diff --git a/nuxeo-gwt-ui-base/src/main/java/com/nuxeo/gwt/ui/client/codemirror/editor/CSSEditor.java b/nuxeo-gwt-ui-base/src/main/java/com/nuxeo/gwt/ui/client/codemirror/editor/CSSEditor.java
index a22680c..50b3645 100644
--- a/nuxeo-gwt-ui-base/src/main/java/com/nuxeo/gwt/ui/client/codemirror/editor/CSSEditor.java
+++ b/nuxeo-gwt-ui-base/src/main/java/com/nuxeo/gwt/ui/client/codemirror/editor/CSSEditor.java
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ public class CSSEditor extends CodeMirrorTextEditor {
             AttachEvent event) {
         CodeMirrorWrapper cm = CodeMirrorHelper.createCSSEditor(widget.getElement());
         setCodeMirrorWrapper(cm);
+        widget.getElement().setPropertyString("placeholder",
+                "Type in this area to start editing");
         return cm;
     }
 
diff --git a/nuxeo-gwt-ui-base/src/main/java/com/nuxeo/gwt/ui/client/codemirror/sample/client/CodeMirrorSampleMain.java b/nuxeo-gwt-ui-base/src/main/java/com/nuxeo/gwt/ui/client/codemirror/sample/client/CodeMirrorSampleMain.java
index 7b64d00..fda82e8 100644
--- a/nuxeo-gwt-ui-base/src/main/java/com/nuxeo/gwt/ui/client/codemirror/sample/client/CodeMirrorSampleMain.java
+++ b/nuxeo-gwt-ui-base/src/main/java/com/nuxeo/gwt/ui/client/codemirror/sample/client/CodeMirrorSampleMain.java
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ public class CodeMirrorSampleMain implements EntryPoint {
         table.setWidget(row, 0, new HTML("CSS Editor"));
         String cssVal = "button {\n  display: block;\n  font-size: 16pt\n}\n";
         CSSEditor css = new CSSEditor("css");
-        css.setValue(cssVal);
+        //css.setValue(cssVal);
         table.setWidget(row, 1, css.getWidget());
 
         row++;
diff --git a/nuxeo-gwt-ui-base/war/codemirror_sample.html b/nuxeo-gwt-ui-base/war/codemirror_sample.html
index 0f89c20..55bc332 100644
--- a/nuxeo-gwt-ui-base/war/codemirror_sample.html
+++ b/nuxeo-gwt-ui-base/war/codemirror_sample.html
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
     <script type="text/javascript" src="codemirror_sample/codemirror/codemirror-compressed-3.20.js"></script>
     <script type="text/javascript" src="codemirror_sample/codemirror/nuxeo-codemirror.js"></script>
+    <script type="text/javascript" src="codemirror_sample/codemirror/codemirror-3.20/addon/display/placeholder.js"></script>
 
     <!--
     <script type="text/javascript" src="codemirror_sample/codemirror/codemirror-3.20/lib/codemirror.js"></script>
diff --git a/nuxeo-studio-app/war/studio.html b/nuxeo-studio-app/war/studio.html
index 0b2cce2..291f993 100644
--- a/nuxeo-studio-app/war/studio.html
+++ b/nuxeo-studio-app/war/studio.html
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@
     <!-- CodeMirror -->
     <script type="text/javascript" src="studio/codemirror/codemirror-compressed-3.20.js"></script>
     <script type="text/javascript" src="studio/codemirror/nuxeo-codemirror.js"></script>
+    <script type="text/javascript" src="studio/codemirror/codemirror-3.20/addon/display/placeholder.js"></script>
     <!--
     <script type="text/javascript" src="studio/codemirror/codemirror-3.20/lib/codemirror.js"></script>
     <script type="text/javascript" src="studio/codemirror/codemirror-3.20/mode/javascript/javascript.js"></script>
diff --git a/nuxeo-studio-web/src/main/resources/skin/studio.ftl b/nuxeo-studio-web/src/main/resources/skin/studio.ftl
index 90f41b4..75f866c 100644
--- a/nuxeo-studio-web/src/main/resources/skin/studio.ftl
+++ b/nuxeo-studio-web/src/main/resources/skin/studio.ftl
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@
     <!-- CodeMirror -->
     <script type="text/javascript" src="${This.path}/studio/codemirror/codemirror-compressed-3.20.js"></script>
     <script type="text/javascript" src="${This.path}/studio/codemirror/nuxeo-codemirror.js"></script>
+    <script type="text/javascript" src="${This.path}/studio/codemirror/codemirror-3.20/addon/display/placeholder.js"></script>
     <!--
     <script type="text/javascript" src="${This.path}/studio/codemirror/codemirror-3.20/lib/codemirror.js"></script>
     <script type="text/javascript" src="${This.path}/studio/codemirror/codemirror-3.20/mode/javascript/javascript.js"></script>