diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/generic/zen.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/generic/zen.scss
index 7e86a0fe4b929714cf862b62bd77ca03529eaa01..7ab01187a028c11df58fbca9653b63b3e2ba15ac 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/generic/zen.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/generic/zen.scss
@@ -63,24 +63,43 @@
     }
   }
 
+  // Make the placeholder text in the standard textarea the same color as the
+  // background, effectively hiding it
+
+  .zen-backdrop textarea::-webkit-input-placeholder {
+    color: white;
+  }
+
+  .zen-backdrop textarea:-moz-placeholder {
+    color: white;
+  }
+
+  .zen-backdrop textarea::-moz-placeholder {
+    color: white;
+  }
+
+  .zen-backdrop textarea:-ms-input-placeholder {
+    color: white;
+  }
+
   // Make the color of the placeholder text in the Zenned-out textarea darker,
   // so it becomes visible
 
   input:checked ~ .zen-backdrop textarea::-webkit-input-placeholder {
-    color: #A8A8A8;
+    color: #999;
   }
 
   input:checked ~ .zen-backdrop textarea:-moz-placeholder {
-    color: #A8A8A8;
+    color: #999;
     opacity: 1;
   }
 
   input:checked ~ .zen-backdrop textarea::-moz-placeholder {
-    color: #A8A8A8;
+    color: #999;
     opacity: 1;
   }
 
   input:checked ~ .zen-backdrop textarea:-ms-input-placeholder {
-    color: #A8A8A8;
+    color: #999;
   }
 }
diff --git a/app/views/projects/_zen.html.haml b/app/views/projects/_zen.html.haml
index e27394ab30b4729e3a6037fe61a7fb79fc081460..cf1c55ecca6535a3f1b6ec4a172e793dfb6c8b2a 100644
--- a/app/views/projects/_zen.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/projects/_zen.html.haml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   %input#zen-toggle-comment.zen-toggle-comment{ tabindex: '-1', type: 'checkbox' }
   .zen-backdrop
     - classes << ' js-gfm-input markdown-area'
-    = f.text_area attr, class: classes, placeholder: 'You can tag other participants like this: @michael do you think this is a good idea? Also @deborah, what do you think?'
+    = f.text_area attr, class: classes, placeholder: 'Leave a comment'
     = link_to nil, class: 'zen-enter-link', tabindex: '-1' do
       %i.fa.fa-expand
       Edit in fullscreen