diff --git a/layout/forms/test/test_bug549170.html b/layout/forms/test/test_bug549170.html
index 32fc10e6064..a50b642391d 100644
--- a/layout/forms/test/test_bug549170.html
+++ b/layout/forms/test/test_bug549170.html
@@ -20,6 +20,12 @@ https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=549170
 <textarea id='t'
   onmouseup="mouseHandler(event);"
   onmousedown="mouseHandler(event);"></textarea>
+<input id='ip' placeholder='foo'
+  onmouseup="mouseHandler(event);"
+  onmousedown="mouseHandler(event);">
+<textarea id='tp' placeholder='foo'
+  onmouseup="mouseHandler(event);"
+  onmousedown="mouseHandler(event);"></textarea>
 <pre id="test">
 
 <script type="application/javascript">
@@ -38,8 +44,7 @@ function mouseHandler(aEvent)
 
   is(nodeName, "DIV", "An inner div should be the target of the event");
 
-  ok(classList.contains("anonymous-div") && !classList.contains("placeholder"),
-    "The target div class doesn't correcspond to the editor div class");
+  ok(classList.contains("anonymous-div"), "the target div should be the editor div");
 }
 
 function checkMouseEvents(element)
@@ -61,6 +66,8 @@ function runTests()
 {
   checkMouseEvents(document.getElementById('i'));
   checkMouseEvents(document.getElementById('t'));
+  checkMouseEvents(document.getElementById('ip'));
+  checkMouseEvents(document.getElementById('tp'));
 
   SimpleTest.finish();
 }
diff --git a/layout/style/forms.css b/layout/style/forms.css
index 9ea3bf7cc49..4627340b764 100644
--- a/layout/style/forms.css
+++ b/layout/style/forms.css
@@ -163,6 +163,12 @@ textarea::-moz-placeholder {
 
   overflow: hidden !important;
 
+  /*
+   * The placeholder should be ignored by pointer otherwise, we might have some
+   * unexpected behavior like the resize handle not being selectable.
+   */
+  pointer-events: none !important;
+
   color: GrayText;
 }
 
diff --git a/layout/style/nsCSSPropList.h b/layout/style/nsCSSPropList.h
index 0ddb0cb12ab..0a711120787 100644
--- a/layout/style/nsCSSPropList.h
+++ b/layout/style/nsCSSPropList.h
@@ -2485,7 +2485,8 @@ CSS_PROP_VISIBILITY(
     pointer-events,
     pointer_events,
     PointerEvents,
-    CSS_PROPERTY_PARSE_VALUE,
+    CSS_PROPERTY_PARSE_VALUE |
+        CSS_PROPERTY_APPLIES_TO_PLACEHOLDER,
     "",
     VARIANT_HK,
     kPointerEventsKTable,