Index: src/wp-content/themes/twentyseventeen/inc/template-tags.php
===================================================================
--- src/wp-content/themes/twentyseventeen/inc/template-tags.php	(revision 38996)
+++ src/wp-content/themes/twentyseventeen/inc/template-tags.php	(working copy)
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@
 		get_template_part( 'template-parts/page/content', 'front-page-panels' );
 
 		wp_reset_postdata();
-	} else {
+	} elseif ( is_customize_preview() ) {
 		// The output placeholder anchor.
 		echo '<article class="panel-placeholder panel twentyseventeen-panel twentyseventeen-panel' . $id . '" id="panel' . $id . '"><span class="twentyseventeen-panel-title">' . sprintf( __( 'Panel %1$s Placeholder', 'twentyseventeen' ), $id ) . '</span></article>';
 	}
Index: src/wp-content/themes/twentyseventeen/style.css
===================================================================
--- src/wp-content/themes/twentyseventeen/style.css	(revision 38996)
+++ src/wp-content/themes/twentyseventeen/style.css	(working copy)
@@ -2950,11 +2950,6 @@
 # Customizer
 --------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
-/* Hide placeholders until we're in the front page sections section */
-.panel-placeholder {
-	display: none;
-}
-
 .highlight-front-sections.twentyseventeen-customizer.twentyseventeen-front-page .twentyseventeen-panel:after {
 	border: 2px dashed #0085ba; /* Matches visible edit shortcuts. */
 	bottom: 1em;