diff --git a/src/vs/editor/contrib/snippet/browser/snippetParser.ts b/src/vs/editor/contrib/snippet/browser/snippetParser.ts
index 6cb1be524c4..956fdce23c5 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/contrib/snippet/browser/snippetParser.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/contrib/snippet/browser/snippetParser.ts
@@ -187,12 +187,12 @@ export class Placeholder extends Marker {
 		}
 	}
 
-	constructor(public index: string = '', children: Marker[]) {
+	constructor(public index: number, children: Marker[]) {
 		super();
 		this.children = children;
 	}
 	get isFinalTabstop() {
-		return this.index === '0';
+		return this.index === 0;
 	}
 	toString() {
 		return Marker.toString(this.children);
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ export class SnippetParser {
 
 		// * fill in default for empty placeHolders
 		// * compact sibling Text markers
-		function walk(marker: Marker[], placeholderDefaultValues: Map<string, Marker[]>) {
+		function walk(marker: Marker[], placeholderDefaultValues: Map<number, Marker[]>) {
 
 			for (let i = 0; i < marker.length; i++) {
 				const thisMarker = marker[i];
@@ -385,16 +385,16 @@ export class SnippetParser {
 			}
 		}
 
-		const placeholderDefaultValues = new Map<string, Marker[]>();
+		const placeholderDefaultValues = new Map<number, Marker[]>();
 		walk(marker, placeholderDefaultValues);
 
 		if (
-			!placeholderDefaultValues.has('0') && // there is no final tabstop
+			!placeholderDefaultValues.has(0) && // there is no final tabstop
 			(insertFinalTabstop && placeholderDefaultValues.size > 0 || enforceFinalTabstop)
 		) {
 			// the snippet uses placeholders but has no
 			// final tabstop defined -> insert at the end
-			marker.push(new Placeholder('0', []));
+			marker.push(new Placeholder(0, []));
 		}
 
 		return marker;
@@ -433,7 +433,7 @@ export class SnippetParser {
 			if (this._accept(TokenType.VariableName) || this._accept(TokenType.Int)) {
 				// $FOO, $123
 				const idOrName = this._scanner.tokenText(this._prevToken);
-				marker.push(/^\d+$/.test(idOrName) ? new Placeholder(idOrName, []) : new Variable(idOrName, []));
+				marker.push(/^\d+$/.test(idOrName) ? new Placeholder(Number(idOrName), []) : new Variable(idOrName, []));
 				return true;
 
 			} else if (this._accept(TokenType.CurlyOpen)) {
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@ export class SnippetParser {
 
 					if (this._accept(TokenType.CurlyClose)) {
 						const idOrName = Marker.toString(name);
-						marker.push(/^\d+$/.test(idOrName) ? new Placeholder(idOrName, children) : new Variable(idOrName, children));
+						marker.push(/^\d+$/.test(idOrName) ? new Placeholder(Number(idOrName), children) : new Variable(idOrName, children));
 						return true;
 					}
 
diff --git a/src/vs/editor/contrib/snippet/browser/snippetSession.ts b/src/vs/editor/contrib/snippet/browser/snippetSession.ts
index 44cfd7cb388..5f9a49a97e6 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/contrib/snippet/browser/snippetSession.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/contrib/snippet/browser/snippetSession.ts
@@ -173,9 +173,9 @@ export class OneSnippet {
 				// through the placeholders in the correct order
 				for (const nestedPlaceholder of nested._snippet.placeholders) {
 					if (nestedPlaceholder.isFinalTabstop) {
-						nestedPlaceholder.index = `${placeholder.index}.${nested._snippet.placeholders.length}`;
+						nestedPlaceholder.index = placeholder.index + (nested._snippet.placeholders.length / 10);
 					} else {
-						nestedPlaceholder.index = `${placeholder.index}.${nestedPlaceholder.index}`;
+						nestedPlaceholder.index = placeholder.index + (nestedPlaceholder.index / 10);
 					}
 				}
 				this._snippet.replace(placeholder, nested._snippet.children);
diff --git a/src/vs/editor/contrib/snippet/test/browser/snippetParser.test.ts b/src/vs/editor/contrib/snippet/test/browser/snippetParser.test.ts
index 874aadd1c56..e49a98baf39 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/contrib/snippet/test/browser/snippetParser.test.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/contrib/snippet/test/browser/snippetParser.test.ts
@@ -381,4 +381,12 @@ suite('SnippetParser', () => {
 		assert.equal(snippet.text, 'aaabbbdddeee');
 		assert.equal(snippet.placeholders.length, 3);
 	});
+
+	test('Snippet order for placeholders, #28185', function () {
+
+		const _10 = new Placeholder(10, []);
+		const _2 = new Placeholder(2, []);
+
+		assert.equal(Placeholder.compareByIndex(_10, _2), 1);
+	});
 });
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/emmet/electron-browser/editorAccessor.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/emmet/electron-browser/editorAccessor.ts
index 66d77c525f9..dcc5e5ad74d 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/emmet/electron-browser/editorAccessor.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/emmet/electron-browser/editorAccessor.ts
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ export class EditorAccessor implements emmet.Editor {
 		// find highest placeholder index
 		walk(marker, candidate => {
 			if (candidate instanceof Placeholder) {
-				let index = Number(candidate.index);
+				let index = candidate.index;
 				if (index > maxIndex) {
 					maxIndex = index;
 				}
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ export class EditorAccessor implements emmet.Editor {
 		walk(marker, candidate => {
 			if (candidate instanceof Placeholder) {
 				if (candidate.isFinalTabstop) {
-					candidate.index = String(++maxIndex);
+					candidate.index = ++maxIndex;
 				}
 			}
 			return true;