diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/QListings.cpp b/src/frontends/qt4/QListings.cpp
index 1324f80648..25606e02c7 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/QListings.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/QListings.cpp
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ QListingsDialog::QListingsDialog(QListings * form)
 	numberStepLE->setValidator(new QIntValidator(0, 1000000, this));
 	firstlineLE->setValidator(new QIntValidator(0, 1000000, this));
 	lastlineLE->setValidator(new QIntValidator(0, 1000000, this));
-	placementLE->setValidator(new QRegExpValidator(QRegExp("[tbph]*"), this));
+	placementLE->setValidator(new QRegExpValidator(QRegExp("[\*tbph]*"), this));
 }
 
 
@@ -287,10 +287,11 @@ string QListingsDialog::construct_params()
 		else
 			par.addParam("language", "{[" + dialect + "]" + language + "}");
 	}
+	// this dialog uses float=placement instead of float,floatplacement=placement
+	// because float accepts *tbph and floatplacement accepts bph.
+	// our placement textedit is actually for the float parameter
 	if (float_)
-		par.addParam("float", "");
-	if (!placement.empty())
-		par.addParam("floatplacement", placement);
+		par.addParam("float", placement);
 	if (numberSide != "none")
 		par.addParam("numbers", numberSide);
 	if (numberfontsize != "default" && numberSide != "none")
@@ -505,13 +506,6 @@ void QListings::update_contents()
 			dialog_->languageCO->setEnabled(in_gui);
 			dialog_->dialectCO->setEnabled(
 				in_gui && dialog_->dialectCO->count() > 1);
-		} else if (prefixIs(*it, "floatplacement=")) {
-			dialog_->floatCB->setChecked(true);
-			dialog_->placementLE->setEnabled(true);
-			dialog_->placementLE->setText(
-				toqstr(plainParam(it->substr(15))));
-			dialog_->inlineCB->setChecked(false);
-			*it = "";
 		} else if (prefixIs(*it, "float")) {
 			dialog_->floatCB->setChecked(true);
 			dialog_->inlineCB->setChecked(false);
diff --git a/src/insets/InsetListingsParams.cpp b/src/insets/InsetListingsParams.cpp
index 2a43111a1c..86f27c6915 100644
--- a/src/insets/InsetListingsParams.cpp
+++ b/src/insets/InsetListingsParams.cpp
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ struct listings_param_info {
 	//     info is a \n separated string with allowed values
 	// SUBSETOF
 	//     info is a string from which par is composed of
-	//     (e.g. floatplacement can be one or more of tbph)
+	//     (e.g. floatplacement can be one or more of *tbph)
 	param_type type;
 	/// parameter info, meaning depending on parameter type
 	char const * info;
@@ -120,8 +120,8 @@ char const * color_hint = N_("Enter something like \\color{white}");
 /// options copied from page 26 of listings manual
 // FIXME: add default parameters ... (which is not used now)
 listings_param_info const listings_param_table[] = {
-	{ "float", "false", true,  SUBSETOF, "tbph", "" },
-	{ "floatplacement", "tbp", false, SUBSETOF, "tbph", "" },
+	{ "float", "false", true,  SUBSETOF, "*tbph", "" },
+	{ "floatplacement", "tbp", false, SUBSETOF, "tbp", "" },
 	{ "aboveskip", "\\medskipamount", false, LENGTH, "", "" },
 	{ "belowskip", "\\medskipamount", false, LENGTH, "", "" },
 	{ "lineskip", "", false, LENGTH, "", "" },