diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b9fcc4bbba73..38fe91eecdf8 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 ### Fixed
 
 - Ensure `theme` values defined outside of `extend` in JS configuration files overwrite all existing values for that namespace ([#14672](https://github.com/tailwindlabs/tailwindcss/pull/14672))
+- Remove unnecessary variable fallbacks in gradient utilities ([#14705](https://github.com/tailwindlabs/tailwindcss/pull/14705))
 - _Upgrade (experimental)_: Speed up template migrations ([#14679](https://github.com/tailwindlabs/tailwindcss/pull/14679))
 - _Upgrade (experimental)_: Don't generate invalid CSS when migrating a complex `screens` config ([#14691](https://github.com/tailwindlabs/tailwindcss/pull/14691))
 
diff --git a/packages/tailwindcss/src/utilities.test.ts b/packages/tailwindcss/src/utilities.test.ts
index c79ac61cf6e7..d37bf98d007a 100644
--- a/packages/tailwindcss/src/utilities.test.ts
+++ b/packages/tailwindcss/src/utilities.test.ts
@@ -9566,42 +9566,42 @@ test('bg', async () => {
 
     .bg-gradient-to-b {
       --tw-gradient-position: to bottom, ;
-      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops, to bottom));
+      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops));
     }
 
     .bg-gradient-to-bl {
       --tw-gradient-position: to bottom left, ;
-      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops, to bottom left));
+      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops));
     }
 
     .bg-gradient-to-br {
       --tw-gradient-position: to bottom right, ;
-      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops, to bottom right));
+      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops));
     }
 
     .bg-gradient-to-l {
       --tw-gradient-position: to left, ;
-      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops, to left));
+      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops));
     }
 
     .bg-gradient-to-r {
       --tw-gradient-position: to right, ;
-      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops, to right));
+      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops));
     }
 
     .bg-gradient-to-t {
       --tw-gradient-position: to top, ;
-      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops, to top));
+      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops));
     }
 
     .bg-gradient-to-tl {
       --tw-gradient-position: to top left, ;
-      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops, to top left));
+      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops));
     }
 
     .bg-gradient-to-tr {
       --tw-gradient-position: to top right, ;
-      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops, to top right));
+      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops));
     }
 
     .bg-linear-\\[1\\.3rad\\] {
@@ -9614,44 +9614,49 @@ test('bg', async () => {
       background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops, 125deg));
     }
 
-    .bg-linear-\\[to_bottom\\], .bg-linear-to-b {
+    .bg-linear-\\[to_bottom\\] {
       --tw-gradient-position: to bottom, ;
       background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops, to bottom));
     }
 
+    .bg-linear-to-b {
+      --tw-gradient-position: to bottom, ;
+      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops));
+    }
+
     .bg-linear-to-bl {
       --tw-gradient-position: to bottom left, ;
-      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops, to bottom left));
+      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops));
     }
 
     .bg-linear-to-br {
       --tw-gradient-position: to bottom right, ;
-      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops, to bottom right));
+      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops));
     }
 
     .bg-linear-to-l {
       --tw-gradient-position: to left, ;
-      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops, to left));
+      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops));
     }
 
     .bg-linear-to-r {
       --tw-gradient-position: to right, ;
-      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops, to right));
+      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops));
     }
 
     .bg-linear-to-t {
       --tw-gradient-position: to top, ;
-      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops, to top));
+      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops));
     }
 
     .bg-linear-to-tl {
       --tw-gradient-position: to top left, ;
-      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops, to top left));
+      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops));
     }
 
     .bg-linear-to-tr {
       --tw-gradient-position: to top right, ;
-      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops, to top right));
+      background-image: linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops));
     }
 
     .bg-\\[image\\:var\\(--my-gradient\\)\\] {
diff --git a/packages/tailwindcss/src/utilities.ts b/packages/tailwindcss/src/utilities.ts
index fb5758740c44..4df51fdc5c7e 100644
--- a/packages/tailwindcss/src/utilities.ts
+++ b/packages/tailwindcss/src/utilities.ts
@@ -2517,12 +2517,12 @@ export function createUtilities(theme: Theme) {
   ]) {
     staticUtility(`bg-gradient-to-${value}`, [
       ['--tw-gradient-position', `to ${direction},`],
-      ['background-image', `linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops, to ${direction}))`],
+      ['background-image', `linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops))`],
     ])
 
     staticUtility(`bg-linear-to-${value}`, [
       ['--tw-gradient-position', `to ${direction},`],
-      ['background-image', `linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops, to ${direction}))`],
+      ['background-image', `linear-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops))`],
     ])
   }
 
@@ -2578,7 +2578,7 @@ export function createUtilities(theme: Theme) {
 
       return [
         decl('--tw-gradient-position', `from ${value},`),
-        decl('background-image', `conic-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops,from ${value}))`),
+        decl('background-image', `conic-gradient(var(--tw-gradient-stops))`),
       ]
     }
   })