diff --git a/packages/tailwindcss/src/index.ts b/packages/tailwindcss/src/index.ts
index f324dfad8..d9726f657 100644
--- a/packages/tailwindcss/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/tailwindcss/src/index.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import {
 import { compileCandidates } from './compile'
 import * as CSS from './css-parser'
 import { buildDesignSystem, type DesignSystem } from './design-system'
+import { buildPluginApi } from './plugin-api'
 import { Theme } from './theme'
 import { segment } from './utils/segment'
 
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ const IS_VALID_UTILITY_NAME = /^[a-z][a-zA-Z0-9/%._-]*$/
 
 type PluginAPI = {
   addVariant(name: string, variant: string | string[] | CssInJs): void
+  theme(path: string, fallback?: any): any
 }
 
 type Plugin = (api: PluginAPI) => void
@@ -280,6 +282,8 @@ export function compile(
         designSystem.variants.fromAst(name, objectToAst(variant))
       }
     },
+
+    ...buildPluginApi(designSystem),
   }
 
   for (let plugin of plugins) {
diff --git a/packages/tailwindcss/src/plugin-api.ts b/packages/tailwindcss/src/plugin-api.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6fa7a6a84
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/tailwindcss/src/plugin-api.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,164 @@
+import type { DesignSystem } from './design-system'
+import { DefaultMap } from './utils/default-map'
+
+export function buildPluginApi(designSystem: DesignSystem) {
+  return {
+    theme(path: string, fallback?: any) {
+      if (path.startsWith('--')) {
+        if (path.endsWith('-*')) {
+          return Object.fromEntries(
+            designSystem.theme.namespace(path.slice(0, -2) as any).entries(),
+          )
+        }
+
+        return designSystem.theme.resolveValue(null, [path] as any) ?? fallback ?? null
+      }
+
+      let original = path
+        // Escape dots used inside square brackets
+        .replace(/\[(.*?)\]/g, (_, value) => `-${value.replace('.', '_')}`)
+        // Replace dots with dashes
+        .replace(/\./g, '-')
+        // Replace camelCase with dashes
+        .replace(/([a-z])([A-Z])/g, (_, a, b) => `${a}-${b.toLowerCase()}`)
+
+      // Perform an "upgrade" on the path so that, for example, a request for
+      // accentColor merges values from --color-* and --accent-color-*
+      let paths: string[] = []
+
+      for (let prefix in themeUpgradeMap) {
+        if (!original.startsWith(prefix)) continue
+
+        // This makes sure that:
+        // `accent-color` is turned into `color`; AND
+        // `accent-color-foo` is turned into `color-foo`
+        let suffix = original.slice(prefix.length)
+
+        for (let upgrade of themeUpgradeMap[prefix]) {
+          paths.push(upgrade + suffix)
+        }
+      }
+
+      // Make sure the original path is included last because it should take precedence
+      paths.push(original)
+
+      type ThemeValue =
+        // A normal string value
+        | string
+
+        // A nested tuple with additional data
+        | [main: string, extra: Record<string, string>]
+
+      let map = new Map<string | null, ThemeValue>()
+      let nested = new DefaultMap<string | null, Map<string, string>>(() => new Map())
