diff --git a/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/ckEditorApi.js b/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/ckEditorApi.js
index 481568e01f..a7b65759e4 100644
--- a/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/ckEditorApi.js
+++ b/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/ckEditorApi.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import debounce from 'lodash.debounce';
 import DecoupledEditor from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-editor-decoupled/src/decouplededitor';
 import {actions} from '@neos-project/neos-ui-redux-store';
 import {cleanupContentBeforeCommit} from './cleanupContentBeforeCommit'
+import './placeholder.vanilla-css'; // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
 
 let currentEditor = null;
 let editorConfig = {};
diff --git a/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/cleanupContentBeforeCommit.js b/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/cleanupContentBeforeCommit.js
index 4efa9cb2f6..a9b6d0c3f7 100644
--- a/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/cleanupContentBeforeCommit.js
+++ b/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/cleanupContentBeforeCommit.js
@@ -1,28 +1,9 @@
-// We remove opening and closing span tags that are produced by the inlineMode plugin
+
+// TODO: remove when this is fixed: https://github.com/ckeditor/ckeditor5/issues/401
 /** @param {String} content */
 export const cleanupContentBeforeCommit = content => {
-    // TODO: remove when this is fixed: https://github.com/ckeditor/ckeditor5/issues/401
     if (content.match(/^<([a-z][a-z0-9]*)\b[^>]*>&nbsp;<\/\1>$/)) {
         return '';
     }
-
-    if (content.includes('<neos-inline-wrapper>')) {
-        let contentWithoutOuterInlineWrapper = content;
-
-        if (content.startsWith('<neos-inline-wrapper>') && content.endsWith('</neos-inline-wrapper>')) {
-            contentWithoutOuterInlineWrapper = content
-                .replace(/^<neos-inline-wrapper>/, '')
-                .replace(/<\/neos-inline-wrapper>$/, '');
-        }
-
-        if (contentWithoutOuterInlineWrapper.includes('<neos-inline-wrapper>')) {
-            // in the case, multiple root paragraph elements were inserted into the ckeditor (wich is currently not prevented if the html is modified from outside)
-            // we have multiple root elements of type <neos-inline-wrapper>. We will convert all of them into spans.
-            return content
-                .replace(/<neos-inline-wrapper>/g, '<span>')
-                .replace(/<\/neos-inline-wrapper>/g, '</span>');
-        }
-        return contentWithoutOuterInlineWrapper;
-    }
     return content;
 };
diff --git a/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/cleanupContentBeforeCommit.spec.js b/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/cleanupContentBeforeCommit.spec.js
index 08ab6aad9e..08e5603a64 100644
--- a/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/cleanupContentBeforeCommit.spec.js
+++ b/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/cleanupContentBeforeCommit.spec.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import {cleanupContentBeforeCommit} from './cleanupContentBeforeCommit'
+import {cleanupContentBeforeCommit} from './cleanupContentBeforeCommit';
 
 const assertCleanedUpContent = (input, expected) => {
     expect(cleanupContentBeforeCommit(input)).toBe(expected);
@@ -8,29 +8,3 @@ test('remove empty nbsp', () => {
     assertCleanedUpContent('<p>&nbsp;</p>', '');
     assertCleanedUpContent('<span>&nbsp;</span>', '');
 })
-
-describe('ckeditor inline mode hack, cleanup <neos-inline-wrapper>', () => {
-    test('noop', () => {
-        assertCleanedUpContent('<p></p>', '<p></p>');
-
-        assertCleanedUpContent('', '');
-    })
-
-    test('cleanup single <neos-inline-wrapper>', () => {
-        assertCleanedUpContent('<neos-inline-wrapper></neos-inline-wrapper>', '');
-        assertCleanedUpContent('<neos-inline-wrapper>foo</neos-inline-wrapper>', 'foo');
-
-        assertCleanedUpContent('<neos-inline-wrapper><span>foo</span></neos-inline-wrapper>', '<span>foo</span>');
-    })
-
-    test('cleanup multiple <neos-inline-wrapper>', () => {
-        assertCleanedUpContent('<neos-inline-wrapper>foo</neos-inline-wrapper><neos-inline-wrapper>bar</neos-inline-wrapper>', '<span>foo</span><span>bar</span>');
-
-        assertCleanedUpContent('<neos-inline-wrapper>foo</neos-inline-wrapper><neos-inline-wrapper>bar</neos-inline-wrapper>', '<span>foo</span><span>bar</span>');
-    })
-
-    test('cleanup <neos-inline-wrapper> after other root', () => {
-        // in the case you had multiple paragraphs and a headline and switched to autoparagrahp: false
-        assertCleanedUpContent('<h1>foo</h1><neos-inline-wrapper>bar</neos-inline-wrapper>', '<h1>foo</h1><span>bar</span>');
-    })
-})
diff --git a/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/manifest.config.js b/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/manifest.config.js
index 09bbb788be..718fe1399a 100644
--- a/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/manifest.config.js
+++ b/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/manifest.config.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import CkEditorConfigRegistry from './registry/CkEditorConfigRegistry';
 import {$add, $get, $or} from 'plow-js';
+import {stripTags} from '@neos-project/utils-helpers';
 
