diff --git a/components/search.less b/components/search.less
index 81297d014..50bfe1388 100644
--- a/components/search.less
+++ b/components/search.less
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 @import 'mediawiki.mixins';
+@import 'mediawiki.ui/variables';
 
 /* Search */
 #p-search {
@@ -56,23 +57,12 @@ div#simpleSearch {
 			outline: 0;
 		}
 
-		// These rules MAY NOT be merged because of how CSS requires browsers
-		// to parse unrecognized selectors!
-		// Note these rules ensure that placeholder text can be distinguished from
-		// standard text. In browsers which make this distinction clear these rules
-		// are not necessary.
-		// For inputs that use jquery.placeholder.js e.g. IE9-
-		&.placeholder {
-			color: #999;
-		}
-		// Distinguish placeholder text in IE10+
-		&:-ms-input-placeholder { // stylelint-disable-line selector-no-vendor-prefix
-			color: #999;
-		}
-		// Distinguish placeholder text in Firefox 18-
-		&:-moz-placeholder { // stylelint-disable-line selector-no-vendor-prefix
-			color: #999;
-		}
+		/* stylelint-disable indentation */
+		.mixin-placeholder( {
+			color: @colorGray7;
+			opacity: 1;
+		} );
+		/* stylelint-enable indentation */
 
 		// Undo the styles Webkit browsers apply to type=search fields,
 		// we provide our own
diff --git a/skin.json b/skin.json
index 9f09a939d..1802f0a0d 100644
--- a/skin.json
+++ b/skin.json
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 	"license-name": "GPL-2.0+",
 	"type": "skin",
 	"requires": {
-		"MediaWiki": ">= 1.25.0"
+		"MediaWiki": ">= 1.29.0"
 	},
 	"ConfigRegistry": {
 		"vector": "GlobalVarConfig::newInstance"