diff --git a/docs/example-widget-filter-any-match.html b/docs/example-widget-filter-any-match.html
index de3be495..e3421f55 100644
--- a/docs/example-widget-filter-any-match.html
+++ b/docs/example-widget-filter-any-match.html
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 			filter_external : '.search',
 			// include column filters
 			filter_columnFilters: true,
+			filter_placeholder: { search : 'Search...' },
 			filter_saveFilters : true,
 			filter_reset: '.reset'
 		}
diff --git a/docs/example-widget-filter-formatter-1.html b/docs/example-widget-filter-formatter-1.html
index 51eac65f..627f80c5 100644
--- a/docs/example-widget-filter-formatter-1.html
+++ b/docs/example-widget-filter-formatter-1.html
@@ -155,6 +155,12 @@
 						changeYear : true
 					});
 				}
+			},
+
+			// added v2.16
+			filter_placeholder : {
+				from : 'From...',
+				to   : 'To...'
 			}
 		}
 	});
@@ -178,7 +184,8 @@
 		<h3><a href="#">Notes</a></h3>
 		<div>
 			<ul>
-				<li>In version <span class="version">v2.15.0</span> the following changes were made:
+				<li>In version <span class="version">v2.16.0</span>, the <code>filter_placeholder</code> option was added. See the jQuery UI Datepicker Range Selector section for more details.</li>
+				<li>In version <span class="version">v2.15.0</span>, the following changes were made:
 					<ul>
 						<li>These updated filter widget functions are not completely backward compatible with older versions of the filter widget. Please update both!</li>
 						<li>Added <code>compare</code> &amp; <code>selected</code> options:
@@ -450,6 +457,19 @@
 		<h3><a href="#"><strong>jQuery UI Datepicker Range Selector</strong></a> <span class="xsmall">("Date (two inputs)" column)</span></h3>
 		<div>
 			<ul>
+				<li>In <span class="version">v2.16.0</span>, a <code>filter_placeholder</code> option was added:
+					<ul>
+						<li>The option adds a search input placeholder and select (first option) text, but it also includes placeholder text for both the "from" and "to" inputs</li>
+						<li>Set it as follows:
+							<pre class="prettyprint lang-js">filter_placeholder : {
+	search : '', // any default search inputs including the datepicker comparison
+	from   : 'Date from...', // datepicker range "from" placeholder
+	to     : 'Date to...'  // datepicker range "to" placeholder
+}
+</pre></li>
+						<li><span class="label label-info">Note</span> The browser must support the <a href="http://caniuse.com/#feat=input-placeholder">placeholder attribute</a> before this text will be visible.</li>
+					</ul>
+				</li>
 				<li>In <span class="version">v2.15.0</span>, an <code>endOfDay</code> option was added, which when <code>true</code> and searching within one day, all times within that selected day will be included - try searching for <button data-column="5" data-value="1/20/2014 - 1/20/2014">1/20/2014 - 1/20/2014</button> to note that the day include various times.<br></li>
 				<li>This example shows how you can add a jQuery UI Datepicker range to filter column content.</li>
 				<li>The <code>filter_formatter</code> function provided in the extra "jquery.tablesorter.widgets-filter-formatter.js" file is used to add this custom control within the filter row.</li>
@@ -470,7 +490,7 @@
       filter_formatter : {
 
         // Date (two inputs)
-        6 : function($cell, indx){
+        5 : function($cell, indx){
           return $.tablesorter.filterFormatter.uiDatepicker( $cell, indx, {
             // add any of the jQuery UI Datepicker options here (http://api.jqueryui.com/datepicker/)
             // from : '8/1/2013', // starting date
@@ -549,7 +569,7 @@
 			<th>Total (range)</th>
 			<th>Discount</th>
 			<th data-placeholder="Try 1/18/2013">Date (one input)</th>
-			<th data-placeholder-from="start date" data-placeholder-to="end date">Date (two inputs; range)</th>
+			<th>Date (two inputs; range)</th>
 		</tr>
 	</thead>
 	<tbody>
diff --git a/docs/index.html b/docs/index.html
index c838679a..edcf5a1a 100644
--- a/docs/index.html
+++ b/docs/index.html
@@ -1555,6 +1555,8 @@ $(function(){
       filter_liveSearch    : true,
       // a selector in a header with this class name will only show selected options in the drop down
       filter_onlyAvail     : 'filter-onlyAvail',
+      // default placeholder text (overridden by any header "data-placeholder" setting)
+      filter_placeholder   : { search : '', select : '' }, 
       // jQuery selector string of an element used to reset the filters.
       filter_reset         : null,
       // Use the $.tablesorter.storage utility to save the most recent filters
@@ -2217,6 +2219,36 @@ $(function(){
 				<td><a href="example-widget-filter-custom.html">Example</a></td>
 			</tr>
 
