diff --git a/desktop/babel-transformer/src/__tests__/flipper-requires.node.ts b/desktop/babel-transformer/src/__tests__/flipper-requires.node.ts
index 78aaf54c1..2d99c50a2 100644
--- a/desktop/babel-transformer/src/__tests__/flipper-requires.node.ts
+++ b/desktop/babel-transformer/src/__tests__/flipper-requires.node.ts
@@ -50,6 +50,14 @@ test('transform React identifier to global.React', () => {
   expect(code).toBe('global.React;');
 });
 
+test('do NOT transform local React namespace import to global.React', () => {
+  const src = `import * as React from 'react';`;
+  const ast = parse(src, {sourceType: 'module'});
+  const transformed = transformFromAstSync(ast, src, babelOptions)!.ast;
+  const {code} = generate(transformed!);
+  expect(code).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`"import * as React from 'react';"`);
+});
+
 test('throw error when requiring outside the plugin', () => {
   const src = 'require("../test.js")';
   const ast = parse(src);
diff --git a/desktop/babel-transformer/src/flipper-requires.ts b/desktop/babel-transformer/src/flipper-requires.ts
index 4802ceccf..d0b33b76e 100644
--- a/desktop/babel-transformer/src/flipper-requires.ts
+++ b/desktop/babel-transformer/src/flipper-requires.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,12 @@ function isExcludedPath(path: string) {
   }
   return false;
 }
+function isReactImportIdentifier(path: NodePath<Identifier>) {
+  return (
+    path.parentPath.node.type === 'ImportNamespaceSpecifier' &&
+    path.parentPath.node.local.name === 'React'
+  );
+}
 module.exports = () => ({
   visitor: {
     CallExpression(path: NodePath<CallExpression>, state: any) {
@@ -80,6 +86,7 @@ module.exports = () => ({
       if (
         path.node.name === 'React' &&
         (path.parentPath.node as any).id !== path.node &&
+        !isReactImportIdentifier(path) &&
         !isExcludedPath(state.file.opts.filename)
       ) {
         path.replaceWith(identifier('global.React'));
diff --git a/desktop/babel-transformer/src/transform-plugin.ts b/desktop/babel-transformer/src/transform-plugin.ts
index ccebdfed7..12a16da53 100644
--- a/desktop/babel-transformer/src/transform-plugin.ts
+++ b/desktop/babel-transformer/src/transform-plugin.ts
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ export default function transform({
   filename: string;
   options: any;
   src: string;
-  presets: any[];
-  plugins: any[];
+  presets?: any[];
+  plugins?: any[];
 }) {
   presets = presets ?? [require('@babel/preset-react')];
   plugins = plugins ?? [];