diff --git a/packages/pigment-css-theme/src/theme.ts b/packages/pigment-css-theme/src/theme.ts
index 64563577..c9df00d3 100644
--- a/packages/pigment-css-theme/src/theme.ts
+++ b/packages/pigment-css-theme/src/theme.ts
@@ -1,17 +1,22 @@
 export interface Theme {}
 
-type Join<K extends string | number, P extends string> = K extends string | number
-  ? P extends ''
-    ? `${K}`
-    : `${P}.${K}`
+type Join<K, P> = K extends string | number
+  ? P extends string | number
+    ? `${K}${P extends '' ? '' : '.'}${P}`
+    : never
   : never;
 
-type PathsToLeaves<T extends object, P extends string = ''> = {
-  [K in keyof T]: T[K] extends object
-    ? PathsToLeaves<T[K], Join<K & string, P>>
-    : Join<K & string, P>;
-}[keyof T];
+type Prev = [never, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, ...0[]];
 
+type PathsToLeaves<T, D extends number = 10> = T extends object
+  ? {
+      [K in keyof T]-?: K extends string | number
+        ? T[K] extends object
+          ? Join<K, PathsToLeaves<T[K], Prev[D]>>
+          : `${K}`
+        : never;
+    }[keyof T]
+  : '';
 export type ThemeKey = `$${PathsToLeaves<Theme>}`;
 
 /**
@@ -28,7 +33,7 @@ export type ThemeKey = `$${PathsToLeaves<Theme>}`;
  * // override Theme type as per docs
  *
  * const cls1 = css({
- *   border: `1px solid t('$palette.main')`,
+ *   border: `1px solid ${t('$palette.main')}`,
  * })
  * ```
  */
diff --git a/packages/pigment-css-theme/tests/theme.spec.ts b/packages/pigment-css-theme/tests/theme.spec.ts
index ed2f2a3b..b4cc0a78 100644
--- a/packages/pigment-css-theme/tests/theme.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/pigment-css-theme/tests/theme.spec.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,31 @@
 import { t } from '../src';
 
+const theme = {
+  gray: {
+    surface: {
+      1: 'hsl(0 0% 99%)',
+      '2': 'hsl(0 0% 97.5%)',
+    },
+  },
+  br: {
+    circle: '50%',
+    pill: '9999px',
+  },
+};
+
+type UserTheme = typeof theme;
+
 declare module '../src' {
-  interface Theme {
-    palette: {
-      main: string;
-    };
-  }
+  interface Theme extends UserTheme {}
 }
 
-t('$palette.main');
+t('$gray.surface.1');
+t('$gray.surface.2');
+// @ts-expect-error 3 does not exist
+t('$gray.surface.3');
+t('$br.circle');
+// @ts-expect-error circle1 does not exist
+t('$br.circle1');
 
 // @ts-expect-error
 t('$palette.secondary');