diff --git a/crates/oxc_transformer/src/react/jsx/diagnostics.rs b/crates/oxc_transformer/src/react/jsx/diagnostics.rs
index 2ec7dcd2cc08c..30f71e08a140a 100644
--- a/crates/oxc_transformer/src/react/jsx/diagnostics.rs
+++ b/crates/oxc_transformer/src/react/jsx/diagnostics.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@ pub fn import_source_cannot_be_set() -> OxcDiagnostic {
         .with_help("Remove `importSource` option.")
 }
 
+pub fn invalid_import_source() -> OxcDiagnostic {
+    OxcDiagnostic::warn("import_source cannot be an empty string")
+        .with_help("Fix `importSource` option.")
+}
+
 pub fn namespace_does_not_support(span0: Span) -> OxcDiagnostic {
     OxcDiagnostic::warn("Namespace tags are not supported by default. React's JSX doesn't support namespace tags. You can set `throwIfNamespace: false` to bypass this warning.")
 .with_labels([span0.into()])
diff --git a/crates/oxc_transformer/src/react/jsx/mod.rs b/crates/oxc_transformer/src/react/jsx/mod.rs
index 48b08a42803b1..061d32f7edf5f 100644
--- a/crates/oxc_transformer/src/react/jsx/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/oxc_transformer/src/react/jsx/mod.rs
@@ -130,32 +130,45 @@ impl<'a> Pragma<'a> {
 // Transforms
 impl<'a> ReactJsx<'a> {
     pub fn new(options: &Rc<ReactOptions>, ctx: &Ctx<'a>) -> Self {
-        let default_runtime = options.runtime;
-        let jsx_runtime_importer =
-            if options.import_source == "react" || default_runtime.is_classic() {
-                let source =
-                    if options.development { "react/jsx-dev-runtime" } else { "react/jsx-runtime" };
-                Atom::from(source)
-            } else {
-                ctx.ast.new_atom(&format!(
-                    "{}/jsx-{}runtime",
-                    options.import_source,
-                    if options.development { "dev-" } else { "" }
-                ))
-            };
-
-        // Parse pragmas
-        let (pragma, pragma_frag) = match options.runtime {
+        // Parse pragmas + import source
+        let (pragma, pragma_frag, jsx_runtime_importer) = match options.runtime {
             ReactJsxRuntime::Classic => {
+                if options.import_source.is_some() {
+                    ctx.error(diagnostics::import_source_cannot_be_set());
+                }
                 let pragma = Pragma::parse(options.pragma.as_ref(), "createElement", ctx);
                 let pragma_frag = Pragma::parse(options.pragma_frag.as_ref(), "Fragment", ctx);
-                (Some(pragma), Some(pragma_frag))
+
+                (Some(pragma), Some(pragma_frag), Atom::empty())
             }
             ReactJsxRuntime::Automatic => {
                 if options.pragma.is_some() || options.pragma_frag.is_some() {
                     ctx.error(diagnostics::pragma_and_pragma_frag_cannot_be_set());
                 }
-                (None, None)
+
+                let jsx_runtime_importer = match options.import_source.as_ref() {
+                    Some(import_source) => {
+                        let mut import_source = import_source.as_str();
+                        if import_source.is_empty() {
+                            ctx.error(diagnostics::invalid_import_source());
+                            import_source = "react";
+                        }
+                        ctx.ast.new_atom(&format!(
+                            "{}/jsx-{}runtime",
+                            import_source,
+                            if options.development { "dev-" } else { "" }
+                        ))
+                    }
+                    None => {
+                        if options.development {
+                            Atom::from("react/jsx-dev-runtime")
+                        } else {
+                            Atom::from("react/jsx-runtime")
+                        }
+                    }
+                };
+
+                (None, None, jsx_runtime_importer)
             }
         };
 
@@ -208,14 +221,9 @@ impl<'a> ReactJsx<'a> {
 impl<'a> ReactJsx<'a> {
     pub fn add_runtime_imports(&mut self, program: &mut Program<'a>) {
         if self.options.runtime.is_classic() {
-            if self.options.import_source != "react" {
-                self.ctx.error(diagnostics::import_source_cannot_be_set());
-            }
-
             if self.can_add_filename_statement {
                 program.body.insert(0, self.jsx_source.get_var_file_name_statement());
             }
-
             return;
         }
 
@@ -316,7 +324,10 @@ impl<'a> ReactJsx<'a> {
 
     fn add_import_create_element(&mut self, ctx: &mut TraverseCtx<'a>) {
         if self.import_create_element.is_none() {
-            let source = ctx.ast.new_atom(&self.options.import_source);
+            let source = match self.options.import_source.as_ref() {
+                Some(source) => ctx.ast.new_atom(source),
+                None => Atom::from("react"),
+            };
             let id = if self.is_script() {
                 self.add_require_statement("react", source, true, ctx)
             } else {
diff --git a/crates/oxc_transformer/src/react/options.rs b/crates/oxc_transformer/src/react/options.rs
index 66f2c46b4f359..92293914c491e 100644
--- a/crates/oxc_transformer/src/react/options.rs
+++ b/crates/oxc_transformer/src/react/options.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-use std::borrow::Cow;
-
 use serde::Deserialize;
 
 use crate::Ctx;
@@ -9,11 +7,6 @@ fn default_as_true() -> bool {
     true
 }
 
-#[inline]
-fn default_for_import_source() -> Cow<'static, str> {
-    Cow::Borrowed("react")
-}
-
 /// Decides which runtime to use.
 ///
 /// Auto imports the functions that JSX transpiles to.
@@ -75,15 +68,15 @@ pub struct ReactOptions {
     /// Defaults to `true`.
     #[serde(default = "default_as_true")]
     pub pure: bool,
-    //
+
     // React Automatic Runtime
     //
     /// Replaces the import source when importing functions.
     ///
     /// Defaults to `react`.
-    #[serde(default = "default_for_import_source")]
-    pub import_source: Cow<'static, str>,
-    //
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub import_source: Option<String>,
+
     // React Classic Runtime
     //
     /// Replace the function used when compiling JSX expressions.
@@ -124,7 +117,7 @@ impl Default for ReactOptions {
             development: false,
             throw_if_namespace: default_as_true(),
             pure: default_as_true(),
-            import_source: default_for_import_source(),
+            import_source: None,
             pragma: None,
             pragma_frag: None,
             use_built_ins: None,
@@ -179,7 +172,7 @@ impl ReactOptions {
 
             // read jsxImportSource
             if let Some(import_source) = comment.strip_prefix("jsxImportSource").map(str::trim) {
-                self.import_source = Cow::Owned(import_source.to_string());
+                self.import_source = Some(import_source.to_string());
                 continue;
             }