diff --git a/background.html b/background.html
index 67e48cc625..38e6ebd412 100644
--- a/background.html
+++ b/background.html
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@
   <script type='text/x-tmpl-mustache' id='recipients-input'>
       <div class='recipients-container'>
         <span class='recipients'></span>
-        <input type='text' class='search' placeholder="Name or phone number" />
+        <input type='text' class='search' placeholder="{{ placeholder }}" />
       </div>
       <div class='results'>
         <div class='new-contact contact hide'></div>
diff --git a/js/views/new_group_update_view.js b/js/views/new_group_update_view.js
index 0e007b98d0..57e2ff7e8f 100644
--- a/js/views/new_group_update_view.js
+++ b/js/views/new_group_update_view.js
@@ -28,7 +28,9 @@
                 window: options.window
             });
 
-            this.recipients_view = new Whisper.RecipientsInputView();
+            this.recipients_view = new Whisper.RecipientsInputView({
+                placeholder: "Add member"
+            });
             this.$('.scrollable').append(this.recipients_view.el);
             this.$('.avatar').addClass('default');
         },
diff --git a/js/views/recipients_input_view.js b/js/views/recipients_input_view.js
index 4cc859dec5..ef625c2359 100644
--- a/js/views/recipients_input_view.js
+++ b/js/views/recipients_input_view.js
@@ -58,7 +58,10 @@
     Whisper.RecipientsInputView = Whisper.View.extend({
         className: 'recipients-input',
         template: $('#recipients-input').html(),
-        initialize: function() {
+        initialize: function(options) {
+            if (options) {
+                this.placeholder = options.placeholder;
+            }
             this.render();
             this.$input = this.$('input.search');
             this.$new_contact = this.$('.new-contact');
@@ -89,6 +92,10 @@
             this.initNewContact();
         },
 
+        render_attributes: function() {
+            return { placeholder: this.placeholder || "Name or phone number" };
+        },
+
         events: {
             'change input.search': 'filterContacts',
             'keyup input.search': 'filterContacts',