diff --git a/packages/tailwindcss/src/plugins.test.ts b/packages/tailwindcss/src/plugins.test.ts
index 7212be371..274e4a829 100644
--- a/packages/tailwindcss/src/plugins.test.ts
+++ b/packages/tailwindcss/src/plugins.test.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,64 @@
-import { expect, test } from 'vitest'
+import { test, vi } from 'vitest'
 import type { UserConfig } from './config'
 import { run } from './test-utils/run'
 
-test('Custom static utilities', () => {
+test('Plugins are called', ({ expect }) => {
+  let fn = vi.fn()
+  let handler = vi.fn()
+  let config: UserConfig = {
+    plugins: [fn, { handler }],
+  }
+
+  run([], config)
+
+  expect(fn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+    expect.objectContaining({
+      addUtility: expect.any(Function),
+      addUtilities: expect.any(Function),
+      addVariant: expect.any(Function),
+      addVariants: expect.any(Function),
+    }),
+  )
+
+  expect(handler).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+    expect.objectContaining({
+      addUtility: expect.any(Function),
+      addUtilities: expect.any(Function),
+      addVariant: expect.any(Function),
+      addVariants: expect.any(Function),
+    }),
+  )
+})
+
+test('Asynchronous plugins are waited on', async ({ expect }) => {
+  let before = vi.fn()
+  let after = vi.fn()
+  let config: UserConfig = {
+    plugins: [
+      async () => {
+        before()
+        await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve))
+        after()
+      },
+    ],
+  }
+
+  await run([], config)
+
+  expect(before).toHaveBeenCalled()
+  expect(after).toHaveBeenCalled()
+})
+
+test('Custom static utilities', ({ expect }) => {
   let config: UserConfig = {
     plugins: [
       ({ addUtilities }) => {
         addUtilities({
           '.my-red': {
             color: 'red',
+            '& > *': {
+              color: 'lightred',
+            },
           },
           '.my-blue': {
             color: 'red',
@@ -26,7 +76,7 @@ test('Custom static utilities', () => {
   expect(run(['-my-red', 'my-red-[--value]'], config)).toEqual('')
 })
 
-test('Custom functional utilities', () => {
+test('Custom functional utilities', ({ expect }) => {
   let config: UserConfig = {
     plugins: [
       ({ addUtilities }) => {
@@ -54,7 +104,7 @@ test('Custom functional utilities', () => {
   `)
 })
 
-test('Custom static variants', () => {
+test('Custom static variants', ({ expect }) => {
   let config: UserConfig = {
     plugins: [
       ({ addVariant }) => {
@@ -72,7 +122,7 @@ test('Custom static variants', () => {
   expect(run(['hover/foo:underline', 'hover-[123]:underline'], config)).toEqual('')
 })
 
-test('Custom functional variants', () => {
+test('Custom functional variants', ({ expect }) => {
   let config: UserConfig = {
     plugins: [
       ({ addVariant }) => {
diff --git a/packages/tailwindcss/src/plugins.ts b/packages/tailwindcss/src/plugins.ts
index fa6a73e38..ce06ed16a 100644
--- a/packages/tailwindcss/src/plugins.ts
+++ b/packages/tailwindcss/src/plugins.ts
@@ -2,27 +2,35 @@ import { decl, rule, type AstNode, type Rule } from './ast'
 import type { Candidate } from './candidate'
 import type { DesignSystem } from './design-system'
 
-type MatchData = {
+export type MatchData = {
   value: string | null
   modifier: string | null
 }
 
-type CssSelectors = string | string[]
+export type SelectorFormat = CssSelectors | ((candidate: MatchData) => CssSelectors)
+export type UtilityFormat = CssTree | ((value: string | null, candidate: MatchData) => CssTree)
 
+export type CssSelectors = string | string[]
 export interface CssTree extends Record<string, string | CssTree> {}
 
-type SelectorFormat = CssSelectors | ((candidate: MatchData) => CssSelectors)
-type UtilityFormat = CssTree | ((value: string | null, candidate: MatchData) => CssTree)
-
 export interface PluginAPI {
-  addVariant(name: string, selector: SelectorFormat): void
+  addVariant(name: string, format: SelectorFormat): void
+  addVariants(variants: Record<string, SelectorFormat>): void
+
+  addUtility(name: string, format: UtilityFormat): void
   addUtilities(utilities: Record<string, UtilityFormat>): void
 }
 
-export interface Plugin {
+export type Plugin = FunctionalPlugin | ConfigurablePlugin
+
+export interface FunctionalPlugin {
   (api: PluginAPI): void | Promise<void>
 }
 
+export interface ConfigurablePlugin {
+  handler(api: PluginAPI): void | Promise<void>
+}
+
 /**
  * Convert a recursive object structure to an AST
  * Leaf nodes are declarations and branches are rules
@@ -141,11 +149,21 @@ export function registerPlugins(design: DesignSystem) {
     )
   }
 
+  function addVariants(list: Record<string, SelectorFormat>) {
+    for (let [name, format] of Object.entries(list)) {
+      addVariant(name, format)
+    }
+  }
+
   for (let plugin of design.plugins) {
-    plugin({
+    let handler = typeof plugin === 'function' ? plugin : plugin.handler
+
+    handler({
       // v3 compatible legacy API
+      addUtility,
       addUtilities,
       addVariant,
+      addVariants,
     })
   }
 }