diff --git a/common/main/de.xml b/common/main/de.xml
index 44b7a9cdf5b..69ddc6ea823 100644
--- a/common/main/de.xml
+++ b/common/main/de.xml
@@ -10677,10 +10677,10 @@ Warnings: All cp values have U+FE0F characters removed. See /annotationsDerived/
 			<unit type="speed-light-speed">
 				<gender>feminine</gender>
 				<displayName>Lichtgeschwindigkeit</displayName>
-				<unitPattern count="one">Lichtgeschwindigkeit</unitPattern>
-				<unitPattern count="one" case="accusative">Lichtgeschwindigkeit</unitPattern>
-				<unitPattern count="one" case="dative">Lichtgeschwindigkeit</unitPattern>
-				<unitPattern count="one" case="genitive">Lichtgeschwindigkeit</unitPattern>
+				<unitPattern count="one">{0} Lichtgeschwindigkeit</unitPattern>
+				<unitPattern count="one" case="accusative">{0} Lichtgeschwindigkeit</unitPattern>
+				<unitPattern count="one" case="dative">{0} Lichtgeschwindigkeit</unitPattern>
+				<unitPattern count="one" case="genitive">{0} Lichtgeschwindigkeit</unitPattern>
 				<unitPattern count="other">{0}-fache Lichtgeschwindigkeit</unitPattern>
 				<unitPattern count="other" case="accusative">{0}-fache Lichtgeschwindigkeit</unitPattern>
 				<unitPattern count="other" case="dative">{0}-facher Lichtgeschwindigkeit</unitPattern>
@@ -11781,7 +11781,7 @@ Warnings: All cp values have U+FE0F characters removed. See /annotationsDerived/
 			</unit>
 			<unit type="speed-light-speed">
 				<displayName>Lichtgeschw.</displayName>
-				<unitPattern count="one">Lichtgeschw.</unitPattern>
+				<unitPattern count="one">{0} Lichtgeschw.</unitPattern>
 				<unitPattern count="other">{0}-fache Lichtg.</unitPattern>
 			</unit>
 			<unit type="concentr-portion-per-1e9">
diff --git a/tools/cldr-code/src/test/java/org/unicode/cldr/unittest/TestCheckCLDR.java b/tools/cldr-code/src/test/java/org/unicode/cldr/unittest/TestCheckCLDR.java
index 13ac7d2f6d1..8f04577f91c 100644
--- a/tools/cldr-code/src/test/java/org/unicode/cldr/unittest/TestCheckCLDR.java
+++ b/tools/cldr-code/src/test/java/org/unicode/cldr/unittest/TestCheckCLDR.java
@@ -424,11 +424,13 @@ public void checkPlaceholders(CLDRFile cldrFileToTest) {
                 }
             } else { // not disallowed
                 if (!containsMessagePattern) {
+                    // The following error seems wrong if placeholderStatus is LOCALE_DEPENDENT
+                    // in which case some entries might not have placeholders; see CLDR-17820
                     errln(
                             cldrFileToTest.getLocaleID()
                                     + " Value ("
                                     + value
-                                    + ") contains placeholder, but placeholder info = «"
+                                    + ") does not contain placeholder, but placeholder info = «"
                                     + placeholderStatus
                                     + "»\t"
                                     + path);