diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-kms/lib/alias.ts b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-kms/lib/alias.ts
index 0fa6e8c407768..aedf26d4c6490 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-kms/lib/alias.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-kms/lib/alias.ts
@@ -69,7 +69,13 @@ abstract class AliasBase extends Resource implements IAlias {
   }
 
   public get keyRef(): KeyReference {
-    return this.aliasTargetKey.keyRef;
+    // Not actually referering to the key: `IKeyRef` here is being used as a
+    // hypothetical `IKeyLikeRef`, and we need to return the Alias values using
+    // the Key interface.
+    return {
+      keyArn: this.aliasArn,
+      keyId: this.keyId,
+    };
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-kms/lib/key.ts b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-kms/lib/key.ts
index 461a309cafe55..01488ca758089 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-kms/lib/key.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-kms/lib/key.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ import * as cxapi from '../../cx-api';
 
 /**
  * A KMS Key, either managed by this CDK app, or imported.
+ *
+ * This interface does double duty: it represents an actual KMS keys, but it
+ * also represents things that can behave like KMS keys, like a key alias.
  */
 export interface IKey extends IResource, IKeyRef {
   /**
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-kms/test/alias.test.ts b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-kms/test/alias.test.ts
index 399747167a1f4..2c209274a945e 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-kms/test/alias.test.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-kms/test/alias.test.ts
@@ -911,6 +911,19 @@ test('aliasArn should be a valid ARN', () => {
   }, stack));
 });
 
+test('Alias keyRef should reference the Alias, not the underlying key', () => {
+  // GIVEN
+  const app = new App();
+  const stack = new Stack(app, 'Test');
+  const key = new Key(stack, 'Key');
+
+  // WHEN
+  const alias = key.addAlias('alias/foo');
+
+  // THEN
+  expect(alias.keyRef.keyArn).toEqual(alias.aliasArn);
+});
+
 class AliasOutputsConstruct extends Construct {
   constructor(scope: Construct, id: string, key: IKey) {
     super(scope, id);