Index: trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/tagging/TaggingPresetItems.java
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/tagging/TaggingPresetItems.java	(revision 7502)
+++ trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/tagging/TaggingPresetItems.java	(revision 7505)
@@ -592,5 +592,6 @@
         private JComponent value;
 
-        @Override public boolean addToPanel(JPanel p, Collection<OsmPrimitive> sel, boolean presetInitiallyMatches) {
+        @Override
+        public boolean addToPanel(JPanel p, Collection<OsmPrimitive> sel, boolean presetInitiallyMatches) {
 
             // find out if our key is already used in the selection.
@@ -602,4 +603,5 @@
                 initAutoCompletionField(textField, key);
             }
+            textField.setHint(key);
             if (length != null && !length.isEmpty()) {
                 textField.setMaxChars(Integer.valueOf(length));
@@ -1219,4 +1221,5 @@
             AutoCompletingTextField tf = new AutoCompletingTextField();
             initAutoCompletionField(tf, key);
+            tf.setHint(key);
             if (length != null && !length.isEmpty()) {
                 tf.setMaxChars(Integer.valueOf(length));
Index: trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/widgets/JosmTextField.java
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/widgets/JosmTextField.java	(revision 7502)
+++ trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/widgets/JosmTextField.java	(revision 7505)
@@ -1,4 +1,13 @@
 // License: GPL. For details, see LICENSE file.
 package org.openstreetmap.josm.gui.widgets;
+
+import java.awt.Color;
+import java.awt.FontMetrics;
+import java.awt.Graphics;
+import java.awt.Graphics2D;
+import java.awt.Insets;
+import java.awt.RenderingHints;
+import java.awt.event.FocusEvent;
+import java.awt.event.FocusListener;
 
 import javax.swing.JTextField;
@@ -6,8 +15,11 @@
 
 /**
- * Subclass of {@link JTextField} that adds a "native" context menu (cut/copy/paste/select all).
+ * Subclass of {@link JTextField} that adds a "native" context menu (cut/copy/paste/select all)
+ * and an optional "hint" displayed when no text has been entered.
  * @since 5886
  */
-public class JosmTextField extends JTextField {
+public class JosmTextField extends JTextField implements FocusListener {
+
+    private String hint;
 
     /**
@@ -34,4 +46,5 @@
             setMinimumSize(getPreferredSize());
         }
+        addFocusListener(this);
     }
 
@@ -84,3 +97,49 @@
         this(null, null, 0);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Replies the hint displayed when no text has been entered.
+     * @return the hint
+     * @since 7505
+     */
+    public final String getHint() {
+        return hint;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the hint to display when no text has been entered.
+     * @param hint the hint to set
+     * @since 7505
+     */
+    public final void setHint(String hint) {
+        this.hint = hint;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void paint(Graphics g) {
+        super.paint(g);
+        if (hint != null && !hint.isEmpty() && getText().isEmpty() && !isFocusOwner()) {
+            // Taken from http://stackoverflow.com/a/24571681/2257172
+            int h = getHeight();
+            ((Graphics2D)g).setRenderingHint(RenderingHints.KEY_TEXT_ANTIALIASING, RenderingHints.VALUE_TEXT_ANTIALIAS_ON);
+            Insets ins = getInsets();
+            FontMetrics fm = g.getFontMetrics();
+            int c0 = getBackground().getRGB();
+            int c1 = getForeground().getRGB();
+            int m = 0xfefefefe;
+            int c2 = ((c0 & m) >>> 1) + ((c1 & m) >>> 1);
+            g.setColor(new Color(c2, true));
+            g.drawString(hint, ins.left, h / 2 + fm.getAscent() / 2 - 2);
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void focusGained(FocusEvent e) {
+        repaint();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void focusLost(FocusEvent e) {
+        repaint();
+    }
 }