diff --git a/modules/ve-mw/ui/dialogs/ve.ui.MWReferencesListDialog.js b/modules/ve-mw/ui/dialogs/ve.ui.MWReferencesListDialog.js
index 0627e365db..d98c59a5f9 100644
--- a/modules/ve-mw/ui/dialogs/ve.ui.MWReferencesListDialog.js
+++ b/modules/ve-mw/ui/dialogs/ve.ui.MWReferencesListDialog.js
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ ve.ui.MWReferencesListDialog.prototype.initialize = function () {
 
 	this.groupInput = new ve.ui.MWReferenceGroupInputWidget( {
 		$: this.$,
+		$overlay: this.$overlay,
 		emptyGroupName: ve.msg( 'visualeditor-dialog-reference-options-group-placeholder' )
 	} );
 	this.groupField = new OO.ui.FieldLayout( this.groupInput, {
diff --git a/modules/ve-mw/ui/dialogs/ve.ui.MWTemplateDialog.js b/modules/ve-mw/ui/dialogs/ve.ui.MWTemplateDialog.js
index 4797914184..a7e52f3e66 100644
--- a/modules/ve-mw/ui/dialogs/ve.ui.MWTemplateDialog.js
+++ b/modules/ve-mw/ui/dialogs/ve.ui.MWTemplateDialog.js
@@ -254,7 +254,11 @@ ve.ui.MWTemplateDialog.prototype.getPageFromPart = function ( part ) {
 	if ( part instanceof ve.dm.MWTemplateModel ) {
 		return new ve.ui.MWTemplatePage( part, part.getId(), { $: this.$ } );
 	} else if ( part instanceof ve.dm.MWTemplatePlaceholderModel ) {
-		return new ve.ui.MWTemplatePlaceholderPage( part, part.getId(), { $: this.$ } );
+		return new ve.ui.MWTemplatePlaceholderPage(
+			part,
+			part.getId(),
+			{ $: this.$, $overlay: this.$overlay }
+		);
 	}
 	return null;
 };
diff --git a/modules/ve-mw/ui/pages/ve.ui.MWTemplatePlaceholderPage.js b/modules/ve-mw/ui/pages/ve.ui.MWTemplatePlaceholderPage.js
index 997bbf2378..d888ef33e8 100644
--- a/modules/ve-mw/ui/pages/ve.ui.MWTemplatePlaceholderPage.js
+++ b/modules/ve-mw/ui/pages/ve.ui.MWTemplatePlaceholderPage.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  * @param {ve.dm.MWTemplatePlaceholderModel} placeholder Template placeholder
  * @param {string} name Unique symbolic name of page
  * @param {Object} [config] Configuration options
+ * @cfg {jQuery} [$overlay] Overlay for dropdowns
  */
 ve.ui.MWTemplatePlaceholderPage = function VeUiMWTemplatePlaceholderPage( placeholder, name, config ) {
 	// Configuration initialization
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ ve.ui.MWTemplatePlaceholderPage = function VeUiMWTemplatePlaceholderPage( placeh
 	this.placeholder = placeholder;
 
 	this.addTemplateInput = new ve.ui.MWTitleInputWidget( {
-		$: this.$, $overlay: this.$overlay, namespace: 10
+		$: this.$, $overlay: config.$overlay, namespace: 10
 	} )
 		.connect( this, {
 			change: 'onTemplateInputChange',