+
+      for (let path of paths) {
+        let ns = designSystem.theme.namespace(`--${path}` as any)
+
+        for (let [key, value] of ns) {
+          // Non-nested values can be set directly
+          if (!key || !key.includes('--')) {
+            map.set(key, value)
+            continue
+          }
+
+          // Nested values are stored separately
+          let nestedIndex = key.indexOf('--')
+
+          let mainKey = key.slice(0, nestedIndex)
+          let nestedKey = key.slice(nestedIndex + 2)
+
+          // Make `nestedKey` camel case:
+          nestedKey = nestedKey.replace(/-([a-z])/g, (_, a) => a.toUpperCase())
+
+          nested.get(mainKey === '' ? null : mainKey).set(nestedKey, value)
+        }
+      }
+
+      for (let [key, extra] of nested) {
+        let value = map.get(key)
+        if (typeof value !== 'string') continue
+
+        map.set(key, [value, Object.fromEntries(extra)])
+      }
+
+      // Now we've got the "upgraded" list of theme values let's look for the requested value
+
+      // 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)
+      }
+
+      // There is at least one value in the requested theme namespace
+      // but no default value
+      if (map.size > 0) {
+        return Object.fromEntries(map)
+      }
+
+      return fallback ?? null
+    },
+  }
+}
+
+let themeUpgradeMap: Record<string, string[]> = {
+  'accent-color': ['color'],
+  'backdrop-blur': ['blur'],
+  'backdrop-brightness': ['brightness'],
+  'backdrop-contrast': ['contrast'],
+  'backdrop-grayscale': ['grayscale'],
+  'backdrop-hue-rotate': ['hue-rotate'],
+  'backdrop-invert': ['invert'],
+  'backdrop-opacity': ['opacity'],
+  'backdrop-saturate': ['saturate'],
+  'backdrop-sepia': ['sepia'],
+  'background-color': ['color'],
+  'background-opacity': ['opacity'],
+  'border-color': ['color'],
+  'border-opacity': ['opacity'],
+  'border-spacing': ['spacing'],
+  'box-shadow-color': ['color'],
+  'caret-color': ['color'],
+  colors: ['color'],
+  'divide-color': ['border-color', 'color'],
+  'divide-opacity': ['border-opacity', 'opacity'],
+  'divide-width': ['border-width'],
+  fill: ['color'],
+  'flex-basis': ['spacing'],
+  gap: ['spacing'],
+  'gradient-color-stops': ['color'],
+  height: ['spacing'],
+  inset: ['spacing'],
+  margin: ['spacing'],
+  'max-height': ['spacing'],
+  'max-width': ['spacing', 'breakpoint'],
+  'min-height': ['spacing'],
+  'min-width': ['spacing'],
+  'outline-color': ['color'],
+  padding: ['spacing'],
+  'placeholder-color': ['color'],
+  'placeholder-opacity': ['opacity'],
+  'ring-color': ['color'],
+  'ring-offset-color': ['color'],
+  'ring-opacity': ['opacity'],
+  screens: ['breakpoint'],
+  'scroll-margin': ['spacing'],
+  'scroll-padding': ['spacing'],
+  space: ['spacing'],
+  stroke: ['color'],
+  'text-color': ['color'],
+  'text-decoration-color': ['color'],
+  'text-indent': ['spacing'],
+  'text-opacity': ['opacity'],
+  translate: ['spacing'],
+  size: ['spacing'],
+  width: ['spacing'],
+}
diff --git a/packages/tailwindcss/src/theme.ts b/packages/tailwindcss/src/theme.ts
index 8ac6a90cc..c606089fb 100644
--- a/packages/tailwindcss/src/theme.ts
+++ b/packages/tailwindcss/src/theme.ts
@@ -124,13 +124,16 @@ export class Theme {
 
