diff --git a/.changeset/famous-flies-kick.md b/.changeset/famous-flies-kick.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..abbd18f9c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/famous-flies-kick.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/core-plugin-api': patch
+---
+
+The `createTranslationRef` function from the `/alpha` subpath can now also accept a nested object structure of default translation messages, which will be flatted using `.` separators.
diff --git a/.changeset/silver-rocks-deliver.md b/.changeset/silver-rocks-deliver.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..eb132199f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/silver-rocks-deliver.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-user-settings': patch
+'@backstage/plugin-catalog': patch
+'@backstage/plugin-adr': patch
+---
+
+Updated alpha translation message keys to use nested format and camel case.
diff --git a/docs/plugins/internationalization.md b/docs/plugins/internationalization.md
index 78b7de6342..13bb098262 100644
--- a/docs/plugins/internationalization.md
+++ b/docs/plugins/internationalization.md
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ The Backstage core function provides internationalization for plugins
 
 ## For a plugin developer
 
-When you are creating your plugin, you have the possibility to use `createTranslationRef` to define all messages for your plugin. For example
+When you are creating your plugin, you have the possibility to use `createTranslationRef` to define all messages for your plugin. For example:
 
 ```ts
 import { createTranslationRef } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api/alpha';
@@ -19,8 +19,13 @@ import { createTranslationRef } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api/alpha';
 export const myPluginTranslationRef = createTranslationRef({
   id: 'plugin.my-plugin',
   messages: {
-    index_page_title: 'All your components',
-    create_component_button_label: 'Create new component',
+    indexPage: {
+      title: 'All your components',
+      createButtonTitle: 'Create new component',
+    },
+    entityPage: {
+      notFound: 'Entity not found',
+    },
   },
 });
 ```
@@ -33,9 +38,9 @@ import { useTranslationRef } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api/alpha';
 const { t } = useTranslationRef(myPluginTranslationRef);
 
 return (
-  <PageHeader title={t('index_page_title')}>
+  <PageHeader title={t('indexPage.title')}>
     <Button onClick={handleCreateComponent}>
-      {t('create_component_button_label')}
+      {t('indexPage.createButtonTitle')}
     </Button>
   </PageHeader>
 );
@@ -53,7 +58,7 @@ In an app you can both override the default messages, as well as register transl
 +      createTranslationMessages({
 +        ref: myPluginTranslationRef,
 +        messages: {
-+          create_component_button_label: 'Create new entity',
++          'indexPage.createButtonTitle': 'Create new entity',
 +        },
 +      }),
 +      createTranslationResource({
diff --git a/packages/core-plugin-api/alpha-api-report.md b/packages/core-plugin-api/alpha-api-report.md
index ba3583142f..c0f0d02535 100644
--- a/packages/core-plugin-api/alpha-api-report.md
+++ b/packages/core-plugin-api/alpha-api-report.md
@@ -39,19 +39,17 @@ export function createTranslationMessages<
 // @alpha (undocumented)
 export function createTranslationRef<
   TId extends string,
-  const TMessages extends {
-    [key in string]: string;
-  },
+  const TNestedMessages extends AnyNestedMessages,
   TTranslations extends {
     [language in string]: () => Promise<{
       default: {
-        [key in keyof TMessages]: string | null;
+        [key in keyof FlattenedMessages<TNestedMessages>]: string | null;
       };
     }>;
   },
 >(
-  config: TranslationRefOptions<TId, TMessages, TTranslations>,
-): TranslationRef<TId, TMessages>;
+  config: TranslationRefOptions<TId, TNestedMessages, TTranslations>,
+): TranslationRef<TId, FlattenedMessages<TNestedMessages>>;
 
 // @alpha (undocumented)
 export function createTranslationResource<
@@ -169,13 +167,11 @@ export interface TranslationRef<
 // @alpha (undocumented)
 export interface TranslationRefOptions<
   TId extends string,
-  TMessages extends {
-    [key in string]: string;
-  },
+  TNestedMessages extends AnyNestedMessages,
   TTranslations extends {
     [language in string]: () => Promise<{
       default: {
-        [key in keyof TMessages]: string | null;
+        [key in keyof FlattenedMessages<TNestedMessages>]: string | null;
       };
     }>;
   },
@@ -183,7 +179,7 @@ export interface TranslationRefOptions<
   // (undocumented)
   id: TId;
   // (undocumented)
-  messages: TMessages;
+  messages: TNestedMessages;
   // (undocumented)
   translations?: TTranslations;
 }
diff --git a/packages/core-plugin-api/src/translation/TranslationRef.test.ts b/packages/core-plugin-api/src/translation/TranslationRef.test.ts
index b73b521774..d1fde0810f 100644
--- a/packages/core-plugin-api/src/translation/TranslationRef.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core-plugin-api/src/translation/TranslationRef.test.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,40 @@ describe('TranslationRefImpl', () => {
     expect(internalRef.getDefaultMessages()).toEqual({ key: 'value' });
   });
 
