diff --git a/packages/babel-plugin-formatjs/tests/__snapshots__/index.test.ts.snap b/packages/babel-plugin-formatjs/tests/__snapshots__/index.test.ts.snap
index 86b5c6a882..f05e6040be 100644
--- a/packages/babel-plugin-formatjs/tests/__snapshots__/index.test.ts.snap
+++ b/packages/babel-plugin-formatjs/tests/__snapshots__/index.test.ts.snap
@@ -292,6 +292,12 @@ var msgs = {
   escaped: defineMessage({
     id: \\"escaped.apostrophe\\",
     defaultMessage: \\"A quoted value ''{value}'\\"
+  }),
+  stringKeys: defineMessage({
+    // prettier-ignore
+    'id': \\"string.key.id\\",
+    // prettier-ignore
+    'defaultMessage': \\"This is message\\"
   })
 };
 export default class Foo extends Component {
@@ -327,6 +333,11 @@ export default class Foo extends Component {
         "description": "Escaped apostrophe",
         "id": "escaped.apostrophe",
       },
+      Object {
+        "defaultMessage": "This is message",
+        "description": "Keys as a string literal",
+        "id": "string.key.id",
+      },
     ],
     "meta": Object {
       "project": "amazing",
diff --git a/packages/babel-plugin-formatjs/tests/fixtures/defineMessage.js b/packages/babel-plugin-formatjs/tests/fixtures/defineMessage.js
index c1e2b11818..b768870a6b 100644
--- a/packages/babel-plugin-formatjs/tests/fixtures/defineMessage.js
+++ b/packages/babel-plugin-formatjs/tests/fixtures/defineMessage.js
@@ -28,6 +28,14 @@ const msgs = {
     description: 'Escaped apostrophe',
     defaultMessage: "A quoted value ''{value}'",
   }),
+  stringKeys: defineMessage({
+    // prettier-ignore
+    'id': 'string.key.id',
+    // prettier-ignore
+    'description': 'Keys as a string literal',
+    // prettier-ignore
+    'defaultMessage': 'This is message',
+  }),
 }
 
 export default class Foo extends Component {
diff --git a/packages/babel-plugin-formatjs/visitors/call-expression.ts b/packages/babel-plugin-formatjs/visitors/call-expression.ts
index cb6e11a2f8..69871e39fe 100644
--- a/packages/babel-plugin-formatjs/visitors/call-expression.ts
+++ b/packages/babel-plugin-formatjs/visitors/call-expression.ts
@@ -120,12 +120,20 @@ export const visitor: VisitNodeFunction<
     )
 
     const firstProp = properties[0]
-    const defaultMessageProp = properties.find(prop =>
-      prop.get('key').isIdentifier({name: 'defaultMessage'})
-    )
-    const idProp = properties.find(prop =>
-      prop.get('key').isIdentifier({name: 'id'})
-    )
+    const defaultMessageProp = properties.find(prop => {
+      const keyProp = prop.get('key')
+      return (
+        keyProp.isIdentifier({name: 'defaultMessage'}) ||
+        keyProp.isStringLiteral({value: 'defaultMessage'})
+      )
+    })
+    const idProp = properties.find(prop => {
+      const keyProp = prop.get('key')
+      return (
+        keyProp.isIdentifier({name: 'id'}) ||
+        keyProp.isStringLiteral({value: 'id'})
+      )
+    })
 
     // Insert ID potentially 1st before removing nodes
     if (idProp) {
@@ -138,7 +146,13 @@ export const visitor: VisitNodeFunction<
 
     // Remove description
     properties
-      .find(prop => prop.get('key').isIdentifier({name: 'description'}))
+      .find(prop => {
+        const keyProp = prop.get('key')
+        return (
+          keyProp.isIdentifier({name: 'description'}) ||
+          keyProp.isStringLiteral({value: 'description'})
+        )
+      })
       ?.remove()
 
     // Pre-parse or remove defaultMessage