diff --git a/src/awkward/contents/indexedarray.py b/src/awkward/contents/indexedarray.py
index 6ddcf3417c..6ab0e70cd1 100644
--- a/src/awkward/contents/indexedarray.py
+++ b/src/awkward/contents/indexedarray.py
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ def _getitem_nothing(self):
         return self._content._getitem_range(0, 0)
 
     def _is_getitem_at_placeholder(self) -> bool:
-        if isinstance(self._index, PlaceholderArray):
+        if isinstance(self._index.data, PlaceholderArray):
             return True
         return self._content._is_getitem_at_placeholder()
 
diff --git a/src/awkward/contents/indexedoptionarray.py b/src/awkward/contents/indexedoptionarray.py
index dc67d1ca3f..2fb939f014 100644
--- a/src/awkward/contents/indexedoptionarray.py
+++ b/src/awkward/contents/indexedoptionarray.py
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ def _getitem_nothing(self):
         return self._content._getitem_range(0, 0)
 
     def _is_getitem_at_placeholder(self) -> bool:
-        if isinstance(self._index, PlaceholderArray):
+        if isinstance(self._index.data, PlaceholderArray):
             return True
         return self._content._is_getitem_at_placeholder()
 
diff --git a/src/awkward/contents/listarray.py b/src/awkward/contents/listarray.py
index 9de9c65814..015379d5bf 100644
--- a/src/awkward/contents/listarray.py
+++ b/src/awkward/contents/listarray.py
@@ -311,8 +311,8 @@ def _getitem_nothing(self):
         return self._content._getitem_range(0, 0)
 
     def _is_getitem_at_placeholder(self) -> bool:
-        return isinstance(self._starts, PlaceholderArray) or isinstance(
-            self._stops, PlaceholderArray
+        return isinstance(self._starts.data, PlaceholderArray) or isinstance(
+            self._stops.data, PlaceholderArray
         )
 
     def _getitem_at(self, where: IndexType):
diff --git a/src/awkward/contents/listoffsetarray.py b/src/awkward/contents/listoffsetarray.py
index f261717b87..9f0eaaa418 100644
--- a/src/awkward/contents/listoffsetarray.py
+++ b/src/awkward/contents/listoffsetarray.py
@@ -310,7 +310,10 @@ def _getitem_nothing(self):
         return self._content._getitem_range(0, 0)
 
     def _is_getitem_at_placeholder(self) -> bool:
-        return isinstance(self._offsets, PlaceholderArray)
+        return (
+            isinstance(self._offsets.data, PlaceholderArray)
+            or self._content._is_getitem_at_placeholder()
+        )
 
     def _getitem_at(self, where: IndexType):
         # Wrap `where` by length