+  it('should create a TranslationRef instance with nested messages', () => {
+    const ref = createTranslationRef({
+      id: 'test',
+      messages: {
+        key: 'value',
+        'nested.conflict1': 'outer conflict1',
+        nested: {
+          key: 'nested value',
+          key2: 'nested value2',
+          conflict1: 'inner conflict1',
+          conflict2: 'inner conflict2',
+          inner: {
+            key: 'inner value',
+          },
+        },
+        'nested.conflict2': 'outer conflict2',
+      },
+    });
+
+    const internalRef = toInternalTranslationRef(ref);
+
+    expect(internalRef.$$type).toBe('@backstage/TranslationRef');
+    expect(internalRef.version).toBe('v1');
+    expect(internalRef.id).toBe('test');
+    expect(internalRef.getDefaultMessages()).toEqual({
+      key: 'value',
+      'nested.key': 'nested value',
+      'nested.key2': 'nested value2',
+      'nested.conflict1': 'inner conflict1',
+      'nested.inner.key': 'inner value',
+      'nested.conflict2': 'outer conflict2',
+    });
+  });
+
   it('should be created with lazy translations', async () => {
     const ref = createTranslationRef({
       id: 'test',
diff --git a/packages/core-plugin-api/src/translation/TranslationRef.ts b/packages/core-plugin-api/src/translation/TranslationRef.ts
index 345a9c3f65..c2ac7a5ce3 100644
--- a/packages/core-plugin-api/src/translation/TranslationRef.ts
+++ b/packages/core-plugin-api/src/translation/TranslationRef.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,43 @@ export interface TranslationRef<
 /** @internal */
 type AnyMessages = { [key in string]: string };
 
+/** @ignore */
+type AnyNestedMessages = { [key in string]: AnyNestedMessages | string };
+
+/**
+ * Flattens a nested message declaration into a flat object with dot-separated keys.
+ *
+ * @ignore
+ */
+type FlattenedMessages<TMessages extends AnyNestedMessages> =
+  // Flatten out object keys into a union structure of objects, e.g. { a: 'a', b: 'b' } -> { a: 'a' } | { b: 'b' }
+  // Any nested object will be flattened into the individual unions, e.g. { a: 'a', b: { x: 'x', y: 'y' } } -> { a: 'a' } | { 'b.x': 'x', 'b.y': 'y' }
+  // We create this structure by first nesting the desired union types into the original object, and
+  // then extract them by indexing with `keyof TMessages` to form the union.
+  // Throughout this the objects are wrapped up in a function parameter, which allows us to have the
+  // final step of flipping this unions around to an intersection by inferring the function parameter.
+  {
+    [TKey in keyof TMessages]: (
+      _: TMessages[TKey] extends infer TValue // "local variable" for the value
+        ? TValue extends AnyNestedMessages
+          ? FlattenedMessages<TValue> extends infer TNested // Recurse into nested messages, "local variable" for the result
+            ? {
+                [TNestedKey in keyof TNested as `${TKey & string}.${TNestedKey &
+                  string}`]: TNested[TNestedKey];
+              }
+            : never
+          : { [_ in TKey]: TValue } // Primitive object values are passed through with the same key
+        : never,
+    ) => void;
+    // The `[keyof TMessages]` extracts the object values union from our flattened structure, still wrapped up in function parameters.
+    // The `extends (_: infer TIntersection) => void` flips the union to an intersection, at which point we have the correct type.
+  }[keyof TMessages] extends (_: infer TIntersection) => void
+    ? // This object mapping just expands similar to the Expand<> utility type, providing nicer type hints
+      {
+        readonly [TExpandKey in keyof TIntersection]: TIntersection[TExpandKey];
+      }
+    : never;
+
 /** @internal */
 export interface InternalTranslationRef<
   TId extends string = string,
@@ -49,31 +86,53 @@ export interface InternalTranslationRef<
 /** @alpha */
 export interface TranslationRefOptions<
   TId extends string,
-  TMessages extends { [key in string]: string },
+  TNestedMessages extends AnyNestedMessages,
   TTranslations extends {
     [language in string]: () => Promise<{
-      default: { [key in keyof TMessages]: string | null };
+      default: {
+        [key in keyof FlattenedMessages<TNestedMessages>]: string | null;
+      };
     }>;
   },
 > {
   id: TId;
-  messages: TMessages;
+  messages: TNestedMessages;
   translations?: TTranslations;
 }
 
