diff --git a/services/gam/src/modal/textentry.rs b/services/gam/src/modal/textentry.rs
index d7286664d..37bd45769 100644
--- a/services/gam/src/modal/textentry.rs
+++ b/services/gam/src/modal/textentry.rs
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ impl ActionApi for TextEntry {
                 _ => current_height + at_height,
             };
 
-            if index as i16 == self.selected_field {
+            if index as i16 == self.selected_field && payloads.len() > 1 {
                 // draw the dot
                 let mut tv = TextView::new(
                     modal.canvas,
@@ -163,7 +163,10 @@ impl ActionApi for TextEntry {
                 modal.gam.post_textview(&mut tv).expect("couldn't post tv");
             }
 
-            let left_text_margin = modal.margin + 15;
+            let left_text_margin = match payloads.len() {
+                1 => modal.margin,
+                _ => modal.margin + 15,
+            };
 
             // draw the currently entered text
             let mut tv = TextView::new(
diff --git a/services/modals/src/lib.rs b/services/modals/src/lib.rs
index 96ccd0924..469612b5b 100644
--- a/services/modals/src/lib.rs
+++ b/services/modals/src/lib.rs
@@ -32,8 +32,9 @@ impl Modals {
         prompt: &str,
         maybe_validator: Option<fn(TextEntryPayload, u32) -> Option<ValidatorErr>>,
         maybe_validator_op: Option<u32>,
+        placeholder: Option<String>
     ) -> Result<TextEntryPayload, xous::Error> {
-        match self.get_text_multi(prompt, maybe_validator, maybe_validator_op, 1, None) {
+        match self.get_text_multi(prompt, maybe_validator, maybe_validator_op, 1, Some(vec![placeholder])) {
             Ok(res) => {
                 return Ok(res.first())
             },
diff --git a/services/modals/src/tests.rs b/services/modals/src/tests.rs
index 850f613ca..87cd9604f 100644
--- a/services/modals/src/tests.rs
+++ b/services/modals/src/tests.rs
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ pub(crate) fn spawn_test() {
 
             // 2. test the modal dialog box function
             log::info!("test text input");
-            match modals.get_text("Test input", Some(test_validator), None) {
+            match modals.get_text("Test input", Some(test_validator), None, None) {
                 Ok(text) => {
                     log::info!("Input: {}", text.content);
                 }
diff --git a/services/status/src/time.rs b/services/status/src/time.rs
index e8e4cb432..a743dc7cb 100644
--- a/services/status/src/time.rs
+++ b/services/status/src/time.rs
@@ -471,7 +471,7 @@ pub fn start_time_ux(sid: xous::SID) {
                         if !tz_set {
                             let tz = modals.get_text(
                                 t!("rtc.timezone", xous::LANG),
-                                Some(tz_ux_validator), None
+                                Some(tz_ux_validator), None, None
                             ).expect("couldn't get timezone").as_str()
                             .parse::<f32>().expect("pre-validated input failed to re-parse!");
                             log::info!("got tz offset {}", tz);
@@ -495,42 +495,42 @@ pub fn start_time_ux(sid: xous::SID) {
 
                         months = modals.get_text(
                             t!("rtc.month", xous::LANG),
-                            Some(rtc_ux_validator), Some(ValidatorOp::UxMonth.to_u32().unwrap())
+                            Some(rtc_ux_validator), Some(ValidatorOp::UxMonth.to_u32().unwrap()), None,
                         ).expect("couldn't get month").as_str()
                         .parse::<u8>().expect("pre-validated input failed to re-parse!");
                         log::debug!("got months {}", months);
 
                         days = modals.get_text(
                             t!("rtc.day", xous::LANG),
-                            Some(rtc_ux_validator), Some(ValidatorOp::UxDay.to_u32().unwrap())
+                            Some(rtc_ux_validator), Some(ValidatorOp::UxDay.to_u32().unwrap()), None
                         ).expect("couldn't get month").as_str()
                         .parse::<u8>().expect("pre-validated input failed to re-parse!");
                         log::debug!("got days {}", days);
 
                         years = modals.get_text(
                             t!("rtc.year", xous::LANG),
-                            Some(rtc_ux_validator), Some(ValidatorOp::UxYear.to_u32().unwrap())
+                            Some(rtc_ux_validator), Some(ValidatorOp::UxYear.to_u32().unwrap()), None
                         ).expect("couldn't get month").as_str()
                         .parse::<u8>().expect("pre-validated input failed to re-parse!");
                         log::debug!("got years {}", years);
 
                         hours = modals.get_text(
                             t!("rtc.hour", xous::LANG),
-                            Some(rtc_ux_validator), Some(ValidatorOp::UxHour.to_u32().unwrap())
+                            Some(rtc_ux_validator), Some(ValidatorOp::UxHour.to_u32().unwrap()), None
                         ).expect("couldn't get hour").as_str()
                         .parse::<u8>().expect("pre-validated input failed to re-parse!");
                         log::debug!("got hours {}", hours);
 
                         mins = modals.get_text(
                             t!("rtc.minute", xous::LANG),
-                            Some(rtc_ux_validator), Some(ValidatorOp::UxMinute.to_u32().unwrap())
+                            Some(rtc_ux_validator), Some(ValidatorOp::UxMinute.to_u32().unwrap()), None
                         ).expect("couldn't get minutes").as_str()
                         .parse::<u8>().expect("pre-validated input failed to re-parse!");
                         log::debug!("got minutes {}", mins);
 
                         secs = modals.get_text(
                             t!("rtc.seconds", xous::LANG),
-                            Some(rtc_ux_validator), Some(ValidatorOp::UxSeconds.to_u32().unwrap())
+                            Some(rtc_ux_validator), Some(ValidatorOp::UxSeconds.to_u32().unwrap()), None
                         ).expect("couldn't get seconds").as_str()
                         .parse::<u8>().expect("pre-validated input failed to re-parse!");
                         log::debug!("got seconds {}", secs);
@@ -554,7 +554,7 @@ pub fn start_time_ux(sid: xous::SID) {
                         }
                         let tz = modals.get_text(
                             t!("rtc.timezone", xous::LANG),
-                            Some(tz_ux_validator), None
+                            Some(tz_ux_validator), None, None
                         ).expect("couldn't get timezone").as_str()
                         .parse::<f32>().expect("pre-validated input failed to re-parse!");
                         log::info!("got tz offset {}", tz);