diff --git a/modules/ve-mw/ui/dialogs/ve.ui.MWTransclusionDialog.js b/modules/ve-mw/ui/dialogs/ve.ui.MWTransclusionDialog.js
index 3ec265059f..552041b68c 100644
--- a/modules/ve-mw/ui/dialogs/ve.ui.MWTransclusionDialog.js
+++ b/modules/ve-mw/ui/dialogs/ve.ui.MWTransclusionDialog.js
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ ve.ui.MWTransclusionDialog.prototype.onReplacePart = function ( removed, added )
 
 	if ( this.transclusionModel.getParts().length === 0 ) {
 		this.addParameterButton.setDisabled( true );
+		this.addPart( new ve.dm.MWTemplatePlaceholderModel( this.transclusionModel ) );
 	}
 
 	single = this.isSingleTemplateTransclusion();