+			<tr id="widget-filter-placeholder">
+				<td><a href="#" class="permalink">filter_placeholder</a></td>
+				<td>object</td>
+				<td>{ search : '', select : '' }</td>
+				<td>
+					Filter widget: Set global filter input placeholder text for search inputs and selects (<span class="version">v2.16</span>).
+					<div class="collapsible">
+					<br>
+					Any search type input added to the filter row will automatically get a placeholder attribute added, the source of this placeholder text is from the following sources, in order of priority:
+					<ul>
+						<li>Header cell data (<code>table.config.$headers.eq(0).data('placeholder', 'search for...');</code></li>
+						<li>Header cell data-attribute (<code>&lt;th data-placeholder="Find Rank..."&gt;Rank&lt;/th&gt;</code>)</li>
+						<li>Global <code>filter_placeholder.search</code> setting.</li>
+					</ul>
+					The <code>filter_placeholder.select</code> setting adds the text to the first select option (default option to show all rows).<br>
+					<br>
+					<span class="label label-info">Note:</span> The <code>jquery.tablesorter.widgets-filter-formatter.js</code> jQuery UI Datepicker Range Selector creates two inputs, so this option then includes two additional settings:<br>
+					<br>
+					<pre class="prettyprint lang-js">filter_placeholder : {
+	search : '',
+	select : '',
+	from   : '', // datepicker range "from" placeholder
+	to     : ''  // datepicker range "to" placeholder
+}
+</pre><span class="label label-info">Note:</span> The browser must support the <a href="http://caniuse.com/#feat=input-placeholder">placeholder attribute</a> before it will be visible.
+					</div>
+				</td>
+				<td><a href="example-widget-filter-formatter-1.html">Example</a></td>
+			</tr>
+
 			<tr id="widget-filter-reset">
 				<td><a href="#" class="permalink">filter_reset</a></td>
 				<td>String, jQuery object</td>
diff --git a/js/jquery.tablesorter.widgets-filter-formatter.js b/js/jquery.tablesorter.widgets-filter-formatter.js
index af77d392..72ae6096 100644
--- a/js/jquery.tablesorter.widgets-filter-formatter.js
+++ b/js/jquery.tablesorter.widgets-filter-formatter.js
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ var ts = $.tablesorter || {},
 // compare option selector class name (jQuery selector)
 compareSelect = '.compare-select',
 
+
 tsff = ts.filterFormatter = {
 
 	addCompare: function($cell, indx, options){
@@ -539,7 +540,7 @@ tsff = ts.filterFormatter = {
 
 		// Add date range picker
 		t = '<input type="text" class="date date' + indx + '" placeholder="' +
-			($hdr.data('placeholder') || $hdr.attr('data-placeholder') || '') + '" />';
+			($hdr.data('placeholder') || $hdr.attr('data-placeholder') || c.widgetOptions.filter_placeholder.search || '') + '" />';
 		$date = $(t).appendTo($cell);
 
