diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/create-plugin/createPlugin.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/create-plugin/createPlugin.ts
index b603e732b8..f54a62f613 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/create-plugin/createPlugin.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/create-plugin/createPlugin.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ import {
   getCodeownersFilePath,
 } from '../../lib/codeowners';
 import { paths } from '../../lib/paths';
-import { versions } from '../../lib/version';
+import { packageVersions } from '../../lib/version';
 import { Task, templatingTask } from '../../lib/tasks';
 
 const exec = promisify(execCb);
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ export default async (cmd: Command) => {
         privatePackage,
         npmRegistry,
       },
-      versions,
+      packageVersions,
     );
 
     Task.section('Moving to final location');
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/diff/read.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/diff/read.ts
index a4a7355d2d..d37dfe4b03 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/lib/diff/read.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/diff/read.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import handlebars from 'handlebars';
 import recursiveReadDir from 'recursive-readdir';
 import { paths } from '../paths';
 import { FileDiff } from './types';
-import { versions } from '../../lib/version';
+import { packageVersions } from '../../lib/version';
 
 export type TemplatedFile = {
   path: string;
@@ -43,9 +43,9 @@ async function readTemplateFile(
 
   return handlebars.compile(contents)(templateVars, {
     helpers: {
-      version(name: string) {
-        if (versions[name]) {
-          return versions[name];
+      version(name: keyof typeof packageVersions) {
+        if (name in packageVersions) {
+          return packageVersions[name];
         }
         throw new Error(`No version available for package ${name}`);
       },
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/tasks.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/tasks.test.ts
index a42902c60b..88d8050290 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/lib/tasks.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/tasks.test.ts
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ describe('templatingTask', () => {
       tmplDir,
       destDir,
       {
-        version: '0.0.0',
+        pluginVersion: '0.0.0',
       },
       { 'mock-pkg': '0.1.2' },
     );
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/version.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/version.ts
index 5cc3eb7fbb..b2b793717d 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/lib/version.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/version.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ import { version as devUtils } from '@backstage/dev-utils/package.json';
 import { version as testUtils } from '@backstage/test-utils/package.json';
 import { version as theme } from '@backstage/theme/package.json';
 
-export const versions: { [name: string]: string } = {
+export const packageVersions = {
   '@backstage/backend-common': backendCommon,
   '@backstage/cli': cli,
   '@backstage/config': config,
diff --git a/packages/create-app/src/createApp.ts b/packages/create-app/src/createApp.ts
index c0874d4032..775d53dfdc 100644
--- a/packages/create-app/src/createApp.ts
+++ b/packages/create-app/src/createApp.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import inquirer, { Answers, Question } from 'inquirer';
 import { exec as execCb } from 'child_process';
 import { resolve as resolvePath } from 'path';
 import { findPaths } from '@backstage/cli-common';
-import { versions } from './versions';
 import os from 'os';
 import { Task, templatingTask } from './lib/tasks';
 
@@ -133,7 +132,7 @@ export default async (cmd: Command): Promise<void> => {
     await createTemporaryAppFolder(tempDir);
 
     Task.section('Preparing files');
-    await templatingTask(templateDir, tempDir, answers, versions);
+    await templatingTask(templateDir, tempDir, answers);
 
     Task.section('Moving to final location');
     await moveApp(tempDir, appDir, answers.name);
diff --git a/packages/create-app/src/lib/tasks.ts b/packages/create-app/src/lib/tasks.ts
index 73db175709..b615692830 100644
--- a/packages/create-app/src/lib/tasks.ts
+++ b/packages/create-app/src/lib/tasks.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import handlebars from 'handlebars';
 import ora from 'ora';
 import { basename, dirname } from 'path';
 import recursive from 'recursive-readdir';
+import { packageVersions } from './versions';
 
 const TASK_NAME_MAX_LENGTH = 14;
 
@@ -68,7 +69,6 @@ export async function templatingTask(
   templateDir: string,
   destinationDir: string,
   context: any,
-  versions: { [name: string]: string },
 ) {
   const files = await recursive(templateDir).catch(error => {
     throw new Error(`Failed to read template directory: ${error.message}`);
@@ -88,9 +88,9 @@ export async function templatingTask(
           { name: basename(destination), ...context },
           {
             helpers: {
-              version(name: string) {
-                if (versions[name]) {
-                  return versions[name];
+              version(name: keyof typeof packageVersions) {
+                if (name in packageVersions) {
+                  return packageVersions[name];
                 }
                 throw new Error(`No version available for package ${name}`);
               },
diff --git a/packages/create-app/src/versions.ts b/packages/create-app/src/lib/versions.ts
similarity index 99%
rename from packages/create-app/src/versions.ts
rename to packages/create-app/src/lib/versions.ts
index ed03903469..196e0004c1 100644
--- a/packages/create-app/src/versions.ts
+++ b/packages/create-app/src/lib/versions.ts
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ import { version as pluginUserSettings } from '@backstage/plugin-user-settings/p
 import { version as testUtils } from '@backstage/test-utils/package.json';
 import { version as theme } from '@backstage/theme/package.json';
 
-export const versions = {
+export const packageVersions = {
   '@backstage/backend-common': backendCommon,
   '@backstage/catalog-model': catalogModel,
   '@backstage/cli': cli,