diff --git a/.changeset/silent-worms-admire.md b/.changeset/silent-worms-admire.md
index 4038382962..c9e7e25ad9 100644
--- a/.changeset/silent-worms-admire.md
+++ b/.changeset/silent-worms-admire.md
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@
 '@backstage/backend-defaults': minor
 ---
 
-Deprecated `createLifecycleMiddleware` to clean up API surface, it has no external references, let us know if you use this directly.
+**BREAKING** Removed `createLifecycleMiddleware` and `LifecycleMiddlewareOptions` to clean up API surface. These exports have no external usage and do not provide value in its current form. If you were using these exports, please reach out to the maintainers to discuss your use case.
diff --git a/packages/backend-defaults/api-report-httpRouter.md b/packages/backend-defaults/api-report-httpRouter.md
index bc5f069559..97805bc926 100644
--- a/packages/backend-defaults/api-report-httpRouter.md
+++ b/packages/backend-defaults/api-report-httpRouter.md
@@ -4,16 +4,8 @@
 
 ```ts
 import { HttpRouterService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
-import { HumanDuration } from '@backstage/types';
-import { LifecycleService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
-import { RequestHandler } from 'express';
 import { ServiceFactory } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 
-// @public @deprecated
-export function createLifecycleMiddleware(
-  options: LifecycleMiddlewareOptions,
-): RequestHandler;
-
 // @public
 export const httpRouterServiceFactory: ServiceFactory<
   HttpRouterService,
@@ -21,12 +13,5 @@ export const httpRouterServiceFactory: ServiceFactory<
   'singleton'
 >;
 
-// @public
-export interface LifecycleMiddlewareOptions {
-  // (undocumented)
-  lifecycle: LifecycleService;
-  startupRequestPauseTimeout?: HumanDuration;
-}
-
 // (No @packageDocumentation comment for this package)
 ```
diff --git a/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/httpRouter/createLifecycleMiddleware.ts b/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/httpRouter/createLifecycleMiddleware.ts
index 2a18f5046e..18ff2f0840 100644
--- a/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/httpRouter/createLifecycleMiddleware.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/httpRouter/createLifecycleMiddleware.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ export const DEFAULT_TIMEOUT = { seconds: 5 };
 
 /**
  * Options for {@link createLifecycleMiddleware}.
- * @public
+ * @internal
  */
 export interface LifecycleMiddlewareOptions {
   lifecycle: LifecycleService;
@@ -47,9 +47,7 @@ export interface LifecycleMiddlewareOptions {
  * If the service is shutting down, all requests will be rejected with a
  * {@link @backstage/errors#ServiceUnavailableError}.
  *
- * @public
- * @deprecated This function export will be removed in a future release.
- * If rely on this function then please reach out to the Backstage maintainers.
+ * @internal
  */
 export function createLifecycleMiddleware(
   options: LifecycleMiddlewareOptions,
diff --git a/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/httpRouter/index.ts b/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/httpRouter/index.ts
index bc12480ae8..15bced5ef3 100644
--- a/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/httpRouter/index.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/httpRouter/index.ts
@@ -15,5 +15,3 @@
  */
 
 export { httpRouterServiceFactory } from './httpRouterServiceFactory';
-export { createLifecycleMiddleware } from './createLifecycleMiddleware';
-export type { LifecycleMiddlewareOptions } from './createLifecycleMiddleware';