diff --git a/src/renderers/dom/stack/client/ReactDOMComponent.js b/src/renderers/dom/stack/client/ReactDOMComponent.js
index 0da69549284..5ba3bb1bde1 100644
--- a/src/renderers/dom/stack/client/ReactDOMComponent.js
+++ b/src/renderers/dom/stack/client/ReactDOMComponent.js
@@ -847,12 +847,18 @@ ReactDOMComponent.Mixin = {
       var contentToUse =
         CONTENT_TYPES[typeof props.children] ? props.children : null;
       var childrenToUse = contentToUse != null ? null : props.children;
+      // TODO: Validate that text is allowed as a child of this node
       if (contentToUse != null) {
-        // TODO: Validate that text is allowed as a child of this node
-        if (__DEV__) {
-          setAndValidateContentChildDev.call(this, contentToUse);
+        // Avoid setting textContent when the text is empty. In IE11 setting
+        // textContent on a text area will cause the placeholder to not
+        // show within the textarea until it has been focused and blurred again.
+        // https://github.com/facebook/react/issues/6731#issuecomment-254874553
+        if (contentToUse !== '') {
+          if (__DEV__) {
+            setAndValidateContentChildDev.call(this, contentToUse);
+          }
+          DOMLazyTree.queueText(lazyTree, contentToUse);
         }
-        DOMLazyTree.queueText(lazyTree, contentToUse);
       } else if (childrenToUse != null) {
         var mountImages = this.mountChildren(
           childrenToUse,
diff --git a/src/renderers/dom/stack/client/wrappers/ReactDOMTextarea.js b/src/renderers/dom/stack/client/wrappers/ReactDOMTextarea.js
index 10696bb698f..3e3ed791293 100644
--- a/src/renderers/dom/stack/client/wrappers/ReactDOMTextarea.js
+++ b/src/renderers/dom/stack/client/wrappers/ReactDOMTextarea.js
@@ -159,9 +159,15 @@ var ReactDOMTextarea = {
     // This is in postMount because we need access to the DOM node, which is not
     // available until after the component has mounted.
     var node = ReactDOMComponentTree.getNodeFromInstance(inst);
-
-    // Warning: node.value may be the empty string at this point (IE11) if placeholder is set.
-    node.value = node.textContent; // Detach value from defaultValue
+    var textContent = node.textContent;
+
+    // Only set node.value if textContent is equal to the expected
+    // initial value. In IE10/IE11 there is a bug where the placeholder attribute
+    // will populate textContent as well.
+    // https://developer.microsoft.com/microsoft-edge/platform/issues/101525/
+    if (textContent === inst._wrapperState.initialValue) {
+      node.value = textContent;
+    }
   },
 };