diff --git a/packages/fig/src/node-change/convert.ts b/packages/fig/src/node-change/convert.ts
index 6c1323e1e..3c53878bb 100644
--- a/packages/fig/src/node-change/convert.ts
+++ b/packages/fig/src/node-change/convert.ts
@@ -423,14 +423,25 @@ function convertTextProps(nc: NodeChange, blobs: Uint8Array[]): TextProps {
   }
 }
 
+function consumesVariableField(nc: NodeChange, field: string): boolean {
+  return nc.variableConsumptionMap?.entries?.some((entry) => entry.variableField === field) ?? false
+}
+
 function convertLayoutPadding(
   nc: NodeChange
 ): Pick<SceneNode, 'paddingTop' | 'paddingBottom' | 'paddingLeft' | 'paddingRight'> {
+  const basePadding = nc.stackPadding ?? 0
+  const verticalPadding = nc.stackVerticalPadding ?? basePadding
+  const horizontalPadding = nc.stackHorizontalPadding ?? basePadding
   return {
-    paddingTop: nc.stackVerticalPadding ?? nc.stackPadding ?? 0,
-    paddingBottom: nc.stackPaddingBottom ?? nc.stackVerticalPadding ?? nc.stackPadding ?? 0,
-    paddingLeft: nc.stackHorizontalPadding ?? nc.stackPadding ?? 0,
-    paddingRight: nc.stackPaddingRight ?? nc.stackHorizontalPadding ?? nc.stackPadding ?? 0
+    paddingTop: verticalPadding,
+    paddingBottom:
+      nc.stackPaddingBottom ??
+      (consumesVariableField(nc, 'STACK_PADDING_TOP') ? basePadding : verticalPadding),
+    paddingLeft: horizontalPadding,
+    paddingRight:
+      nc.stackPaddingRight ??
+      (consumesVariableField(nc, 'STACK_PADDING_LEFT') ? basePadding : horizontalPadding)
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/fig/src/node-change/serialize.ts b/packages/fig/src/node-change/serialize.ts
index cb9c9d3b6..78e4e299f 100644
--- a/packages/fig/src/node-change/serialize.ts
+++ b/packages/fig/src/node-change/serialize.ts
@@ -305,6 +305,17 @@ function normalizeStackCounterAlign(value: string | undefined): string | undefin
   return value === 'SPACE_EVENLY' ? 'SPACE_BETWEEN' : value
 }
 
+function preserveTrailingPadding(
+  explicitValue: number | undefined,
+  leadingValue: number | undefined,
+  baseValue: number | undefined,
+  normalizedValue: number
+): number | undefined {
+  if (explicitValue !== undefined) return explicitValue
+  const inheritedValue = leadingValue ?? baseValue ?? normalizedValue
+  return normalizedValue !== inheritedValue ? normalizedValue : undefined
+}
+
 function serializeLayoutProps(node: SceneNode, nc: KiwiNodeChange): void {
   if (!node.source.id) upsertPluginData(node, LAYOUT_DIRECTION_PLUGIN_KEY, node.layoutDirection)
   const figLayout = node.source.fig.layout
@@ -312,8 +323,18 @@ function serializeLayoutProps(node: SceneNode, nc: KiwiNodeChange): void {
     nc.stackMode = normalizeStackMode(figLayout.stackMode)
     nc.stackSpacing = figLayout.stackSpacing
     nc.stackPadding = figLayout.stackPadding
-    nc.stackPaddingRight = figLayout.stackPaddingRight
-    nc.stackPaddingBottom = figLayout.stackPaddingBottom
+    nc.stackPaddingRight = preserveTrailingPadding(
+      figLayout.stackPaddingRight,
+      figLayout.stackHorizontalPadding,
+      figLayout.stackPadding,
+      node.paddingRight
+    )
+    nc.stackPaddingBottom = preserveTrailingPadding(
+      figLayout.stackPaddingBottom,
+      figLayout.stackVerticalPadding,
+      figLayout.stackPadding,
+      node.paddingBottom
+    )
     nc.stackCounterAlign = normalizeStackCounterAlign(figLayout.stackCounterAlign)
     nc.stackJustify = normalizeStackJustify(figLayout.stackJustify)
     nc.stackCounterAlignItems = normalizeStackCounterAlign(figLayout.stackCounterAlignItems)
diff --git a/tests/engine/io/fig/import/legacy/auto-layout/basic.test.ts b/tests/engine/io/fig/import/legacy/auto-layout/basic.test.ts
index 8e07a5ade..92d27c603 100644
--- a/tests/engine/io/fig/import/legacy/auto-layout/basic.test.ts
+++ b/tests/engine/io/fig/import/legacy/auto-layout/basic.test.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,44 @@
 import { describe, expect, test } from 'bun:test'
 
 import { importNodeChanges } from '@open-pencil/core'
+import { nodeChangeToProps } from '@open-pencil/fig/node-change'
+import type { NodeChange } from '@open-pencil/kiwi/fig/codec'
 
 import { canvas, doc, node } from '../helpers'
 
 describe('fig-import: auto-layout alignment', () => {
+  test('keeps variable-bound leading padding independent', () => {
+    const props = nodeChangeToProps(
+      {
+        type: 'FRAME',
+        stackMode: 'VERTICAL',
+        stackVerticalPadding: 8,
+        stackHorizontalPadding: 6,
+        variableConsumptionMap: {
+          entries: [
+            {
+              variableField: 'STACK_PADDING_TOP',
+              variableData: {
+                value: { alias: { guid: { sessionID: 2, localID: 1 } } }
+              }
+            },
+            {
+              variableField: 'STACK_PADDING_LEFT',
+              variableData: {
+                value: { alias: { guid: { sessionID: 2, localID: 2 } } }
+              }
+            }
+          ]
+        }
+      } as NodeChange,
+      []
+    )
+    expect(props.paddingTop).toBe(8)
+    expect(props.paddingBottom).toBe(0)
+    expect(props.paddingLeft).toBe(6)
+    expect(props.paddingRight).toBe(0)
+  })
+
   test('maps SPACE_EVENLY kiwi primary alignment to Figma space-between', () => {
     const graph = importNodeChanges([
       doc(),
diff --git a/tests/engine/io/fig/roundtrip/exhaustive.test.ts b/tests/engine/io/fig/roundtrip/exhaustive.test.ts
index e1216bebd..eda3c7306 100644
--- a/tests/engine/io/fig/roundtrip/exhaustive.test.ts
+++ b/tests/engine/io/fig/roundtrip/exhaustive.test.ts
@@ -64,8 +64,8 @@ const SPECS: FixtureSpec[] = [
     thumbnailHeight: 239,
     imageCount: 3,
     figKiwiVersion: 101,
-    g1ExportSize: 596988,
-    g2ExportSize: 596988
+    g1ExportSize: 596992,
+    g2ExportSize: 596992
   }
 ]