diff --git a/packages/backend-openapi-utils/src/testUtils.ts b/packages/backend-openapi-utils/src/testUtils.ts
index ea329332bd..ebe22fce26 100644
--- a/packages/backend-openapi-utils/src/testUtils.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-openapi-utils/src/testUtils.ts
@@ -17,21 +17,7 @@ import { Express } from 'express';
 import { Server } from 'http';
 import { Proxy } from './proxy/setup';
 
-const proxy = new Proxy();
-
-/**
- * Setup the proxy hooks for the test suite. This will start the proxy before all tests and stop it after all tests.
- * @public
- */
-export function setupProxyHooks() {
-  beforeAll(async () => {
-    await proxy.setup();
-  });
-
-  afterAll(() => {
-    proxy.stop();
-  });
-}
+const proxiesToCleanup: Proxy[] = [];
 
 /**
  * !!! THIS CURRENTLY ONLY SUPPORTS SUPERTEST !!!
@@ -42,11 +28,33 @@ export function setupProxyHooks() {
  * @public
  */
 export async function wrapServer(app: Express): Promise<Server> {
+  const proxy = new Proxy();
+  await proxy.setup();
   const server = app.listen(proxy.forwardTo.port);
   await proxy.initialize(`http://localhost:${proxy.forwardTo.port}`, server);
+
   return { ...server, address: () => new URL(proxy.url) } as any;
 }
 
+let registered = false;
+function registerHooks() {
+  if (typeof afterAll !== 'function' || typeof beforeAll !== 'function') {
+    return;
+  }
+  if (registered) {
+    return;
+  }
+  registered = true;
+
+  afterAll(() => {
+    for (const proxy of proxiesToCleanup) {
+      proxy.stop();
+    }
+  });
+}
+
+registerHooks();
+
 /**
  * !!! THIS CURRENTLY ONLY SUPPORTS SUPERTEST !!!
  * Running against supertest, we need some way to hit the optic proxy. This ensures that
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/createRouter.test.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/createRouter.test.ts
index 3b478a2a84..6654187526 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/createRouter.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/createRouter.test.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ import { RESOURCE_TYPE_CATALOG_ENTITY } from '@backstage/plugin-catalog-common/a
 import { CatalogProcessingOrchestrator } from '../processing/types';
 import { z } from 'zod';
 import { decodeCursor, encodeCursor } from './util';
-import { setupProxyHooks, wrapServer } from '@backstage/backend-openapi-utils';
+import { wrapServer } from '@backstage/backend-openapi-utils';
 import { Server } from 'http';
 import { mockCredentials, mockServices } from '@backstage/backend-test-utils';
 import { LocationAnalyzer } from '@backstage/plugin-catalog-node';
@@ -53,8 +53,6 @@ describe('createRouter readonly disabled', () => {
   let locationAnalyzer: jest.Mocked<LocationAnalyzer>;
   let permissionsService: jest.Mocked<PermissionsService>;
 
-  setupProxyHooks();
-
   beforeAll(async () => {
     entitiesCatalog = {
       entities: jest.fn(),
diff --git a/plugins/search-backend/src/schema/openapi.generated.ts b/plugins/search-backend/src/schema/openapi.generated.ts
index 56aaeb2bbe..1e6adfb08f 100644
--- a/plugins/search-backend/src/schema/openapi.generated.ts
+++ b/plugins/search-backend/src/schema/openapi.generated.ts
@@ -207,8 +207,7 @@ export const spec = {
             name: 'filters',
             in: 'query',
             required: false,
-            style: 'form',
-            explode: true,
+            style: 'deepObject',
             allowReserved: true,
             schema: {
               $ref: '#/components/schemas/JsonObject',
@@ -244,6 +243,18 @@ export const spec = {
               type: 'integer',
             },
           },
+          {
+            name: 'unknown',
+            in: 'query',
+            required: false,
+            style: 'form',
+            explode: true,
+            allowReserved: true,
+            schema: {
+              type: 'object',
+              additionalProperties: true,
+            },
+          },
         ],
       },
     },
diff --git a/plugins/search-backend/src/schema/openapi.yaml b/plugins/search-backend/src/schema/openapi.yaml
index a49b783b64..cbf3db273a 100644
--- a/plugins/search-backend/src/schema/openapi.yaml
+++ b/plugins/search-backend/src/schema/openapi.yaml
@@ -139,8 +139,7 @@ paths:
         - name: filters
           in: query
           required: false
-          style: form
-          explode: true
+          style: deepObject
           allowReserved: true
           schema:
             # JsonObject is used here instead of the full ZOD schema definition as
@@ -167,3 +166,13 @@ paths:
           allowReserved: true
           schema:
             type: integer
+        - name: unknown
+          in: query
+          required: false
+          # explode form is the equivalent to allow any extra query parameters
+          style: form
+          explode: true
+          allowReserved: true
+          schema:
+            type: object
+            additionalProperties: true
diff --git a/plugins/search-backend/src/service/router.test.ts b/plugins/search-backend/src/service/router.test.ts
index 41b03501a3..5b6900ede1 100644
--- a/plugins/search-backend/src/service/router.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/search-backend/src/service/router.test.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import {
 import express from 'express';
 import request from 'supertest';
 import { createRouter } from './router';
-import { setupProxyHooks, wrapServer } from '@backstage/backend-openapi-utils';
+import { wrapServer } from '@backstage/backend-openapi-utils';
 import { Server } from 'http';
 import {
   mockCredentials,
@@ -55,8 +55,6 @@ describe('createRouter', () => {
     },
   };
 
-  setupProxyHooks();
-
   beforeAll(async () => {
     const logger = mockServices.logger.mock();
     mockSearchEngine = {