diff --git a/.changeset/legacy-env-imports.md b/.changeset/legacy-env-imports.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..4ca3ffec668b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/legacy-env-imports.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@sveltejs/kit': minor
+---
+
+feat: reinstate `$env/static/private`, `$env/dynamic/private`, `$env/static/public`, `$env/dynamic/public` and `$app/environment` as deprecated aliases for `$app/env/private` `$app/env/public` and `$app/env`
diff --git a/documentation/docs/20-core-concepts/70-environment-variables.md b/documentation/docs/20-core-concepts/70-environment-variables.md
index d785468585c0..c98ec820950e 100644
--- a/documentation/docs/20-core-concepts/70-environment-variables.md
+++ b/documentation/docs/20-core-concepts/70-environment-variables.md
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ After following the setup below, they can be imported via the following modules:
 - [`$app/env/public`]($app-env-public)
 
 > [!LEGACY]
-> The `$env/*` modules, along with `$app/environment` were removed in SvelteKit 3 in favour of explicit environment variables that were added in SvelteKit 2.62 as an experimental option.
+> The `$env/*` modules, along with `$app/environment` were deprecated in SvelteKit 3 (and will be removed in SvelteKit 4) in favour of explicit environment variables that were added in SvelteKit 2.62 as an experimental option.
 
 ### Setup
 
diff --git a/documentation/docs/98-reference/20-$app-environment.md b/documentation/docs/98-reference/20-$app-environment.md
index 196d3061d844..2968e7f45367 100644
--- a/documentation/docs/98-reference/20-$app-environment.md
+++ b/documentation/docs/98-reference/20-$app-environment.md
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@
 title: $app/environment
 ---
 
-This module was removed in SvelteKit 3 in favour of [$app/env]($app-env).
+This module was deprecated in SvelteKit 3 in favour of [$app/env]($app-env). It will be removed in SvelteKit 4.
diff --git a/documentation/docs/98-reference/25-$env-dynamic-private.md b/documentation/docs/98-reference/25-$env-dynamic-private.md
index 127493349119..72b7391d4881 100644
--- a/documentation/docs/98-reference/25-$env-dynamic-private.md
+++ b/documentation/docs/98-reference/25-$env-dynamic-private.md
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@
 title: $env/dynamic/private
 ---
 
-This module was removed in SvelteKit 3 in favour of [explicit environment variables](environment-variables).
+This module was deprecated in SvelteKit 3 in favour of [explicit environment variables](environment-variables). It will be removed in SvelteKit 4.
diff --git a/documentation/docs/98-reference/25-$env-dynamic-public.md b/documentation/docs/98-reference/25-$env-dynamic-public.md
index 1f495fd66cd1..793995e9ba96 100644
--- a/documentation/docs/98-reference/25-$env-dynamic-public.md
+++ b/documentation/docs/98-reference/25-$env-dynamic-public.md
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@
 title: $env/dynamic/public
 ---
 
-This module was removed in SvelteKit 3 in favour of [explicit environment variables](environment-variables).
+This module was deprecated in SvelteKit 3 in favour of [explicit environment variables](environment-variables). It will be removed in SvelteKit 4.
diff --git a/documentation/docs/98-reference/25-$env-static-private.md b/documentation/docs/98-reference/25-$env-static-private.md
index ae16f1389960..19b14e4e2ce1 100644
--- a/documentation/docs/98-reference/25-$env-static-private.md
+++ b/documentation/docs/98-reference/25-$env-static-private.md
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@
 title: $env/static/private
 ---
 
-This module was removed in SvelteKit 3 in favour of [explicit environment variables](environment-variables).
+This module was deprecated in SvelteKit 3 in favour of [explicit environment variables](environment-variables). It will be removed in SvelteKit 4.
diff --git a/documentation/docs/98-reference/25-$env-static-public.md b/documentation/docs/98-reference/25-$env-static-public.md
index d55ec39cb150..7e936817d3d5 100644
--- a/documentation/docs/98-reference/25-$env-static-public.md
+++ b/documentation/docs/98-reference/25-$env-static-public.md
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@
 title: $env/static/public
 ---
 
-This module was removed in SvelteKit 3 in favour of [explicit environment variables](environment-variables).
+This module was deprecated in SvelteKit 3 in favour of [explicit environment variables](environment-variables). It will be removed in SvelteKit 4.
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/exports/vite/index.js b/packages/kit/src/exports/vite/index.js
index 56479d7ebe1d..f3d69b9957ca 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/exports/vite/index.js
+++ b/packages/kit/src/exports/vite/index.js
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ const enforced_config = {
 	resolve: {
 		alias: {
 			$app: true,
+			$env: true,
 			$lib: true,
 			'$service-worker': true
 		}
@@ -386,6 +387,7 @@ function kit({ svelte_config }) {
 						alias: [
 							{ find: '__SERVER__', replacement: `${generated}/server` },
 							{ find: '$app', replacement: `${runtime_directory}/app` },
+							{ find: '$env', replacement: `${runtime_directory}/env` },
 							...get_config_aliases(kit, root)
 						]
 					},
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/runtime/app/environment/index.js b/packages/kit/src/runtime/app/environment/index.js
index d57e433f52fa..573ed729d892 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/runtime/app/environment/index.js
+++ b/packages/kit/src/runtime/app/environment/index.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-import { dev } from '../env/index.js';
+import { DEV } from 'esm-env';
 export * from '../env/index.js';
 
