diff --git a/arraycontext/impl/pytato/utils.py b/arraycontext/impl/pytato/utils.py
index 184bdd90..c2cdb5e6 100644
--- a/arraycontext/impl/pytato/utils.py
+++ b/arraycontext/impl/pytato/utils.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 
 from typing import Any, Dict, Set, Tuple, Mapping
-from pytato.array import SizeParam, Placeholder
+from pytato.array import SizeParam, Placeholder, make_placeholder
 from pytato.array import Array, DataWrapper, DictOfNamedArrays
 from pytato.transform import CopyMapper
 from pytools import UniqueNameGenerator
@@ -52,11 +52,12 @@ def map_data_wrapper(self, expr: DataWrapper) -> Array:
         # Normalizing names so that we more arrays can have the normalized DAG.
         name = self.vng("_actx_dw")
         self.bound_arguments[name] = expr.data
-        return Placeholder(name=name,
-                           shape=tuple(self.rec(s) if isinstance(s, Array) else s
-                                       for s in expr.shape),
-                           dtype=expr.dtype,
-                           tags=expr.tags)
+        return make_placeholder(
+                    name=name,
+                    shape=tuple(self.rec(s) if isinstance(s, Array) else s
+                                for s in expr.shape),
+                    dtype=expr.dtype,
+                    tags=expr.tags)
 
     def map_size_param(self, expr: SizeParam) -> Array:
         raise NotImplementedError