diff --git a/tp-rich-text-box.js b/tp-rich-text-box.js
index de6b002..881016e 100644
--- a/tp-rich-text-box.js
+++ b/tp-rich-text-box.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import Document from '@tiptap/extension-document';
 import Paragraph from '@tiptap/extension-paragraph';
 import Text from '@tiptap/extension-text';
 import HardBreak from '@tiptap/extension-hard-break';
-import { UndoRedo } from '@tiptap/extensions';
+import { UndoRedo, Placeholder } from '@tiptap/extensions';
 import Mention from '@tiptap/extension-mention';
 import { MenuPositioner } from './menu-positioner.js';
 import { FormElement } from '@tp/helpers/form-element.js';
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ class TpRichTextBox extends FormElement(LitElement) {
         :host {
           display: flex;
           flex-direction: column;
-          border: 1px solid #ccc;
           position: relative;
         }
 
@@ -92,7 +91,7 @@ class TpRichTextBox extends FormElement(LitElement) {
       <!-- Selection-based menu with all controls -->
       <div 
         class="selection-menu" 
-        ?hidden=${this.menuMode !== 'selection' && this.menuPosition !== 'static'}
+        ?hidden=${!this._menuControlCount || (this.menuMode !== 'selection' && this.menuPosition !== 'static')}
         ?data-disabled=${this.menuPosition === 'static' && this.menuMode !== 'selection'}
       >
         <slot @slotchange=${this._handleSlotChange}></slot>
@@ -113,7 +112,9 @@ class TpRichTextBox extends FormElement(LitElement) {
       extensions: { type: Array },
       menuMode: { type: String, reflect: true },
       activeSuggestionType: { type: String },
-      menuPosition: { type: String, reflect: true }
+      menuPosition: { type: String, reflect: true },
+      placeholder: { type: String },
+      _menuControlCount: { state: true }
     };
   }
 
@@ -122,6 +123,8 @@ class TpRichTextBox extends FormElement(LitElement) {
     this.extensions = [];
     this.menuMode = 'hidden'; // 'hidden', 'selection', 'suggestion'
     this.activeSuggestionType = null; // 'emoji', 'user', null
+    this.placeholder = '';
+    this._menuControlCount = 0;
     this.menuPosition = 'floating'; // 'floating', 'static'
     this._slotObserver = new MutationObserver(this._processSlotChanges.bind(this));
   }
@@ -188,16 +191,19 @@ class TpRichTextBox extends FormElement(LitElement) {
       return;
     }
 
+    // No formatting controls slotted — no menu, ever. Consumers without
+    // tp-rtb-* buttons (chat composer, agents composer) otherwise got an
+    // EMPTY floating box popping up on every text selection.
+    if (!this._menuControlCount) return;
+
     // In floating mode, hide menu if selection is empty or a caret
     if (!hasSelection) {
       this.hideMenu();
-      console.log('Selection is empty or a caret. Hiding menu.');
       return;
     }
 
     // Show selection menu for text selection
     this.showSelectionMenu();
-    console.log('Text selected. Showing selection menu.');
   }
 
   /**
@@ -253,6 +259,7 @@ class TpRichTextBox extends FormElement(LitElement) {
   }
 
   _handleSlotChange(e) {
+    this._menuControlCount = e.target.assignedElements().length;
     this._processChildExtensions();
   }
 
@@ -298,6 +305,10 @@ class TpRichTextBox extends FormElement(LitElement) {
       Text,
       HardBreak,
       UndoRedo,
+      // Empty-state placeholder text, rendered by the consumer's CSS
+      // (.tiptap p.is-editor-empty:first-child::before) from the
+      // data-placeholder attribute the extension decorates onto the node.
+      Placeholder.configure({ placeholder: this.placeholder }),
     ];
     
     // Collect suggestion configurations from child components
@@ -417,6 +428,19 @@ class TpRichTextBox extends FormElement(LitElement) {
     }
   }
 
+  updated(changes) {
+    super.updated(changes);
+
+    // The placeholder is baked into the editor's extension config —
+    // re-create the editor (content preserved) when it changes. Consumers
+    // typically set it once as a static attribute.
+    if (changes.has('placeholder') && this.editor) {
+      const html = this.editor.getHTML();
+      this._initEditor();
+      if (html) this.editor.commands.setContent(html);
+    }
+  }
+
   get value() {
     if (this.editor) {
       return { html: this.editor.getHTML(), json: this.editor.getJSON() };