+function flattenMessages(nested: AnyNestedMessages): AnyMessages {
+  const entries = new Array<[string, string]>();
+
+  function visit(obj: AnyNestedMessages, prefix: string): void {
+    for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(obj)) {
+      if (typeof value === 'string') {
+        entries.push([prefix + key, value]);
+      } else {
+        visit(value, `${prefix}${key}.`);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  visit(nested, '');
+
+  return Object.fromEntries(entries);
+}
+
 /** @internal */
 class TranslationRefImpl<
   TId extends string,
-  TMessages extends { [key in string]: string },
-> implements InternalTranslationRef<TId, TMessages>
+  TNestedMessages extends AnyNestedMessages,
+> implements InternalTranslationRef<TId, FlattenedMessages<TNestedMessages>>
 {
   #id: TId;
-  #messages: TMessages;
+  #messages: FlattenedMessages<TNestedMessages>;
   #resources: TranslationResource | undefined;
 
-  constructor(options: TranslationRefOptions<TId, TMessages, any>) {
+  constructor(options: TranslationRefOptions<TId, TNestedMessages, any>) {
     this.#id = options.id;
-    this.#messages = options.messages;
+    this.#messages = flattenMessages(
+      options.messages,
+    ) as FlattenedMessages<TNestedMessages>;
   }
 
   $$type = '@backstage/TranslationRef' as const;
@@ -108,15 +167,17 @@ class TranslationRefImpl<
 /** @alpha */
 export function createTranslationRef<
   TId extends string,
-  const TMessages extends { [key in string]: string },
+  const TNestedMessages extends AnyNestedMessages,
   TTranslations extends {
     [language in string]: () => Promise<{
-      default: { [key in keyof TMessages]: string | null };
+      default: {
+        [key in keyof FlattenedMessages<TNestedMessages>]: string | null;
+      };
     }>;
   },
 >(
-  config: TranslationRefOptions<TId, TMessages, TTranslations>,
-): TranslationRef<TId, TMessages> {
+  config: TranslationRefOptions<TId, TNestedMessages, TTranslations>,
+): TranslationRef<TId, FlattenedMessages<TNestedMessages>> {
   const ref = new TranslationRefImpl(config);
   if (config.translations) {
     ref.setDefaultResource(
@@ -132,7 +193,7 @@ export function createTranslationRef<
 /** @internal */
 export function toInternalTranslationRef<
   TId extends string,
-  TMessages extends { [key in string]: string },
+  TMessages extends AnyMessages,
 >(ref: TranslationRef<TId, TMessages>): InternalTranslationRef<TId, TMessages> {
   const r = ref as InternalTranslationRef<TId, TMessages>;
   if (r.$$type !== '@backstage/TranslationRef') {
diff --git a/plugins/adr/alpha-api-report.md b/plugins/adr/alpha-api-report.md
index 5740556904..3864c85697 100644
--- a/plugins/adr/alpha-api-report.md
+++ b/plugins/adr/alpha-api-report.md
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ export const AdrSearchResultListItemExtension: Extension<{
 export const adrTranslationRef: TranslationRef<
   'adr',
   {
-    readonly content_header_title: 'Architecture Decision Records';
-    readonly failed_to_fetch: 'Failed to fetch ADRs';
-    readonly no_adrs: 'No ADRs found';
+    readonly contentHeaderTitle: 'Architecture Decision Records';
+    readonly failedToFetch: 'Failed to fetch ADRs';
+    readonly notFound: 'No ADRs found';
   }
 >;
 
diff --git a/plugins/adr/src/components/EntityAdrContent/EntityAdrContent.tsx b/plugins/adr/src/components/EntityAdrContent/EntityAdrContent.tsx
index 261dd994fb..5c8d244d26 100644
--- a/plugins/adr/src/components/EntityAdrContent/EntityAdrContent.tsx
+++ b/plugins/adr/src/components/EntityAdrContent/EntityAdrContent.tsx
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ export const EntityAdrContent = (props: {
 
   return (
     <Content>
-      <ContentHeader title={t('content_header_title')}>
+      <ContentHeader title={t('contentHeaderTitle')}>
         {appSupportConfigured && <SupportButton />}
       </ContentHeader>
 
