diff --git a/src/widgets/styles/qstylesheetstyle.cpp b/src/widgets/styles/qstylesheetstyle.cpp
index 6abef628355..6eb7f477d27 100644
--- a/src/widgets/styles/qstylesheetstyle.cpp
+++ b/src/widgets/styles/qstylesheetstyle.cpp
@@ -1474,7 +1474,11 @@ void QRenderRule::configurePalette(QPalette *p, QPalette::ColorGroup cg, const Q
         p->setBrush(cg, w->foregroundRole(), pal->foreground);
         p->setBrush(cg, QPalette::WindowText, pal->foreground);
         p->setBrush(cg, QPalette::Text, pal->foreground);
-        p->setBrush(cg, QPalette::PlaceholderText, pal->foreground);
+        QColor phColor(pal->foreground.color());
+        phColor.setAlpha((phColor.alpha() + 1) / 2);
+        QBrush placeholder = pal->foreground;
+        placeholder.setColor(phColor);
+        p->setBrush(cg, QPalette::PlaceholderText, placeholder);
     }
     if (pal->selectionBackground.style() != Qt::NoBrush)
         p->setBrush(cg, QPalette::Highlight, pal->selectionBackground);
diff --git a/tests/auto/widgets/styles/qstylesheetstyle/tst_qstylesheetstyle.cpp b/tests/auto/widgets/styles/qstylesheetstyle/tst_qstylesheetstyle.cpp
index 82d48b16925..eb8f4bbda80 100644
--- a/tests/auto/widgets/styles/qstylesheetstyle/tst_qstylesheetstyle.cpp
+++ b/tests/auto/widgets/styles/qstylesheetstyle/tst_qstylesheetstyle.cpp
@@ -2339,11 +2339,19 @@ void tst_QStyleSheetStyle::placeholderColor()
     QLineEdit le2;
     le2.setEnabled(false);
     le1.ensurePolished();
-    QCOMPARE(le1.palette().placeholderText(), red);
+    QColor phColor = le1.palette().placeholderText().color();
+    QCOMPARE(phColor.rgb(), red.rgb());
+    QVERIFY(phColor.alpha() < red.alpha());
+
     le2.ensurePolished();
-    QCOMPARE(le2.palette().placeholderText(), red);
+    phColor = le2.palette().placeholderText().color();
+    QCOMPARE(phColor.rgb(), red.rgb());
+    QVERIFY(phColor.alpha() < red.alpha());
+
     le2.setEnabled(true);
-    QCOMPARE(le2.palette().placeholderText(), red);
+    phColor = le2.palette().placeholderText().color();
+    QCOMPARE(phColor.rgb(), red.rgb());
+    QVERIFY(phColor.alpha() < red.alpha());
 }
 
 void tst_QStyleSheetStyle::enumPropertySelector_data()