diff --git a/app/features/tournament-lfg/TournamentLFGRepository.server.ts b/app/features/tournament-lfg/TournamentLFGRepository.server.ts
index ee27c1037..783f64a8e 100644
--- a/app/features/tournament-lfg/TournamentLFGRepository.server.ts
+++ b/app/features/tournament-lfg/TournamentLFGRepository.server.ts
@@ -163,13 +163,14 @@ export function mergeTeams({
 			"Group has too many members after merge",
 		);
 
-		if (memberCount >= maxGroupSize) {
-			await trx
-				.updateTable("TournamentTeam")
-				.set({ isLooking: 0 })
-				.where("id", "=", survivingTeamId)
-				.execute();
-		}
+		await trx
+			.updateTable("TournamentTeam")
+			.set({
+				isLooking: memberCount >= maxGroupSize ? 0 : undefined,
+				isPlaceholder: 0,
+			})
+			.where("id", "=", survivingTeamId)
+			.execute();
 	});
 }
 
diff --git a/app/features/tournament-lfg/components/LFGGroupCard.tsx b/app/features/tournament-lfg/components/LFGGroupCard.tsx
index 69e8da5a9..e7cd589e0 100644
--- a/app/features/tournament-lfg/components/LFGGroupCard.tsx
+++ b/app/features/tournament-lfg/components/LFGGroupCard.tsx
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ export type LFGGroup = {
 	usersRole: "OWNER" | "MANAGER" | "REGULAR" | null;
 };
 
-// xxx: make sure we don't show team name if isPlaceholder
 // xxx: "cancel" & "save" buttons off
 export function LFGGroupCard({
 	group,
diff --git a/app/features/tournament-lfg/loaders/to.$id.looking.server.ts b/app/features/tournament-lfg/loaders/to.$id.looking.server.ts
index 9dad8d51b..318e48c32 100644
--- a/app/features/tournament-lfg/loaders/to.$id.looking.server.ts
+++ b/app/features/tournament-lfg/loaders/to.$id.looking.server.ts
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ export const loader = async ({ params }: LoaderFunctionArgs) => {
 		return {
 			id: group.id,
 			isPlaceholder: Boolean(group.isPlaceholder),
-			teamName: group.teamName ?? null,
-			teamAvatarUrl: group.teamAvatarUrl ?? null,
+			teamName: group.isPlaceholder ? null : (group.teamName ?? null),
+			teamAvatarUrl: group.isPlaceholder ? null : (group.teamAvatarUrl ?? null),
 			note: group.note ?? null,
 			members,
 			usersRole: members.find((m) => m.id === user?.id)?.role ?? null,