diff --git a/src/__tests__/native/root-variable-registry.test.ts b/src/__tests__/native/root-variable-registry.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..48ea3cf5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/__tests__/native/root-variable-registry.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+import { rootVariables, universalVariables } from "../../native-internal/root";
+
+test("the module's exports are the registries published on globalThis", () => {
+  const registries = globalThis.__react_native_css_root_variable_registries;
+
+  expect(registries).toBeDefined();
+  expect(rootVariables).toBe(registries?.root);
+  expect(universalVariables).toBe(registries?.universal);
+});
+
+test("a second copy of the module shares the registries and does not re-seed", async () => {
+  // jest.resetModules() gives a fresh module registry against the same globalThis, which
+  // is exactly the dual-package case: the exports map splits import and require onto
+  // different builds, so two copies of this file evaluate in one bundle
+  const firstCopy = await import("../../native-internal/root");
+
+  expect(firstCopy.rootVariables("__rn-css-rem").get()).toBe(14);
+  firstCopy.rootVariables("__rn-css-rem").set([[16]]);
+
+  jest.resetModules();
+  const secondCopy = await import("../../native-internal/root");
+
+  // The module body really re-ran, so the assertions below are about two copies
+  expect(secondCopy).not.toBe(firstCopy);
+
+  expect(secondCopy.rootVariables).toBe(firstCopy.rootVariables);
+  expect(secondCopy.rootVariables("__rn-css-rem").get()).toBe(16);
+});
diff --git a/src/native-internal/root.ts b/src/native-internal/root.ts
index e45a7d11..0e86502b 100644
--- a/src/native-internal/root.ts
+++ b/src/native-internal/root.ts
@@ -29,16 +29,47 @@ const rootVariableFamily = () => {
   });
 };
 
-export const rootVariables = rootVariableFamily();
-export const universalVariables = rootVariableFamily();
-
-rootVariables("__rn-css-rem").set([[14]]);
-// eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-argument
-rootVariables("__rn-css-color").set([
-  [
-    Platform.OS === "ios"
-      ? PlatformColor("label", "labelColor")
-      : PlatformColor("?attr/textColorPrimary", "SystemBaseHighColor"),
-  ],
-  // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
-] as any);
+interface RootVariableRegistries {
+  root: ReturnType<typeof rootVariableFamily>;
+  universal: ReturnType<typeof rootVariableFamily>;
+}
+
+declare global {
+  var __react_native_css_root_variable_registries:
+    | RootVariableRegistries
+    | undefined;
+}
+
+// Creating and seeding are one step. Guarding only the creation leaves the seeds running
+// unconditionally, so a copy initialising after the stylesheet inject clobbers a project's
+// `:root { font-size: 16px }` back to 14
+function createRootVariableRegistries(): RootVariableRegistries {
+  const registries: RootVariableRegistries = {
+    root: rootVariableFamily(),
+    universal: rootVariableFamily(),
+  };
+
+  registries.root("__rn-css-rem").set([[14]]);
+  // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-argument
+  registries.root("__rn-css-color").set([
+    [
+      Platform.OS === "ios"
+        ? PlatformColor("label", "labelColor")
+        : PlatformColor("?attr/textColorPrimary", "SystemBaseHighColor"),
+    ],
+    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
+  ] as any);
+
+  return registries;
+}
+
+// Global, like style-collection.ts and variables.tsx: the exports map splits import and
+// require onto different builds and Metro resolves that per requesting module, so a
+// compiled-CommonJS dependency and first-party source bind different copies of this file
+globalThis.__react_native_css_root_variable_registries ??=
+  createRootVariableRegistries();
+
+export const rootVariables =
+  globalThis.__react_native_css_root_variable_registries.root;
+export const universalVariables =
+  globalThis.__react_native_css_root_variable_registries.universal;