diff --git a/lisp/textmodes/css-mode.el b/lisp/textmodes/css-mode.el
index 93a8dceec18..40643743b95 100644
--- a/lisp/textmodes/css-mode.el
+++ b/lisp/textmodes/css-mode.el
@@ -547,8 +547,6 @@ pseudo-classes, and at-rules."
   (let ((st (make-syntax-table css-mode-syntax-table)))
     (modify-syntax-entry ?/ ". 124" st)
     (modify-syntax-entry ?\n ">" st)
-    ;; Variable names are prefixed by $.
-    (modify-syntax-entry ?$ "'" st)
     st))
 
 (defvar scss-font-lock-keywords