-if (dev) {
-	console.warn('`$app/environment` is now `$app/env`');
+if (DEV) {
+	console.warn('`$app/environment` is deprecated, use `$app/env` instead');
 }
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/runtime/env/dynamic/private.js b/packages/kit/src/runtime/env/dynamic/private.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..d1875571ac66
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/kit/src/runtime/env/dynamic/private.js
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+import { DEV } from 'esm-env';
+import * as env from '../../app/env/private.js';
+export { env };
+
+if (DEV) {
+	console.warn('`$env/dynamic/private` is deprecated, use `$app/env/private` instead');
+}
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/runtime/env/dynamic/public.js b/packages/kit/src/runtime/env/dynamic/public.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..1c77e1e80b83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/kit/src/runtime/env/dynamic/public.js
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+import { DEV } from 'esm-env';
+import * as env from '../../app/env/public/index.js';
+export { env };
+
+if (DEV) {
+	console.warn('`$env/dynamic/public` is deprecated, use `$app/env/public` instead');
+}
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/runtime/env/static/private.js b/packages/kit/src/runtime/env/static/private.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..27beb05e7236
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/kit/src/runtime/env/static/private.js
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+import { DEV } from 'esm-env';
+export * from '../../app/env/private.js';
+
+if (DEV) {
+	console.warn('`$env/static/private` is deprecated, use `$app/env/private` instead');
+}
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/runtime/env/static/public.js b/packages/kit/src/runtime/env/static/public.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..b5fc00d88707
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/kit/src/runtime/env/static/public.js
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+import { DEV } from 'esm-env';
+export * from '../../app/env/public/index.js';
+
+if (DEV) {
+	console.warn('`$env/static/public` is deprecated, use `$app/env/public` instead');
+}
diff --git a/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/src/routes/env/legacy/+page.server.js b/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/src/routes/env/legacy/+page.server.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..336ff9408ba0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/src/routes/env/legacy/+page.server.js
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+// @ts-expect-error no type definitions since deprecated
+import { PRIVATE_STATIC } from '$env/static/private';
+// @ts-expect-error no type definitions since deprecated
+import { env as dynamic_private } from '$env/dynamic/private';
+
+export function load() {
+	return {
+		PRIVATE_STATIC,
+		PRIVATE_DYNAMIC: dynamic_private.PRIVATE_DYNAMIC
+	};
+}
diff --git a/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/src/routes/env/legacy/+page.svelte b/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/src/routes/env/legacy/+page.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..730af04c99eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/src/routes/env/legacy/+page.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+<script>
+	// @ts-expect-error no type definitions since deprecated
+	import { PUBLIC_STATIC } from '$env/static/public';
+	// @ts-expect-error no type definitions since deprecated
+	import { env as dynamic_public } from '$env/dynamic/public';
+
+	/** @type {import('./$types').PageData} */
+	export let data;
+</script>
+
+<p id="static-private">PRIVATE_STATIC: {data.PRIVATE_STATIC}</p>
+<p id="dynamic-private">PRIVATE_DYNAMIC: {data.PRIVATE_DYNAMIC}</p>
+
+<p id="static-public">PUBLIC_STATIC: {PUBLIC_STATIC}</p>
+<p id="dynamic-public">PUBLIC_DYNAMIC: {dynamic_public.PUBLIC_DYNAMIC}</p>
diff --git a/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/test/test.js b/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/test/test.js
index b6dac3ac1f07..2245869c1292 100644
--- a/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/test/test.js
+++ b/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/test/test.js
@@ -210,6 +210,24 @@ test.describe('$app/env', () => {
 			'PUBLIC_DYNAMIC: accessible anywhere/evaluated at run time'
 		);
 	});
+
+	test('legacy $env/* imports still work', async ({ page }) => {
+		await page.goto('/env/legacy');
+
+		await expect(page.locator('#static-private')).toHaveText(
+			'PRIVATE_STATIC: accessible to server-side code/replaced at build time'
+		);
+		await expect(page.locator('#dynamic-private')).toHaveText(
+			'PRIVATE_DYNAMIC: accessible to server-side code/evaluated at run time'
+		);
+
+		await expect(page.locator('#static-public')).toHaveText(
+			'PUBLIC_STATIC: accessible anywhere/replaced at build time'
+		);
+		await expect(page.locator('#dynamic-public')).toHaveText(
+			'PUBLIC_DYNAMIC: accessible anywhere/evaluated at run time'
+		);
+	});
 });
 
 test.describe('Load', () => {