diff --git a/src/internal/style-api/__tests__/docs.test.ts b/src/internal/style-api/__tests__/docs.test.ts
index 173f65e..38adcbe 100644
--- a/src/internal/style-api/__tests__/docs.test.ts
+++ b/src/internal/style-api/__tests__/docs.test.ts
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ const marker = (name: string, tokens: string[], properties: string[] = []) =>
   `/* awsui:style-api-slot name=${name} tokens=${tokens.join(', ')} properties=${properties.join(', ')} */`;
 
 // Emulates the compiled output of `@include style-api.docs-forward($name, $component, $slot)`.
-const forwardMarker = (name: string, component: string, slot: string) =>
-  `/* awsui:style-api-slot name=${name} component=${component} slot=${slot} */`;
+const forwardMarker = (name: string, component: string, slot?: string) =>
+  `/* awsui:style-api-slot name=${name} component=${component}${slot ? ` slot=${slot}` : ''} */`;
 
 // The expected docs of a token slot, with the always-present fields defaulted to empty.
 const tokenSlot = (
@@ -83,6 +83,12 @@ test('reads a forward slot that points to another component slot', () => {
   ]);
 });
 
+test('reads a forward slot that points to a whole component', () => {
+  expect(extractStyleApiDocs(forwardMarker('statusPopover', 'popover')).slots).toEqual([
+    { name: 'statusPopover', forwardsTo: { component: 'popover' } },
+  ]);
+});
+
 test('reads token slots and forward slots together, preserving order', () => {
   const css = `
     ${marker('root', ['color-text', 'color-background'])}
diff --git a/src/internal/style-api/docs.ts b/src/internal/style-api/docs.ts
index c15b3f0..e3e5ac1 100644
--- a/src/internal/style-api/docs.ts
+++ b/src/internal/style-api/docs.ts
@@ -11,15 +11,16 @@
 //
 //   forward slot — `@include style-api.docs-forward($name, $component, $slot)`:
 //     /* awsui:style-api-slot name=<slot> component=<component> slot=<target-slot> */
+//     /* awsui:style-api-slot name=<slot> component=<component> */
 //
-// A forward slot reuses another component's slot (e.g. a nested Button) instead of owning tokens;
-// the docs consumer resolves it to that component's slot, so it never goes stale.
+// A forward slot reuses another component's slot (e.g. a nested Button), or the whole component when
+// no slot is given, instead of owning tokens; the docs consumer resolves it, so it never goes stale.
 //
 // docs() also emits one description marker per described slot, token or property:
 //     /* awsui:style-api-description slot=<slot> kind=<slot|token|property> name=<name> text=<text> */
 
 const MARKER =
-  /awsui:style-api-slot\s+name=([\w-]+)\s+(?:tokens=([^*]*?)\s+properties=([^*]*)|component=([\w-]+)\s+slot=([\w-]+)\s*)\*\//;
+  /awsui:style-api-slot\s+name=([\w-]+)\s+(?:tokens=([^*]*?)\s+properties=([^*]*)|component=([\w-]+)(?:\s+slot=([\w-]+))?\s*)\*\//;
 
 const DESCRIPTION_MARKER =
   /awsui:style-api-description\s+slot=([\w-]+)\s+kind=(slot|token|property)\s+name=([\w-]+)\s+text=([^*]*?)\s*\*\//;
@@ -71,9 +72,10 @@ export interface StyleApiTokenSlotDocs extends StyleApiSlotDocsBase {
 
 export interface StyleApiForwardSlotDocs extends StyleApiSlotDocsBase {
   /**
-   * The slot this one forwards to. Its tokens are whatever the referenced component's slot documents.
+   * The slot this one forwards to, or the whole component when `slot` is absent. Its style API is
+   * whatever the referenced component (slot) documents.
    */
-  forwardsTo: { component: string; slot: string };
+  forwardsTo: { component: string; slot?: string };
 }
 
 /**
@@ -100,7 +102,7 @@ export function extractStyleApiDocs(css: string): StyleApiDocs {
         propertyDescriptions: {},
       };
     } else {
-      slotDocs = { name, forwardsTo: { component, slot } };
+      slotDocs = { name, forwardsTo: slot ? { component, slot } : { component } };
     }
     slots.push(slotDocs);
     slotsByName.set(name, slotDocs);
diff --git a/src/internal/style-api/index.scss b/src/internal/style-api/index.scss
index fdb2a8c..e3b64b7 100644
--- a/src/internal/style-api/index.scss
+++ b/src/internal/style-api/index.scss
@@ -137,8 +137,12 @@
 
 // Documents a slot that forwards to another component's slot (e.g. a nested Button) instead of
 // owning tokens. `$name` must match the component's `classNames` property entry; `$component` and
-// `$slot` name the target component and its slot. The slot's tokens are whatever that target slot
-// documents — resolved by the docs consumer, so this stays in sync automatically. Emits docs only.
-@mixin docs-forward($name, $component, $slot) {
-  /* awsui:style-api-slot name=#{$name} component=#{$component} slot=#{$slot} */
+// `$slot` name the target component and, optionally, its slot; without a slot the forward covers the
+// whole component. Resolved by the docs consumer, so this stays in sync automatically. Emits docs only.
+@mixin docs-forward($name, $component, $slot: null) {
+  @if $slot {
+    /* awsui:style-api-slot name=#{$name} component=#{$component} slot=#{$slot} */
+  } @else {
+    /* awsui:style-api-slot name=#{$name} component=#{$component} */
+  }
 }