 		// add callbacks; preserve added callbacks
@@ -650,8 +651,10 @@ tsff = ts.filterFormatter = {
 		// make sure we're using parsed dates in the search
 		$hdr = $cell.closest('thead').find('th[data-column=' + indx + ']').addClass('filter-parsed');
 		// Add date range picker
-		t = '<label>' + o.textFrom + '</label><input type="text" class="dateFrom" placeholder="' + ($hdr.attr('data-placeholder-from') || '') + '" />' +
-			'<label>' + o.textTo + '</label><input type="text" class="dateTo" placeholder="' + ($hdr.attr('data-placeholder-to') || '') + '" />';
+		t = '<label>' + o.textFrom + '</label><input type="text" class="dateFrom" placeholder="' +
+			($hdr.data('placeholderFrom') || $hdr.attr('data-placeholder-from') || c.widgetOptions.filter_placeholder.from || '') + '" />' +
+			'<label>' + o.textTo + '</label><input type="text" class="dateTo" placeholder="' +
+			($hdr.data('placeholderTo') || $hdr.attr('data-placeholder-to') || c.widgetOptions.filter_placeholder.to || '') + '" />';
 		$(t).appendTo($cell);
 
 		// add callbacks; preserve added callbacks
diff --git a/js/jquery.tablesorter.widgets.js b/js/jquery.tablesorter.widgets.js
index 440b38dd..52aa00aa 100644
--- a/js/jquery.tablesorter.widgets.js
+++ b/js/jquery.tablesorter.widgets.js
@@ -360,6 +360,7 @@ ts.addWidget({
 		filter_ignoreCase    : true,  // if true, make all searches case-insensitive
 		filter_liveSearch    : true,  // if true, search column content while the user types (with a delay)
 		filter_onlyAvail     : 'filter-onlyAvail', // a header with a select dropdown & this class name will only show available (visible) options within the drop down
+		filter_placeholder   : { search : '', select : '' }, // default placeholder text (overridden by any header "data-placeholder" setting)
 		filter_reset         : null,  // jQuery selector string of an element used to reset the filters
 		filter_saveFilters   : false, // Use the $.tablesorter.storage utility to save the most recent filters
 		filter_searchDelay   : 300,   // typing delay in milliseconds before starting a search
@@ -612,7 +613,7 @@ ts.filter = {
 						for (string in wo.filter_functions[column]) {
 							if (typeof string === 'string') {
 								options += options === '' ?
-									'<option value="">' + ($header.data('placeholder') || $header.attr('data-placeholder') ||  '') + '</option>' : '';
+									'<option value="">' + ($header.data('placeholder') || $header.attr('data-placeholder') || wo.filter_placeholder.select || '') + '</option>' : '';
 								options += '<option value="' + string + '">' + string + '</option>';
 							}
 						}
@@ -723,7 +724,7 @@ ts.filter = {
 					buildFilter = $('<input type="search">').appendTo( c.$filters.eq(column) );
 				}
 				if (buildFilter) {
-					buildFilter.attr('placeholder', $header.data('placeholder') || $header.attr('data-placeholder') || '');
+					buildFilter.attr('placeholder', $header.data('placeholder') || $header.attr('data-placeholder') || wo.filter_placeholder.search || '');
 				}
 			}
 			if (buildFilter) {
@@ -733,7 +734,7 @@ ts.filter = {
 					wo.filter_cssFilter ) || '';
 				buildFilter.addClass( ts.css.filter + ' ' + name ).attr('data-column', column);
 				if (disabled) {
-					buildFilter.addClass('disabled')[0].disabled = true; // disabled!
+					buildFilter.attr('placeholder', '').addClass('disabled')[0].disabled = true; // disabled!
 				}
 			}
 		}
@@ -1031,7 +1032,7 @@ ts.filter = {
 			arry = [],
 			node = c.$headers.filter('[data-column="' + column + '"]:last'),
 			// t.data('placeholder') won't work in jQuery older than 1.4.3
-			options = '<option value="">' + ( node.data('placeholder') || node.attr('data-placeholder') || '' ) + '</option>';
+			options = '<option value="">' + ( node.data('placeholder') || node.attr('data-placeholder') || wo.filter_placeholder.select || '' ) + '</option>';
 		for (tbodyIndex = 0; tbodyIndex < $tbodies.length; tbodyIndex++ ) {
 			if (!$tbodies.eq(tbodyIndex).hasClass(c.cssInfoBlock)) {
 				len = c.cache[tbodyIndex].row.length;