diff --git a/packages/@stylexjs/babel-plugin/__tests__/transform-stylex-defineConsts-test.js b/packages/@stylexjs/babel-plugin/__tests__/transform-stylex-defineConsts-test.js
index 98dc77152..62aece407 100644
--- a/packages/@stylexjs/babel-plugin/__tests__/transform-stylex-defineConsts-test.js
+++ b/packages/@stylexjs/babel-plugin/__tests__/transform-stylex-defineConsts-test.js
@@ -266,6 +266,49 @@ describe('@stylexjs/babel-plugin', () => {
         ]
       `);
     });
+
+    test('constant names: -- prefix preserves user-authored name', () => {
+      const { code, metadata } = transform(`
+        import * as stylex from '@stylexjs/stylex';
+        export const sizes = stylex.defineConsts({
+          '--small': '8px',
+          '--large': '24px',
+        });
+      `);
+
+      expect(code).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+        "import * as stylex from '@stylexjs/stylex';
+        export const sizes = {
+          "--small": "8px",
+          "--large": "24px"
+        };"
+      `);
+
+      expect(metadata.stylex).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+        [
+          [
+            "small",
+            {
+              "constKey": "small",
+              "constVal": "8px",
+              "ltr": "",
+              "rtl": null,
+            },
+            0,
+          ],
+          [
+            "large",
+            {
+              "constKey": "large",
+              "constVal": "24px",
+              "ltr": "",
+              "rtl": null,
+            },
+            0,
+          ],
+        ]
+      `);
+    });
   });
 
   describe('[transform] stylex.defineConsts() in stylex.create() ', () => {
diff --git a/packages/@stylexjs/babel-plugin/__tests__/validation-stylex-defineConsts-test.js b/packages/@stylexjs/babel-plugin/__tests__/validation-stylex-defineConsts-test.js
index e868ebb48..72204f3c7 100644
--- a/packages/@stylexjs/babel-plugin/__tests__/validation-stylex-defineConsts-test.js
+++ b/packages/@stylexjs/babel-plugin/__tests__/validation-stylex-defineConsts-test.js
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ describe('@stylexjs/babel-plugin', () => {
 
     /* Properties */
 
-    test('invalid key: starts with "--"', () => {
+    test('valid key: starts with "--"', () => {
       expect(() =>
         transform(`
           import * as stylex from '@stylexjs/stylex';
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ describe('@stylexjs/babel-plugin', () => {
             '--small': '8px'
           });
         `),
-      ).toThrow(messages.INVALID_CONST_KEY);
+      ).not.toThrow();
     });
 
     test('invalid key: non-static', () => {
diff --git a/packages/@stylexjs/babel-plugin/src/shared/messages.js b/packages/@stylexjs/babel-plugin/src/shared/messages.js
index 157baaa43..6d776113b 100644
--- a/packages/@stylexjs/babel-plugin/src/shared/messages.js
+++ b/packages/@stylexjs/babel-plugin/src/shared/messages.js
@@ -35,8 +35,6 @@ export const ILLEGAL_PROP_VALUE =
 export const ILLEGAL_PROP_ARRAY_VALUE =
   'A style array value can only contain strings or numbers.';
 export const ILLEGAL_NAMESPACE_VALUE = 'A StyleX namespace must be an object.';
-export const INVALID_CONST_KEY =
-  'Keys in defineConsts() cannot start with "--".';
 export const INVALID_PSEUDO = 'Invalid pseudo selector, not on the whitelist.';
 export const INVALID_PSEUDO_OR_AT_RULE = 'Invalid pseudo or at-rule.';
 export const INVALID_MEDIA_QUERY_SYNTAX = 'Invalid media query syntax.';
diff --git a/packages/@stylexjs/babel-plugin/src/shared/stylex-define-consts.js b/packages/@stylexjs/babel-plugin/src/shared/stylex-define-consts.js
index 13451bab8..bf1e312db 100644
--- a/packages/@stylexjs/babel-plugin/src/shared/stylex-define-consts.js
+++ b/packages/@stylexjs/babel-plugin/src/shared/stylex-define-consts.js
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@ import type { InjectableConstStyle, StyleXOptions } from './common-types';
 import type { ConstsConfig } from './stylex-consts-utils';
 
 import { defaultOptions } from './utils/default-options';
-import * as messages from './messages';
-
 import createHash from './hash';
 
 export default function styleXDefineConsts<Vars: ConstsConfig>(
@@ -31,16 +29,13 @@ export default function styleXDefineConsts<Vars: ConstsConfig>(
   const injectableStyles: { [string]: InjectableConstStyle } = {};
 
   for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(constants)) {
-    if (key.startsWith('--')) {
-      throw new Error(messages.INVALID_CONST_KEY);
-    }
-
     const varSafeKey = (
       key[0] >= '0' && key[0] <= '9' ? `_${key}` : key
     ).replace(/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/g, '_');
 
-    const constKey =
-      debug && enableDebugClassNames
+    const constKey = key.startsWith('--')
+      ? key.slice(2)
+      : debug && enableDebugClassNames
         ? `${varSafeKey}-${classNamePrefix}${createHash(`${exportId}.${key}`)}`
         : `${classNamePrefix}${createHash(`${exportId}.${key}`)}`;