
index 7553a0476..8f2229351 100644
--- a/src/Wt/WInPlaceEdit.h
+++ b/src/Wt/WInPlaceEdit.h
@@ -166,7 +166,6 @@ class WT_API WInPlaceEdit : public WCompositeWidget
   WText *text_;
   WLineEdit *edit_;
   WPushButton *save_, *cancel_;
-  WString placeholderText_;
   Wt::Signals::connection c2_;
   bool empty_;
 };