-import NeosPlaceholder from './plugins/neosPlaceholder';
 import InlineMode from './plugins/inlineMode';
 import Sub from './plugins/sub';
 import Sup from './plugins/sup';
@@ -81,13 +81,18 @@ export default ckEditorRegistry => {
 
     //
     // Base CKE configuration
+    // - configuration of language
+    // - and placeholder feature see https://ckeditor.com/docs/ckeditor5/16.0.0/api/module_core_editor_editorconfig-EditorConfig.html#member-placeholder
     //
     config.set('baseConfiguration', (ckEditorConfiguration, {globalRegistry, editorOptions, userPreferences}) => {
         const i18nRegistry = globalRegistry.get('i18n');
-        return Object.assign(ckEditorConfiguration, {
-            language: String($get('interfaceLanguage', userPreferences)),
-            neosPlaceholder: unescape(i18nRegistry.translate($get('placeholder', editorOptions) || ''))
-        });
+        const placeholder = $get('placeholder', editorOptions);
+        return {
+            ...ckEditorConfiguration,
+            // stripTags, because we allow `<p>Edit text here</p>` as placeholder for legacy
+            placeholder: placeholder ? stripTags(i18nRegistry.translate(placeholder)) : undefined,
+            language: String($get('interfaceLanguage', userPreferences))
+        };
     });
 
