diff --git a/moli-layout/src/form.rs b/moli-layout/src/form.rs
index 74fd90c387..808c9cae79 100644
--- a/moli-layout/src/form.rs
+++ b/moli-layout/src/form.rs
@@ -21,11 +21,12 @@ where
     let controls = (0..world.boxes.len())
         .map(LayoutBoxId::from_index)
         .filter_map(|id| {
-            form_control_texts(&world.boxes[id.index()].element_semantics).map(|texts| (id, texts))
+            form_control_texts(&world.boxes[id.index()].element_semantics)
+                .map(|(texts, placeholder)| (id, texts, placeholder))
         })
-        .filter(|(_, texts)| !texts.is_empty())
+        .filter(|(_, texts, _)| !texts.is_empty())
         .collect::<Vec<_>>();
-    for (control, texts) in controls {
+    for (control, texts, placeholder) in controls {
         let Some(owner) = world.boxes[control.index()].source else {
             continue;
         };
@@ -39,11 +40,22 @@ where
                 .clip_form_control_contents();
         }
         let owner_label = world.boxes[control.index()].source_label.clone();
-        let wrapper_style = styles.anonymous_style(
-            owner,
-            &world.boxes[control.index()].style,
-            LayoutDisplay::Block,
-        )?;
+        let placeholder_style = if placeholder {
+            styles.placeholder_style(owner)?
+        } else {
+            None
+        };
+        let wrapper_style = if let Some(style) = placeholder_style {
+            let mut style = style.into_style();
+            style.force_layout_display(LayoutDisplay::Block);
+            style
+        } else {
+            styles.anonymous_style(
+                owner,
+                &world.boxes[control.index()].style,
+                LayoutDisplay::Block,
+            )?
+        };
         let text_style = ResolvedLayoutStyle::text_leaf_from(&wrapper_style);
         for (row, text) in texts.into_iter().enumerate() {
             let mut wrapper = LayoutWorld::new_box(
@@ -79,7 +91,7 @@ where
     Ok(())
 }
 
-fn form_control_texts(semantics: &Option<LayoutElementSemantics>) -> Option<Vec<Arc<str>>> {
+fn form_control_texts(semantics: &Option<LayoutElementSemantics>) -> Option<(Vec<Arc<str>>, bool)> {
     let semantics = semantics.as_ref()?;
     let LayoutElementCategory::FormControl(kind) = semantics.category else {
         return None;
@@ -94,8 +106,23 @@ fn form_control_texts(semantics: &Option<LayoutElementSemantics>) -> Option<Vec<
         .cloned()
         .unwrap_or_default();
     if semantics.is_select_listbox() {
-        return Some(data.option_labels);
+        return Some((data.option_labels, false));
     }
+    let placeholder = data.value.is_empty()
+        && !data.placeholder.is_empty()
+        && matches!(
+            kind,
+            LayoutFormControlKind::TextArea
+                | LayoutFormControlKind::Input(
+                    LayoutInputControlKind::Text
+                        | LayoutInputControlKind::Search
+                        | LayoutInputControlKind::Email
+                        | LayoutInputControlKind::Telephone
+                        | LayoutInputControlKind::Password
+                        | LayoutInputControlKind::Url
+                        | LayoutInputControlKind::Number
+                )
+        );
     let text = match kind {
         LayoutFormControlKind::Input(input) => match input {
             LayoutInputControlKind::Button => data.value.to_string(),
@@ -161,11 +188,14 @@ fn form_control_texts(semantics: &Option<LayoutElementSemantics>) -> Option<Vec<
         | LayoutFormControlKind::Progress
         | LayoutFormControlKind::Meter => String::new(),
     };
-    Some(if text.is_empty() {
-        Vec::new()
-    } else {
-        vec![text.into()]
-    })
+    Some((
+        if text.is_empty() {
+            Vec::new()
+        } else {
+            vec![text.into()]
+        },
+        placeholder,
+    ))
 }
 
 pub(crate) fn select_row_height(font_size: f32, line_height: f32) -> f32 {
diff --git a/moli-layout/src/source.rs b/moli-layout/src/source.rs
index 7580b77c4b..9c94ed2f8b 100644
--- a/moli-layout/src/source.rs
+++ b/moli-layout/src/source.rs
@@ -653,6 +653,13 @@ where
         Ok(None)
     }
 
+    fn placeholder_style(
+        &mut self,
+        _node: N,
+    ) -> Result<Option<ResolvedLayoutPseudoStyle>, LayoutError> {
+        Ok(None)
+    }
+
     fn anonymous_style(
         &mut self,
         _owner: N,
diff --git a/moli-renderer-v8/src/layout_renderer/style_resolver.rs b/moli-renderer-v8/src/layout_renderer/style_resolver.rs
index cbadd94faf..ded3173a2e 100644
--- a/moli-renderer-v8/src/layout_renderer/style_resolver.rs
+++ b/moli-renderer-v8/src/layout_renderer/style_resolver.rs
@@ -204,6 +204,19 @@ impl LayoutStyleResolver<DomHandle> for NativeLayoutStyleResolver<'_> {
         Ok(resolved)
     }
 
