diff --git a/packages/base-styles/_mixins.scss b/packages/base-styles/_mixins.scss
index 95373ddd92b1f..50af0938bccdb 100644
--- a/packages/base-styles/_mixins.scss
+++ b/packages/base-styles/_mixins.scss
@@ -203,8 +203,19 @@
 }
 
 @mixin placeholder-style() {
-	border: $border-width dashed currentColor;
 	border-radius: $radius-block-ui;
+
+	&::before {
+		content: "";
+		position: absolute;
+		top: 0;
+		right: 0;
+		bottom: 0;
+		left: 0;
+		pointer-events: none;
+		background: currentColor;
+		opacity: 0.1;
+	}
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/block-library/src/image/editor.scss b/packages/block-library/src/image/editor.scss
index d6ab8704911a0..f20f0afee5f06 100644
--- a/packages/block-library/src/image/editor.scss
+++ b/packages/block-library/src/image/editor.scss
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@
 		.components-placeholder__illustration {
 			display: none;
 		}
+
+		&::before {
+			opacity: 0;
+		}
 	}
 
 	// Remove the transition while we still have a legacy placeholder style.
diff --git a/packages/components/src/placeholder/style.scss b/packages/components/src/placeholder/style.scss
index db2f0065994be..aecfee0ef8653 100644
--- a/packages/components/src/placeholder/style.scss
+++ b/packages/components/src/placeholder/style.scss
@@ -234,5 +234,5 @@
 	width: 100%;
 	height: 100%;
 	stroke: currentColor;
-	stroke-dasharray: 3;
+	opacity: 0.25;
 }