     //
@@ -96,7 +101,6 @@ export default ckEditorRegistry => {
     config.set('essentials', addPlugin(Essentials));
     config.set('paragraph', addPlugin(Paragraph));
     config.set('inlineMode', addPlugin(InlineMode, disableParagraph));
-    config.set('neosPlaceholder', addPlugin(NeosPlaceholder));
     config.set('sub', addPlugin(Sub, $get('formatting.sub')));
     config.set('sup', addPlugin(Sup, $get('formatting.sup')));
     config.set('bold', addPlugin(Bold, $get('formatting.strong')));
diff --git a/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/placeholder.vanilla-css b/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/placeholder.vanilla-css
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7249952164
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/placeholder.vanilla-css
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+.ck.ck-placeholder:before, .ck .ck-placeholder:before {
+    content: attr(data-placeholder);
+
+    /* See ckeditor/ckeditor5#469. */
+    pointer-events: none;
+
+    color: #999;
+}
diff --git a/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/plugins/cleanupNeosInlineWrapper.js b/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/plugins/cleanupNeosInlineWrapper.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..24498ce2d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/plugins/cleanupNeosInlineWrapper.js
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+/**
+ * We remove opening and closing span tags that are produced by the inlineMode plugin
+ *
+ * @private only exported for testing
+ * @param {String} content
+ */
+export const cleanupNeosInlineWrapper = content => {
+    if (content.includes('<neos-inline-wrapper>')) {
+        let contentWithoutOuterInlineWrapper = content;
+
+        if (content.startsWith('<neos-inline-wrapper>') && content.endsWith('</neos-inline-wrapper>')) {
+            contentWithoutOuterInlineWrapper = content
+                .replace(/^<neos-inline-wrapper>/, '')
+                .replace(/<\/neos-inline-wrapper>$/, '');
+        }
+
+        if (contentWithoutOuterInlineWrapper.includes('<neos-inline-wrapper>')) {
+            // in the case, multiple root paragraph elements were inserted into the ckeditor (wich is currently not prevented if the html is modified from outside)
+            // we have multiple root elements of type <neos-inline-wrapper>. We will convert all of them into spans.
+            return content
+                .replace(/<neos-inline-wrapper>/g, '<span>')
+                .replace(/<\/neos-inline-wrapper>/g, '</span>');
+        }
+        return contentWithoutOuterInlineWrapper;
+    }
+    return content;
+};
diff --git a/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/plugins/cleanupNeosInlineWrapper.spec.js b/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/plugins/cleanupNeosInlineWrapper.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4aa01d60c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/plugins/cleanupNeosInlineWrapper.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import {cleanupNeosInlineWrapper} from './cleanupNeosInlineWrapper';
+
+const assertCleanedUpContent = (input, expected) => {
+    expect(cleanupNeosInlineWrapper(input)).toBe(expected);
+}
+
+describe('ckeditor inline mode hack, cleanup <neos-inline-wrapper>', () => {
+    test('noop', () => {
+        assertCleanedUpContent('<p></p>', '<p></p>');
+
+        assertCleanedUpContent('', '');
+    })
+
+    test('cleanup single <neos-inline-wrapper>', () => {
+        assertCleanedUpContent('<neos-inline-wrapper></neos-inline-wrapper>', '');
+        assertCleanedUpContent('<neos-inline-wrapper>foo</neos-inline-wrapper>', 'foo');
+
+        assertCleanedUpContent('<neos-inline-wrapper><span>foo</span></neos-inline-wrapper>', '<span>foo</span>');
+    })
+
+    test('cleanup multiple <neos-inline-wrapper>', () => {
+        assertCleanedUpContent('<neos-inline-wrapper>foo</neos-inline-wrapper><neos-inline-wrapper>bar</neos-inline-wrapper>', '<span>foo</span><span>bar</span>');
+
+        assertCleanedUpContent('<neos-inline-wrapper>foo</neos-inline-wrapper><neos-inline-wrapper>bar</neos-inline-wrapper>', '<span>foo</span><span>bar</span>');
+    })
+
+    test('cleanup <neos-inline-wrapper> after other root', () => {
+        // in the case you had multiple paragraphs and a headline and switched to autoparagrahp: false
+        assertCleanedUpContent('<h1>foo</h1><neos-inline-wrapper>bar</neos-inline-wrapper>', '<h1>foo</h1><span>bar</span>');
+    })
+})
diff --git a/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/plugins/inlineMode.js b/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/plugins/inlineMode.js
index 54540cb393..17b749d0d5 100644
--- a/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/plugins/inlineMode.js
+++ b/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/plugins/inlineMode.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import Plugin from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-core/src/plugin';
+import {cleanupNeosInlineWrapper} from './cleanupNeosInlineWrapper';
 
 /**
  * HACK, since there is yet no native support
@@ -14,8 +15,7 @@ export default class InlineMode extends Plugin {
         // we map paragraph model into plain <span> element in edit mode
         editor.conversion.for('editingDowncast').elementToElement({model: 'paragraph', view: 'span', converterPriority: 'high'});
 
-        // to avoid having a wrapping "span" tag, we will convert the outmost 'paragraph' and strip the custom tag 'neos-inline-wrapper'
-        // in a hacky cleanup in cleanupContentBeforeCommit
+        // to avoid having a wrapping "span" tag, we will convert the outmost 'paragraph' ...
         // see https://neos-project.slack.com/archives/C07QEQ1U2/p1687952441254759 - i could find a better solution
         editor.conversion.for('dataDowncast').elementToElement({model: 'paragraph', view: ( modelElement, viewWriter ) => {
             const parentIsRoot = modelElement.parent.is('$root');
@@ -26,6 +26,12 @@ export default class InlineMode extends Plugin {
             return viewWriter.createContainerElement('neos-inline-wrapper');
         }, converterPriority: 'high'});
 