+    fn placeholder_style(
+        &mut self,
+        node: DomHandle,
+    ) -> Result<Option<ResolvedLayoutPseudoStyle>, LayoutError> {
+        Ok(self
+            .reads
+            .read(node)
+            .pseudo_computed_values("placeholder")
+            .map(|computed| {
+                ResolvedLayoutPseudoStyle::new(ResolvedLayoutStyle::from_stylo(computed))
+            }))
+    }
+
     fn anonymous_style(
         &mut self,
         owner: DomHandle,
diff --git a/moli-renderer-v8/src/runtime/page_vm/tests/rendering_update/form_controls.rs b/moli-renderer-v8/src/runtime/page_vm/tests/rendering_update/form_controls.rs
index 445f9282a7..a8c124f169 100644
--- a/moli-renderer-v8/src/runtime/page_vm/tests/rendering_update/form_controls.rs
+++ b/moli-renderer-v8/src/runtime/page_vm/tests/rendering_update/form_controls.rs
@@ -11,6 +11,85 @@ fn dark_pixels(image: &moli_paint::RasterImage, x: u32, y: u32, width: u32, heig
         .count()
 }
 
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "current_thread")]
+async fn placeholder_pseudo_style_tracks_empty_and_filled_form_controls() {
+    run_page_vm_async_test(async move {
+        let loader =
+            crate::network::ResourceRequestClient::new(&FetchConfig::default()).expect("loader");
+        let mut page_vm = test_page_vm_with_loader_and_document_url(
+            &loader,
+            Vec::new(),
+            Url::parse("https://example.com/placeholder-paint.html")?,
+        );
+        // Like Blink's TextFieldInputType::UpdatePlaceholderText, placeholder
+        // content has its own pseudo style, independently of the input value.
+        page_vm.vm_mut().eval(
+            r#"
+document.head.innerHTML = `<style>
+html,body{margin:0}
+input,textarea{display:block;width:200px;height:40px;padding:0;border:0;
+  color:red;font:20px/28px sans-serif}
+::placeholder{color:rgb(31,63,127);font-size:24px;opacity:0.5}
+</style>`;
+document.body.innerHTML=`<input placeholder=Example><input type=email placeholder=Example>
+<textarea placeholder=Example></textarea>`;
+'installed'
+"#,
+        )?;
+        page_vm.vm_mut().sync_live_document_style_sources();
+        for (value, expected_color, expected_size) in [
+            (
+                "",
+                moli_layout::PaintColor::new(31.0 / 255.0, 63.0 / 255.0, 127.0 / 255.0, 1.0),
+                24.0,
+            ),
+            (
+                "Example",
+                moli_layout::PaintColor::new(1.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0),
+                20.0,
+            ),
+            (
+                "",
+                moli_layout::PaintColor::new(31.0 / 255.0, 63.0 / 255.0, 127.0 / 255.0, 1.0),
+                24.0,
+            ),
+        ] {
+            page_vm.vm_mut().eval(&format!(
+                "document.querySelectorAll('input,textarea').forEach(el=>el.value={});'updated'",
+                serde_json::to_string(value)?,
+            ))?;
+            let snapshot = page_vm
+                .vm_mut()
+                .screenshot_layout_snapshot(moli_layout::PaintViewport::new(240, 180, 1.0))?
+                .expect("placeholder layout");
+            let runs = snapshot
+                .fragments
+                .iter()
+                .filter_map(|fragment| match fragment {
+                    moli_layout::PaintFragment::GlyphRun(run) => Some(run),
+                    _ => None,
+                })
+                .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+            assert_eq!(runs.len(), 3, "each control paints one label");
+            for run in runs {
+                assert_eq!(run.color, expected_color, "value={value:?}");
+                assert_eq!(run.font_size, expected_size);
+            }
+            let placeholder_layers = snapshot.fragments.iter().filter(|fragment| matches!(
+                fragment, moli_layout::PaintFragment::PushLayer { opacity, .. } if *opacity == 0.5
+            )).count();
+            assert_eq!(
+                placeholder_layers,
+                if value.is_empty() { 3 } else { 0 },
+                "placeholder opacity must not affect typed text"
+            );
+        }
+        Ok::<_, anyhow::Error>(())
+    })
+    .await
+    .expect("placeholder paint fixture should run");
+}
+
 #[tokio::test(flavor = "current_thread")]
 async fn screenshot_select_listboxes_paint_every_option_and_clip_their_contents() {
     run_page_vm_async_test(async move {