diff --git a/__tests__/variantsAtRule.test.js b/__tests__/variantsAtRule.test.js
index af81375e5..71831d240 100644
--- a/__tests__/variantsAtRule.test.js
+++ b/__tests__/variantsAtRule.test.js
@@ -218,6 +218,27 @@ test('variants are generated in the order specified', () => {
   })
 })
 
+test('the built-in variant pseudo-selectors are appended before any pseudo-elements', () => {
+  const input = `
+    @variants hover, focus-within, focus, active {
+      .placeholder-yellow::placeholder { color: yellow; }
+    }
+  `
+
+  const output = `
+    .placeholder-yellow::placeholder { color: yellow; }
+    .hover\\:placeholder-yellow:hover::placeholder { color: yellow; }
+    .focus-within\\:placeholder-yellow:focus-within::placeholder { color: yellow; }
+    .focus\\:placeholder-yellow:focus::placeholder { color: yellow; }
+    .active\\:placeholder-yellow:active::placeholder { color: yellow; }
+  `
+
+  return run(input).then(result => {
+    expect(result.css).toMatchCss(output)
+    expect(result.warnings().length).toBe(0)
+  })
+})
+
 test('the default variant can be generated in a specified position', () => {
   const input = `
     @variants focus, active, default, hover {
diff --git a/src/lib/substituteVariantsAtRules.js b/src/lib/substituteVariantsAtRules.js
index 73981d6c3..3de1cb70b 100644
--- a/src/lib/substituteVariantsAtRules.js
+++ b/src/lib/substituteVariantsAtRules.js
@@ -1,12 +1,18 @@
 import _ from 'lodash'
 import postcss from 'postcss'
+import selectorParser from 'postcss-selector-parser'
 import generateVariantFunction from '../util/generateVariantFunction'
 import e from '../util/escapeClassName'
 
 function generatePseudoClassVariant(pseudoClass) {
   return generateVariantFunction(({ modifySelectors, separator }) => {
-    return modifySelectors(({ className }) => {
-      return `.${e(`${pseudoClass}${separator}${className}`)}:${pseudoClass}`
+    return modifySelectors(({ selector }) => {
+      return selectorParser(selectors => {
+        selectors.walkClasses(sel => {
+          sel.value = `${pseudoClass}${separator}${sel.value}`
+          sel.parent.insertAfter(sel, selectorParser.pseudo({ value: `:${pseudoClass}` }))
+        })
+      }).processSync(selector)
     })
   })
 }