+        // ... and strip the custom tag 'neos-inline-wrapper' in a hacky cleanup in cleanupData
+        editor.data.decorate('get');
+        editor.data.on('get', (event) => {
+            event.return = cleanupNeosInlineWrapper(event.return)
+        });
+
         // we redefine enter key to create soft breaks (<br>) instead of new paragraphs
         editor.editing.view.document.on('enter', (evt, data) => {
             editor.execute('shiftEnter');
diff --git a/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/plugins/neosPlaceholder.js b/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/plugins/neosPlaceholder.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 50cce23673..0000000000
--- a/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/plugins/neosPlaceholder.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,75 +0,0 @@
-import Plugin from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-core/src/plugin';
-import {stripTags} from '@neos-project/utils-helpers';
-import styles from './neosPlaceholder.vanilla-css'; // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
-
-// If the data is "empty" (BR, P) or the placeholder then return an empty string.
-// Otherwise return the original data
-const htmlIsEmptyish = data => {
-    if (!data) {
-        return true;
-    }
-
-    if (data.length > 20) {
-        return false;
-    }
-    const value = data.replace(/[\n|\t|\u200b]*/g, '').toLowerCase().trim();
-    const a = (
-        !value ||
-        value === '<br>' ||
-        value === '<span>&nbsp;</span>' ||
-        value === '<p>&nbsp;</p>' ||
-        value === '<p>&nbsp;<br></p>' ||
-        value === '<p><br></p>' ||
-        value === '&nbsp;' ||
-        value === '&nbsp;<br>' ||
-        value === ' <br>' ||
-        value.match(/^<([a-z0-9]+)><br><\/\1>$/)
-    );
-    return a;
-};
-
-export default class NeosPlaceholder extends Plugin {
-    static get pluginName() {
-        return 'NeosPlaceholder';
-    }
-
-    getPlaceholder() {
-        return stripTags(this.editor.config.get('neosPlaceholder'));
-    }
-
-    addPlaceholder() {
-        this.editor.editing.view.change(writer => {
-            writer.setAttribute('data-neos-placeholder', this.getPlaceholder(), this.editor.editing.view.document.getRoot());
-        });
-    }
-
-    removePlaceholder() {
-        this.editor.editing.view.change(writer => {
-            writer.removeAttribute('data-neos-placeholder', this.editor.editing.view.document.getRoot());
-        });
-    }
-
-    updatePlaceholder() {
-        if (htmlIsEmptyish(this.editor.getData({trim: 'none'})) && !this.editor.ui.focusTracker.isFocused) {
-            this.addPlaceholder();
-        } else {
-            this.removePlaceholder();
-        }
-    }
-
-    init() {
-        if (this.editor.config.get('neosPlaceholder')) {
-            this.updatePlaceholder();
-
-            const model = this.editor.data.model;
-
-            model.on('applyOperation', () => {
-                this.updatePlaceholder();
-                return true;
-            });
-            this.editor.ui.focusTracker.on('change:isFocused', () => {
-                this.updatePlaceholder();
-            });
-        }
-    }
-}
diff --git a/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/plugins/neosPlaceholder.vanilla-css b/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/plugins/neosPlaceholder.vanilla-css
deleted file mode 100644
index a70a2b13ef..0000000000
--- a/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/src/plugins/neosPlaceholder.vanilla-css
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-[data-neos-placeholder]:before {
-    color: #999;
-    content: attr(data-neos-placeholder);
-    cursor: text;
-}
diff --git a/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/tests/manual/index.html b/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/tests/manual/index.html
index 2f9831bb83..1f2bf8b006 100644
--- a/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/tests/manual/index.html
+++ b/packages/neos-ui-ckeditor5-bindings/tests/manual/index.html
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
     <meta charset="UTF-8">
     <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
     <script src="./dist/index.js" defer></script>
+    <link rel="stylesheet" href="./dist/index.css">
     <title>CKEditor Manual Test</title>
 </head>
 <body>