diff --git a/src/vs/editor/contrib/snippet/common/snippet.ts b/src/vs/editor/contrib/snippet/common/snippet.ts
index e5c7d545109..ee25c003b84 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/contrib/snippet/common/snippet.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/contrib/snippet/common/snippet.ts
@@ -474,7 +474,7 @@ function _fillCodeSnippetFromMarker(snippet: CodeSnippet, marker: Marker[]) {
 			snippet.lines.push(...lines);
 
 		} else if (marker instanceof Placeholder) {
-
+			// TODO - not every variable is a placeholder
 			let placeHolder = placeHolders[marker.name];
 			if (!placeHolder) {
 				placeHolders[marker.name] = placeHolder = {
@@ -495,7 +495,14 @@ function _fillCodeSnippetFromMarker(snippet: CodeSnippet, marker: Marker[]) {
 				endColumn: column + Marker.toString(marker.value).length // TODO multiline placeholders!
 			});
 
-			stack.unshift(...marker.value);
+			if (marker.value.length === 0 && marker.isVariable) {
+				// HACK this is here because we falsy advertise
+				// ${foo} as placeholder in our own snippets
+				stack.unshift(new Text(marker.name));
+
+			} else {
+				stack.unshift(...marker.value);
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/vs/editor/contrib/snippet/test/common/snippet.test.ts b/src/vs/editor/contrib/snippet/test/common/snippet.test.ts
index 78df31697ed..0940373182b 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/contrib/snippet/test/common/snippet.test.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/contrib/snippet/test/common/snippet.test.ts
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ suite('Editor Contrib - Snippets', () => {
 
 		assertInternalAndTextmate(
 			'{{first}}-{{2:}}-{{second}}-{{1:}}',
-			'${first:first}-${2}-${second:second}-${1}',
+			'${first}-${2}-${second}-${1}',
 			snippet => {
 				assert.deepEqual(snippet.lines, ['first--second-']);
 				assert.equal(snippet.placeHolders.length, 4);