diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2afe7bcf2..50ab5fc24 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
-- Nothing yet!
+### Added
+
+- Add support for `addBase` plugins using the `@plugin` directive ([#14172](https://github.com/tailwindlabs/tailwindcss/pull/14172))
 
 ## [4.0.0-alpha.19] - 2024-08-09
 
diff --git a/packages/tailwindcss/src/index.test.ts b/packages/tailwindcss/src/index.test.ts
index fd855fffb..c92d6c2d2 100644
--- a/packages/tailwindcss/src/index.test.ts
+++ b/packages/tailwindcss/src/index.test.ts
@@ -2074,3 +2074,43 @@ describe('@variant', () => {
     `)
   })
 })
+
+test('addBase', async () => {
+  let { build } = await compile(
+    css`
+      @plugin "my-plugin";
+      @layer base, utilities;
+      @layer utilities {
+        @tailwind utilities;
+      }
+    `,
+
+    {
+      loadPlugin: async () => {
+        return ({ addBase }) => {
+          addBase({
+            body: {
+              'font-feature-settings': '"tnum"',
+            },
+          })
+        }
+      },
+    },
+  )
+
+  let compiled = build(['underline'])
+
+  expect(optimizeCss(compiled).trim()).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+    "@layer base {
+      body {
+        font-feature-settings: "tnum";
+      }
+    }
+
+    @layer utilities {
+      .underline {
+        text-decoration-line: underline;
+      }
+    }"
+  `)
+})
diff --git a/packages/tailwindcss/src/index.ts b/packages/tailwindcss/src/index.ts
index 803f0c2be..1a9f1feb5 100644
--- a/packages/tailwindcss/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/tailwindcss/src/index.ts
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ async function parseCss(css: string, { loadPlugin = throwOnPlugin }: CompileOpti
     customUtility(designSystem)
   }
 
-  let pluginApi = buildPluginApi(designSystem)
+  let pluginApi = buildPluginApi(designSystem, ast)
 
   await Promise.all(pluginLoaders.map((loader) => loader.then((plugin) => plugin(pluginApi))))
 
diff --git a/packages/tailwindcss/src/plugin-api.ts b/packages/tailwindcss/src/plugin-api.ts
index 66e07024f..6e9230af5 100644
--- a/packages/tailwindcss/src/plugin-api.ts
+++ b/packages/tailwindcss/src/plugin-api.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 import { substituteAtApply } from './apply'
-import { objectToAst, rule, type CssInJs } from './ast'
+import { objectToAst, rule, type AstNode, type CssInJs } from './ast'
 import type { DesignSystem } from './design-system'
 import { withAlpha, withNegative } from './utilities'
 import { inferDataType } from './utils/infer-data-type'
 
 export type PluginAPI = {
+  addBase(base: CssInJs): void
   addVariant(name: string, variant: string | string[] | CssInJs): void
   addUtilities(utilities: Record<string, CssInJs>, options?: {}): void
   matchUtilities(
@@ -20,8 +21,12 @@ export type PluginAPI = {
 
 const IS_VALID_UTILITY_NAME = /^[a-z][a-zA-Z0-9/%._-]*$/
 
-export function buildPluginApi(designSystem: DesignSystem): PluginAPI {
+export function buildPluginApi(designSystem: DesignSystem, ast: AstNode[]): PluginAPI {
   return {
+    addBase(css) {
+      ast.push(rule('@layer base', objectToAst(css)))
+    },
+
     addVariant(name, variant) {
       // Single selector
       if (typeof variant === 'string') {