diff --git a/.changeset/core-compound-ref-validation.md b/.changeset/core-compound-ref-validation.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9dbef25e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/core-compound-ref-validation.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+"@styleframe/core": patch
+"styleframe": patch
+---
+
+Validate variable references inside compound `@`-shorthand values. `resolvePropertyValue` already threw `Variable "X" is not defined` for a single exact ref (`padding: "@0.5"`), but the embedded/compound path (`padding: "@0.25 @0.5"`, `border: "1px solid @undefined"`) only recorded usage and skipped `validateReference`, so a compound ref to an undefined variable silently emitted a dead `var(--…)`. The embedded branch now calls `validateReference` for each ref part, matching the single-ref path. Compound refs whose variables are all defined are unchanged (byte-for-byte identical output); only compound refs to undefined variables change — from a silent dead `var(--…)` to a thrown error.
diff --git a/engine/core/src/tokens/atRule.test.ts b/engine/core/src/tokens/atRule.test.ts
index d2b8df1e..2df5272f 100644
--- a/engine/core/src/tokens/atRule.test.ts
+++ b/engine/core/src/tokens/atRule.test.ts
@@ -668,7 +668,7 @@ describe("createMediaFunction", () => {
 			const result = media(
 				"(-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2), (min-resolution: 192dpi)",
 				{
-					backgroundImage: 'url("image@2x.png")',
+					backgroundImage: 'url("image-2x.png")',
 				},
 			);
 
diff --git a/engine/core/src/tokens/css.test.ts b/engine/core/src/tokens/css.test.ts
index 87e42a1d..dd1032d7 100644
--- a/engine/core/src/tokens/css.test.ts
+++ b/engine/core/src/tokens/css.test.ts
@@ -618,6 +618,13 @@ describe("createCSSFunction", () => {
 		});
 
 		it("should resolve embedded @reference to a CSS object", () => {
+			root.variables.push({
+				type: "variable",
+				id: "color-primary",
+				name: "color.primary",
+				value: "#006cff",
+			});
+
 			const result = resolvePropertyValue("1px solid @color.primary");
 
 			expect(result).toEqual({
@@ -630,6 +637,21 @@ describe("createCSSFunction", () => {
 		});
 
 		it("should resolve multiple embedded @references to a CSS object", () => {
+			root.variables.push(
+				{
+					type: "variable",
+					id: "spacing-sm",
+					name: "spacing.sm",
+					value: "0.5rem",
+				},
+				{
+					type: "variable",
+					id: "spacing-md",
+					name: "spacing.md",
+					value: "1rem",
+				},
+			);
+
 			const result = resolvePropertyValue("@spacing.sm @spacing.md");
 
 			expect(result).toEqual({
diff --git a/engine/core/src/tokens/declarations.test.ts b/engine/core/src/tokens/declarations.test.ts
index b2333ed0..4047eb91 100644
--- a/engine/core/src/tokens/declarations.test.ts
+++ b/engine/core/src/tokens/declarations.test.ts
@@ -378,6 +378,13 @@ describe("parseDeclarationsBlock", () => {
 		});
 
 		it("should resolve embedded @references to a CSS object", () => {
+			root.variables.push({
+				type: "variable",
+				id: "color-primary",
+				name: "color.primary",
+				value: "#006cff",
+			});
+
 			const declarations: any = {
 				border: "1px solid @color.primary",
 			};
@@ -391,6 +398,21 @@ describe("parseDeclarationsBlock", () => {
 		});
 
 		it("should resolve multiple embedded @references to a CSS object", () => {
+			root.variables.push(
+				{
+					type: "variable",
+					id: "spacing-sm",
+					name: "spacing.sm",
+					value: "0.5rem",
+				},
+				{
+					type: "variable",
+					id: "spacing-md",
+					name: "spacing.md",
+					value: "1rem",
+				},
+			);
+
 			const declarations: any = {
 				padding: "@spacing.sm @spacing.md",
 			};
diff --git a/engine/core/src/tokens/resolve.test.ts b/engine/core/src/tokens/resolve.test.ts
index 2a3b2295..e1a6b9a6 100644
--- a/engine/core/src/tokens/resolve.test.ts
+++ b/engine/core/src/tokens/resolve.test.ts
@@ -313,6 +313,13 @@ describe("createPropertyValueResolver", () => {
 
 	describe("embedded @ references", () => {
 		it("should resolve embedded @variable to a CSS object", () => {
+			root.variables.push({
+				type: "variable",
+				id: "color-primary",
+				name: "color.primary",
+				value: "#006cff",
+			});
+
 			const result = resolvePropertyValue("1px solid @color.primary");
 
 			expect(result).toEqual({
@@ -329,6 +336,21 @@ describe("createPropertyValueResolver", () => {
 		});
 
 		it("should resolve multiple embedded @variables to a CSS object", () => {
+			root.variables.push(
+				{
+					type: "variable",
+					id: "border-width",
+					name: "border.width",
+					value: "1px",
+				},
+				{
+					type: "variable",
+					id: "color-primary",
+					name: "color.primary",
+					value: "#006cff",
+				},
+			);
+
 			const result = resolvePropertyValue("@border.width solid @color.primary");
 
 			expect(result).toEqual({
@@ -348,5 +370,60 @@ describe("createPropertyValueResolver", () => {
 				],
 			});
 		});
+
+		it("should throw when an embedded @variable is not defined", () => {
+			expect(() => resolvePropertyValue("@0.25 @0.5")).toThrow(
+				'Variable "0.25" is not defined',
+			);
+		});
+
+		it("should throw when only one of several embedded refs is undefined", () => {
+			root.variables.push({
+				type: "variable",
+				id: "border-width",
+				name: "border.width",
+				value: "1px",
+			});
+
+			expect(() =>
+				resolvePropertyValue("@border.width solid @color.primary"),
+			).toThrow('Variable "color.primary" is not defined');
+		});
+
+		it("should still compile embedded refs when every variable is defined", () => {
+			root.variables.push(
+				{
+					type: "variable",
+					id: "spacing-sm",
+					name: "spacing.sm",
+					value: "0.5rem",
+				},
+				{
+					type: "variable",
+					id: "spacing-md",
+					name: "spacing.md",
+					value: "1rem",
+				},
+			);
+
+			const result = resolvePropertyValue("@spacing.sm @spacing.md");
+
+			expect(result).toEqual({
+				type: "css",
+				value: [
+					{
+						type: "reference",
+						name: "spacing.sm",
+						fallback: undefined,
+					},
+					" ",
+					{
+						type: "reference",
+						name: "spacing.md",
+						fallback: undefined,
+					},
+				],
+			});
+		});
 	});
 });
diff --git a/engine/core/src/tokens/resolve.ts b/engine/core/src/tokens/resolve.ts
index 80561a70..5d3b36cf 100644
--- a/engine/core/src/tokens/resolve.ts
+++ b/engine/core/src/tokens/resolve.ts
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ export function createPropertyValueResolver(parent: Container, root: Root) {
 		if (hasReferences) {
 			for (const part of parts) {
 				if (isRef(part)) {
+					validateReference(part.name, parent, root);
 					root._usage.variables.add(part.name);
 				}
 			}