diff --git a/packages/tailwindcss/src/ast.ts b/packages/tailwindcss/src/ast.ts
index c34a3d5af..e9d1ce48c 100644
--- a/packages/tailwindcss/src/ast.ts
+++ b/packages/tailwindcss/src/ast.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,12 @@ export type Context = {
   nodes: AstNode[]
 }
 
-export type AstNode = Rule | Declaration | Comment | Context
+export type AtRoot = {
+  kind: 'at-root'
+  nodes: AstNode[]
+}
+
+export type AstNode = Rule | Declaration | Comment | Context | AtRoot
 
 export function rule(selector: string, nodes: AstNode[]): Rule {
   return {
@@ -56,6 +61,13 @@ export function context(context: Record<string, string>, nodes: AstNode[]): Cont
   }
 }
 
+export function atRoot(nodes: AstNode[]): AtRoot {
+  return {
+    kind: 'at-root',
+    nodes,
+  }
+}
+
 export enum WalkAction {
   /** Continue walking, which is the default */
   Continue,
@@ -128,14 +140,6 @@ export function toCss(ast: AstNode[]) {
 
     // Rule
     if (node.kind === 'rule') {
-      // Pull out `@at-root` rules to append later
-      if (node.selector === '@at-root') {
-        for (let child of node.nodes) {
-          atRoots += stringify(child, 0)
-        }
-        return css
-      }
-
       if (node.selector === '@tailwind utilities') {
         for (let child of node.nodes) {
           css += stringify(child, depth)
@@ -204,6 +208,14 @@ export function toCss(ast: AstNode[]) {
       }
     }
 
+    // AtRoot Node
+    else if (node.kind === 'at-root') {
+      for (let child of node.nodes) {
+        atRoots += stringify(child, 0)
+      }
+      return css
+    }
+
     // Declaration
     else if (node.property !== '--tw-sort' && node.value !== undefined && node.value !== null) {
       css += `${indent}${node.property}: ${node.value}${node.important ? ' !important' : ''};\n`
diff --git a/packages/tailwindcss/src/compile.ts b/packages/tailwindcss/src/compile.ts
index f7d9c5125..87b5133da 100644
--- a/packages/tailwindcss/src/compile.ts
+++ b/packages/tailwindcss/src/compile.ts
@@ -293,9 +293,9 @@ function compileBaseUtility(candidate: Candidate, designSystem: DesignSystem) {
 
 function applyImportant(ast: AstNode[]): void {
   for (let node of ast) {
-    // Skip any `@at-root` rules — we don't want to make the contents of things
+    // Skip any `AtRoot` nodes — we don't want to make the contents of things
     // like `@keyframes` or `@property` important.
-    if (node.kind === 'rule' && node.selector === '@at-root') {
+    if (node.kind === 'at-root') {
       continue
     }
 
@@ -328,10 +328,6 @@ function getPropertySort(nodes: AstNode[]) {
       let idx = GLOBAL_PROPERTY_ORDER.indexOf(node.property)
       if (idx !== -1) propertySort.add(idx)
     } else if (node.kind === 'rule') {
-      // Don't consider properties within `@at-root` when determining the sort
-      // order for a rule.
-      if (node.selector === '@at-root') continue
-
       for (let child of node.nodes) {
         q.push(child)
       }
diff --git a/packages/tailwindcss/src/index.ts b/packages/tailwindcss/src/index.ts
index 2d247b3aa..742f459cc 100644
--- a/packages/tailwindcss/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/tailwindcss/src/index.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { version } from '../package.json'
 import { substituteAtApply } from './apply'
 import {
+  atRoot,
   comment,
   context,
   decl,
@@ -361,13 +362,10 @@ async function parseCss(
           continue
         }
 
-        // Wrap `@keyframes` in `@at-root` so they are hoisted out of `:root`
-        // when printing.
+        // Wrap `@keyframes` in `AtRoot` so they are hoisted out of `:root` when
+        // printing.
         nodes.push(
-          Object.assign(keyframesRule, {
-            selector: '@at-root',
-            nodes: [rule(keyframesRule.selector, keyframesRule.nodes)],
-          }),
+          Object.assign(keyframesRule, atRoot([rule(keyframesRule.selector, keyframesRule.nodes)])),
         )
       }
     }
diff --git a/packages/tailwindcss/src/utilities.ts b/packages/tailwindcss/src/utilities.ts
index e6e064b0e..a308b49c3 100644
--- a/packages/tailwindcss/src/utilities.ts
+++ b/packages/tailwindcss/src/utilities.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { decl, rule, type AstNode, type Rule } from './ast'
+import { atRoot, decl, rule, type AstNode } from './ast'
 import type { Candidate, CandidateModifier, NamedUtilityValue } from './candidate'
 import type { Theme, ThemeKey } from './theme'
 import { DefaultMap } from './utils/default-map'
@@ -84,10 +84,6 @@ export class Utilities {
   }
 }
 
-function atRoot(rules: Rule[]) {
-  return rule('@at-root', rules)
-}
-
 function property(ident: string, initialValue?: string, syntax?: string) {
   return rule(`@property ${ident}`, [
     decl('syntax', syntax ? `"${syntax}"` : `"*"`),
diff --git a/packages/tailwindcss/src/variants.ts b/packages/tailwindcss/src/variants.ts
index 968f8d7a1..693222860 100644
--- a/packages/tailwindcss/src/variants.ts
+++ b/packages/tailwindcss/src/variants.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { WalkAction, decl, rule, walk, type AstNode, type Rule } from './ast'
+import { WalkAction, atRoot, decl, rule, walk, type AstNode, type Rule } from './ast'
 import { type Variant } from './candidate'
 import type { Theme } from './theme'
 import { DefaultMap } from './utils/default-map'
@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@ export function createVariants(theme: Theme): Variants {
 
   {
     function contentProperties() {
-      return rule('@at-root', [
+      return atRoot([
         rule('@property --tw-content', [
           decl('syntax', '"*"'),
           decl('initial-value', '""'),
@@ -933,16 +933,13 @@ export function substituteAtSlot(ast: AstNode[], nodes: AstNode[]) {
       replaceWith(nodes)
     }
 
-    // Wrap `@keyframes` and `@property` in `@at-root`
+    // Wrap `@keyframes` and `@property` in `AtRoot` nodes
     else if (
       node.kind === 'rule' &&
       node.selector[0] === '@' &&
       (node.selector.startsWith('@keyframes ') || node.selector.startsWith('@property '))
     ) {
-      Object.assign(node, {
-        selector: '@at-root',
-        nodes: [rule(node.selector, node.nodes)],
-      })
+      Object.assign(node, atRoot([rule(node.selector, node.nodes)]))
       return WalkAction.Skip
     }
   })