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ export const EntityAdrContent = (props: {
       {loading && <Progress />}
 
       {entityHasAdrs && !loading && error && (
-        <WarningPanel title={t('failed_to_fetch')} message={error?.message} />
+        <WarningPanel title={t('failedToFetch')} message={error?.message} />
       )}
 
       {entityHasAdrs &&
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ export const EntityAdrContent = (props: {
             </Grid>
           </Grid>
         ) : (
-          <Typography>{t('no_adrs')}</Typography>
+          <Typography>{t('notFound')}</Typography>
         ))}
     </Content>
   );
diff --git a/plugins/adr/src/translations.ts b/plugins/adr/src/translations.ts
index cc0995f597..038b0fd064 100644
--- a/plugins/adr/src/translations.ts
+++ b/plugins/adr/src/translations.ts
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ import { createTranslationRef } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api/alpha';
 export const adrTranslationRef = createTranslationRef({
   id: 'adr',
   messages: {
-    content_header_title: 'Architecture Decision Records',
-    failed_to_fetch: 'Failed to fetch ADRs',
-    no_adrs: 'No ADRs found',
+    contentHeaderTitle: 'Architecture Decision Records',
+    failedToFetch: 'Failed to fetch ADRs',
+    notFound: 'No ADRs found',
   },
 });
diff --git a/plugins/catalog/src/components/CatalogPage/DefaultCatalogPage.tsx b/plugins/catalog/src/components/CatalogPage/DefaultCatalogPage.tsx
index 1f724d10fc..8dfc29f87f 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog/src/components/CatalogPage/DefaultCatalogPage.tsx
+++ b/plugins/catalog/src/components/CatalogPage/DefaultCatalogPage.tsx
@@ -62,11 +62,11 @@ export function BaseCatalogPage(props: BaseCatalogPageProps) {
   const { t } = useTranslationRef(catalogTranslationRef);
 
   return (
-    <PageWithHeader title={t('catalog_page_title', { orgName })} themeId="home">
+    <PageWithHeader title={t('indexPage.title', { orgName })} themeId="home">
       <Content>
         <ContentHeader title="">
           <CreateButton
-            title={t('catalog_page_create_button_title')}
+            title={t('indexPage.createButtonTitle')}
             to={createComponentLink && createComponentLink()}
           />
           <SupportButton>All your software catalog entities</SupportButton>
diff --git a/plugins/catalog/src/translation.ts b/plugins/catalog/src/translation.ts
index 2d1e3f2c8a..bd27069fde 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog/src/translation.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog/src/translation.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@ import { createTranslationRef } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api/alpha';
 export const catalogTranslationRef = createTranslationRef({
   id: 'catalog',
   messages: {
-    catalog_page_title: `{{orgName}} Catalog`,
-    catalog_page_create_button_title: 'Create',
+    indexPage: {
+      title: `{{orgName}} Catalog`,
+      createButtonTitle: 'Create',
+    },
   },
 });
diff --git a/plugins/user-settings/alpha-api-report.md b/plugins/user-settings/alpha-api-report.md
index f375eadbee..adb609a2cb 100644
--- a/plugins/user-settings/alpha-api-report.md
+++ b/plugins/user-settings/alpha-api-report.md
@@ -20,16 +20,16 @@ export default _default;
 export const userSettingsTranslationRef: TranslationRef<
   'user-settings',
   {
-    readonly language: 'Language';
-    readonly change_the_language: 'Change the language';
-    readonly theme: 'Theme';
-    readonly theme_light: 'Light';
-    readonly theme_dark: 'Dark';
-    readonly theme_auto: 'Auto';
-    readonly change_the_theme_mode: 'Change the theme mode';
-    readonly select_theme: 'Select {{theme}}';
-    readonly select_theme_auto: 'Select Auto Theme';
-    readonly select_lng: 'Select language {{language}}';
+    readonly 'languageToggle.select': 'Select language {{language}}';
+    readonly 'languageToggle.title': 'Language';
+    readonly 'languageToggle.description': 'Change the language';
+    readonly 'themeToggle.select': 'Select theme {{theme}}';
+    readonly 'themeToggle.title': 'Theme';
+    readonly 'themeToggle.description': 'Change the theme mode';
+    readonly 'themeToggle.names.auto': 'Auto';
+    readonly 'themeToggle.names.dark': 'Dark';
+    readonly 'themeToggle.names.light': 'Light';
+    readonly 'themeToggle.selectAuto': 'Select Auto Theme';
   }
 >;
 