   namespace(namespace: string) {
     let values = new Map<string | null, string>()
-    let prefix = `${namespace}-`
 
     for (let [key, value] of this.values) {
       if (key === namespace) {
         values.set(null, value.value)
-      } else if (key.startsWith(prefix)) {
-        values.set(key.slice(prefix.length), value.value)
+      } else if (key.startsWith(`${namespace}--`)) {
+        // Preserve `--` prefix for sub-variables
+        // e.g. `--font-size-sm--line-height`
+        values.set(key.slice(namespace.length), value.value)
+      } else if (key.startsWith(`${namespace}-`)) {
+        values.set(key.slice(namespace.length + 1), value.value)
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/tailwindcss/src/utilities.test.ts b/packages/tailwindcss/src/utilities.test.ts
index 4135b1cdd..7100850db 100644
--- a/packages/tailwindcss/src/utilities.test.ts
+++ b/packages/tailwindcss/src/utilities.test.ts
@@ -15150,3 +15150,163 @@ describe('custom utilities', () => {
     ).toThrowError(/should be alphanumeric/)
   })
 })
+
+describe('theme function in plugins', () => {
+  let input = css`
+    @plugin "my-plugin";
+    @theme reference {
+      --size-2_5: 2.5rem;
+
+      --scrollbar-big: 20px;
+      --scrollbar-big-properties: auto-hidden;
+
+      --scrollbar-color-light: white;
+      --scrollbar-color-dark: black;
+    }
+  `
+
+  test('CSS property notation', () => {
+    expect.hasAssertions()
+
+    compile(input, {
+      loadPlugin() {
+        return ({ theme }) => {
+          expect(theme('--scrollbar')).toEqual(null)
+          expect(theme('--scrollbar-*')).toEqual({
+            big: '20px',
+            'big-properties': 'auto-hidden',
+            'color-dark': 'black',
+            'color-light': 'white',
+          })
+
+          expect(theme('--scrollbar-big')).toEqual('20px')
+        }
+      },
+    })
+  })
+
+  test('legacy dot notation', () => {
+    expect.hasAssertions()
+
+    compile(input, {
+      loadPlugin() {
+        return ({ theme }) => {
+          // Accessing via legacy dot notation
+          expect(theme('size.2_5')).toEqual('2.5rem')
+          expect(theme('scrollbar')).toEqual({
+            big: '20px',
+            'big-properties': 'auto-hidden',
+            'color-dark': 'black',
+            'color-light': 'white',
+          })
+
+          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')
+        }
+      },
+    })
+  })
+
+  test('legacy square bracket notation', () => {
+    expect.hasAssertions()
+
+    compile(input, {
+      loadPlugin() {
+        return ({ theme }) => {
+          expect(theme('size[2.5]')).toEqual('2.5rem')
+
+          expect(theme('scrollbar[big]')).toEqual({
+            DEFAULT: '20px',
+            properties: 'auto-hidden',
+          })
+          expect(theme('scrollbar[big][properties]')).toEqual('auto-hidden')
+        }
+      },
+    })
+  })
+
+  test('path upgrades', () => {
+    expect.hasAssertions()
+
+    let input = css`
+      @plugin "my-plugin";
+      @theme reference {
+        --color-100: red;
+        --color-200: green;
+        --color-300: blue;
+        --accent-color-100: cyan;
+      }
+    `
+
+    compile(input, {
+      loadPlugin() {
+        return ({ theme }) => {
+          expect(theme('accentColor')).toEqual({
+            // Values from --color-* and --accent-color-* are merged into one object
+            // with the values from --accent-color-* taking precedence
+            100: 'cyan',
+            200: 'green',
+            300: 'blue',
+          })
+
+          // This one is defined on --accent-color-* so it is found directly
+          expect(theme('accentColor.100')).toEqual('cyan')
+
+          // This one is defined in --color-* so the value is taken from there
+          expect(theme('accentColor.200')).toEqual('green')
+
+          // The CSS property syntax is NOT upgraded
+          expect(theme('--accent-color-*')).toEqual({
+            100: 'cyan',
+          })
+
+          expect(theme('--accent-color-100')).toEqual('cyan')
+          expect(theme('--accent-color-200')).toEqual(null)
+        }
+      },
+    })
+  })
+
+  test('tuple upgrades', () => {
+    expect.hasAssertions()
+
+    let input = css`
+      @plugin "my-plugin";
+      @theme reference {
+        --font-size-sm: 0.875rem;
+        --font-size-sm--line-height: 1.25;
+        --font-size-sm--font-weight: bold;
+        --font-size-md: 1rem;
+      }
+    `
+
+    compile(input, {
+      loadPlugin() {
+        return ({ theme }) => {
+          expect(theme('fontSize')).toEqual({
+            sm: ['0.875rem', { lineHeight: '1.25', fontWeight: 'bold' }],
+            md: '1rem',
+          })
+
+          expect(theme('fontSize.sm')).toEqual([
+            '0.875rem',
+            { lineHeight: '1.25', fontWeight: 'bold' },
+          ])
+
+          expect(theme('fontSize.md')).toEqual('1rem')
+        }
+      },
+    })
+  })
+})