diff --git a/src/blackgui/components/settingssimulatorbasicscomponent.cpp b/src/blackgui/components/settingssimulatorbasicscomponent.cpp
index ed69f7472..e63eb52f4 100644
--- a/src/blackgui/components/settingssimulatorbasicscomponent.cpp
+++ b/src/blackgui/components/settingssimulatorbasicscomponent.cpp
@@ -230,8 +230,15 @@ namespace BlackGui
             }
             else
             {
-                const QString es(e.join('\n'));
-                ui->pte_ExcludeDirectories->setPlaceholderText(es);
+                //! \todo correct version when multiline placeholder is fixed
+                // const QString es(e.join('\n'));
+                // ui->pte_ExcludeDirectories->setPlaceholderText(es);
+
+                // workaround
+                if (!e.empty())
+                {
+                    ui->pte_ExcludeDirectories->setPlaceholderText(e.first());
+                }
             }
         }