diff --git a/plugins/user-settings/src/components/General/UserSettingsLanguageToggle.tsx b/plugins/user-settings/src/components/General/UserSettingsLanguageToggle.tsx
index 56756b2248..67519d24ae 100644
--- a/plugins/user-settings/src/components/General/UserSettingsLanguageToggle.tsx
+++ b/plugins/user-settings/src/components/General/UserSettingsLanguageToggle.tsx
@@ -118,8 +118,8 @@ export const UserSettingsLanguageToggle = () => {
     >
       <ListItemText
         className={classes.listItemText}
-        primary={t('language')}
-        secondary={t('change_the_language')}
+        primary={t('languageToggle.title')}
+        secondary={t('languageToggle.description')}
       />
       <ListItemSecondaryAction className={classes.listItemSecondaryAction}>
         <ToggleButtonGroup
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ export const UserSettingsLanguageToggle = () => {
             return (
               <TooltipToggleButton
                 key={language}
-                title={t('select_lng', { language })}
+                title={t('languageToggle.select', { language })}
                 value={language}
               >
                 <>{language}</>
diff --git a/plugins/user-settings/src/components/General/UserSettingsThemeToggle.tsx b/plugins/user-settings/src/components/General/UserSettingsThemeToggle.tsx
index ca57de3a78..37d91ecae0 100644
--- a/plugins/user-settings/src/components/General/UserSettingsThemeToggle.tsx
+++ b/plugins/user-settings/src/components/General/UserSettingsThemeToggle.tsx
@@ -130,8 +130,8 @@ export const UserSettingsThemeToggle = () => {
     >
       <ListItemText
         className={classes.listItemText}
-        primary={t('theme')}
-        secondary={t('change_the_theme_mode')}
+        primary={t('themeToggle.title')}
+        secondary={t('themeToggle.description')}
       />
       <ListItemSecondaryAction className={classes.listItemSecondaryAction}>
         <ToggleButtonGroup
@@ -146,12 +146,12 @@ export const UserSettingsThemeToggle = () => {
             const themeTitle =
               theme.title ||
               (themeId === 'light' || themeId === 'dark'
-                ? t(`theme_${themeId}`)
+                ? t(`themeToggle.names.${themeId}`)
                 : themeId);
             return (
               <TooltipToggleButton
                 key={themeId}
-                title={t('select_theme', { theme: themeTitle })}
+                title={t('themeToggle.select', { theme: themeTitle })}
                 value={themeId}
               >
                 <>
@@ -165,9 +165,9 @@ export const UserSettingsThemeToggle = () => {
               </TooltipToggleButton>
             );
           })}
-          <Tooltip placement="top" arrow title={t('select_theme_auto')}>
+          <Tooltip placement="top" arrow title={t('themeToggle.selectAuto')}>
             <ToggleButton value="auto" selected={activeThemeId === undefined}>
-              {t('theme_auto')}&nbsp;
+              {t('themeToggle.names.auto')}&nbsp;
               <AutoIcon
                 color={activeThemeId === undefined ? 'primary' : undefined}
               />
diff --git a/plugins/user-settings/src/translation.ts b/plugins/user-settings/src/translation.ts
index 42fd8311e2..411ca1af51 100644
--- a/plugins/user-settings/src/translation.ts
+++ b/plugins/user-settings/src/translation.ts
@@ -20,15 +20,21 @@ import { createTranslationRef } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api/alpha';
 export const userSettingsTranslationRef = createTranslationRef({
   id: 'user-settings',
   messages: {
-    language: 'Language',
-    change_the_language: 'Change the language',
-    theme: 'Theme',
-    theme_light: 'Light',
-    theme_dark: 'Dark',
-    theme_auto: 'Auto',
-    change_the_theme_mode: 'Change the theme mode',
-    select_theme: 'Select {{theme}}',
-    select_theme_auto: 'Select Auto Theme',
-    select_lng: 'Select language {{language}}',
+    languageToggle: {
+      title: 'Language',
+      description: 'Change the language',
+      select: 'Select language {{language}}',
+    },
+    themeToggle: {
+      title: 'Theme',
+      description: 'Change the theme mode',
+      select: 'Select theme {{theme}}',
+      selectAuto: 'Select Auto Theme',
+      names: {
+        light: 'Light',
+        dark: 'Dark',
+        auto: 'Auto',
+      },
+    },
   },
 });