diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2a405a1c476b..99b35a7d755e 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Fixed
+
+- Substitute `@variant` inside legacy JS APIs ([#19263](https://github.com/tailwindlabs/tailwindcss/pull/19263))
+
 ### Added
 
 - _Experimental_: Add `@container-size` utility ([#18901](https://github.com/tailwindlabs/tailwindcss/pull/18901))
diff --git a/packages/tailwindcss/src/design-system.ts b/packages/tailwindcss/src/design-system.ts
index d533743c172b..384746b57b17 100644
--- a/packages/tailwindcss/src/design-system.ts
+++ b/packages/tailwindcss/src/design-system.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import { Theme, ThemeOptions, type ThemeKey } from './theme'
 import { Utilities, createUtilities, withAlpha } from './utilities'
 import { DefaultMap } from './utils/default-map'
 import { extractUsedVariables } from './utils/variables'
-import { Variants, createVariants } from './variants'
+import { Variants, createVariants, substituteAtVariant } from './variants'
 
 export const enum CompileAstFlags {
   None = 0,
@@ -77,15 +77,21 @@ export function buildDesignSystem(theme: Theme): DesignSystem {
     return new DefaultMap<Candidate>((candidate) => {
       let ast = compileAstNodes(candidate, designSystem, flags)
 
-      // Arbitrary values (`text-[theme(--color-red-500)]`) and arbitrary
-      // properties (`[--my-var:theme(--color-red-500)]`) can contain function
-      // calls so we need evaluate any functions we find there that weren't in
-      // the source CSS.
       try {
+        // Arbitrary values (`text-[theme(--color-red-500)]`) and arbitrary
+        // properties (`[--my-var:theme(--color-red-500)]`) can contain function
+        // calls so we need evaluate any functions we find there that weren't in
+        // the source CSS.
         substituteFunctions(
           ast.map(({ node }) => node),
           designSystem,
         )
+
+        // JS plugins might contain an `@variant` inside a generated utility
+        substituteAtVariant(
+          ast.map(({ node }) => node),
+          designSystem,
+        )
       } catch (err) {
         // If substitution fails then the candidate likely contains a call to
         // `theme()` that is invalid which may be because of incorrect usage,
diff --git a/packages/tailwindcss/src/index.test.ts b/packages/tailwindcss/src/index.test.ts
index f1dad6ccda4e..5cd5282b00f7 100644
--- a/packages/tailwindcss/src/index.test.ts
+++ b/packages/tailwindcss/src/index.test.ts
@@ -4665,6 +4665,60 @@ test('addBase', async () => {
   `)
 })
 
+test('JS APIs support @variant', async () => {
+  let { build } = await compile(
+    css`
+      @plugin "my-plugin";
+      @layer base, utilities;
+      @layer utilities {
+        @tailwind utilities;
+      }
+    `,
+    {
+      loadModule: async () => ({
+        path: '',
+        base: '/root',
+        module: ({ addBase, addUtilities, matchUtilities }: PluginAPI) => {
+          addBase({ body: { '@variant dark': { color: 'red' } } })
+          addUtilities({ '.foo': { '@variant dark': { '--foo': 'foo' } } })
+          matchUtilities(
+            { bar: (value) => ({ '@variant dark': { '--bar': value } }) },
+            { values: { one: '1' } },
+          )
+        },
+      }),
+    },
+  )
+
+  let compiled = build(['underline', 'foo', 'bar-one'])
+
+  expect(optimizeCss(compiled).trim()).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+    "@layer base {
+      @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
+        body {
+          color: red;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    @layer utilities {
+      .underline {
+        text-decoration-line: underline;
+      }
+
+      @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
+        .bar-one {
+          --bar: 1;
+        }
+
+        .foo {
+          --foo: foo;
+        }
+      }
+    }"
+  `)
+})
+
 it("should error when `layer(…)` is used, but it's not the first param", async () => {
   await expect(async () => {
     return await compileCss(