diff --git a/packages/tailwindcss/src/index.ts b/packages/tailwindcss/src/index.ts
index a9f1b69d8..3b5a2fb02 100644
--- a/packages/tailwindcss/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/tailwindcss/src/index.ts
@@ -485,14 +485,29 @@ export function compile(
       // Prepend with `--` to match CSS variables
       path = `--${path}`
 
-      let value =
-        theme.resolveValue(null, [path] as any) ?? theme.namespace(path as any) ?? fallback
+      let map = theme.namespace(path as any)
 
-      if (value && typeof value === 'object' && value instanceof Map) {
-        return Object.fromEntries(value.entries())
+      // Does the requested value exist in the theme
+      if (map.has(null)) {
+        // Yes, and there are multiple values in the requested theme namespace
+        if (map.size > 1) {
+          return {
+            DEFAULT: map.get(null),
+            ...Object.fromEntries(Array.from(map.entries()).filter(([key]) => key !== null)),
+          }
+        }
+
+        // Nope, just the one
+        return map.get(null)
       }
 
-      return value
+      // There is at least one value in the requested theme namespace
+      // but no default value
+      if (map.size > 0) {
+        return Object.fromEntries(map.entries())
+      }
+
+      return fallback ?? null
     },
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/tailwindcss/src/utilities.test.ts b/packages/tailwindcss/src/utilities.test.ts
index 627e2cb9d..7b19577c1 100644
--- a/packages/tailwindcss/src/utilities.test.ts
+++ b/packages/tailwindcss/src/utilities.test.ts
@@ -15765,11 +15765,6 @@ describe('legacy: matchUtilities', () => {
       {
         loadPlugin() {
           return ({ theme }) => {
-            expect(theme('size.2_5')).toEqual('2.5rem')
-
-            // Square bracket syntax
-            expect(theme('size[2.5]')).toEqual('2.5rem')
-
             // Accessing w/ CSS property syntax
             expect(theme('--scrollbar')).toEqual(null)
             expect(theme('--scrollbar-*')).toEqual({
@@ -15778,9 +15773,11 @@ describe('legacy: matchUtilities', () => {
               'color-dark': 'black',
               'color-light': 'white',
             })
+
             expect(theme('--scrollbar-big')).toEqual('20px')
 
             // Accessing via legacy dot notation
+            expect(theme('size.2_5')).toEqual('2.5rem')
             expect(theme('scrollbar')).toEqual({
               big: '20px',
               'big-properties': 'auto-hidden',
@@ -15788,13 +15785,22 @@ describe('legacy: matchUtilities', () => {
               'color-light': 'white',
             })
 
-            expect(theme('scrollbar.big')).toEqual('20px')
+            expect(theme('scrollbar.big')).toEqual({
+              DEFAULT: '20px',
+              properties: 'auto-hidden',
+            })
             expect(theme('scrollbar.big.properties')).toEqual('auto-hidden')
 
             expect(theme('scrollbar.color')).toEqual({
               light: 'white',
               dark: 'black',
             })
+
+            expect(theme('scrollbar.foo', 'nope')).toEqual('nope')
+            expect(theme('somekey', 'nope')).toEqual('nope')
+
+            // Square bracket syntax
+            expect(theme('size[2.5]')).toEqual('2.5rem')
           }
         },
       },