diff --git a/build-tools/tasks/package-json.js b/build-tools/tasks/package-json.js
index 4cd2424ac2..572caef636 100644
--- a/build-tools/tasks/package-json.js
+++ b/build-tools/tasks/package-json.js
@@ -74,7 +74,9 @@ function getSideEffects() {
     '*.css',
     // this file exposes `awsuiVersions` object
     './internal/base-component/index.js',
-    // this file contains css-variables overrides for dark and other modes
+    // this file contains the base theme css-variables and overrides for dark and other modes
+    './internal/base-theme/styles.css.js',
+    // this file contains other global styles and tokens
     './internal/base-component/styles.css.js',
   ];
 }
diff --git a/src/internal/base-component/index.ts b/src/internal/base-component/index.ts
index e574405b7e..f1d656e1b7 100644
--- a/src/internal/base-component/index.ts
+++ b/src/internal/base-component/index.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { BaseComponentProps } from '../../types/base-component';
 import { PACKAGE_SOURCE, PACKAGE_VERSION } from '../environment';
 
 // these styles needed to be imported for every public component
+import '../base-theme/styles.css.js';
 import './styles.css.js';
 
 initAwsUiVersions(PACKAGE_SOURCE, PACKAGE_VERSION);
diff --git a/src/internal/base-component/styles.scss b/src/internal/base-component/styles.scss
index 482f0140f8..735f6526f9 100644
--- a/src/internal/base-component/styles.scss
+++ b/src/internal/base-component/styles.scss
@@ -2,12 +2,6 @@
  Copyright Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.
  SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 */
-
-/*
- Copyright Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.
- SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
-*/
-@use 'awsui:globals';
 @use '../styles/global';
 @use '../generated/custom-css-properties' as custom-styles;
 
diff --git a/src/internal/base-theme/styles.scss b/src/internal/base-theme/styles.scss
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e8125ce8c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/internal/base-theme/styles.scss
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+/*
+ Copyright Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.
+ SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+*/
+@use 'awsui:globals';