diff --git a/packages/backend-common/src/config.ts b/packages/backend-common/src/config.ts
index 90131ebbe7..9b0eb8dcd0 100644
--- a/packages/backend-common/src/config.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-common/src/config.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import { findPaths } from '@backstage/cli-common';
 import { Config, ConfigReader } from '@backstage/config';
 import { JsonValue } from '@backstage/types';
 import { ConfigTarget, loadConfig } from '@backstage/config-loader';
-import { isValidUrl } from '@backstage/integration';
+import { isValidUrl } from './urls';
 
 export class ObservableConfigProxy implements Config {
   private config: Config = new ConfigReader({});
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ export async function loadBackendConfig(options: {
 
   const configs = await loadConfig({
     configRoot: paths.targetRoot,
+    configPaths: [],
     configTargets: configTargets,
     watch: {
       onChange(newConfigs) {
diff --git a/packages/backend-common/src/urls.test.ts b/packages/backend-common/src/urls.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c2a67fb849
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/backend-common/src/urls.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2021 The Backstage Authors
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+import { isValidUrl } from './urls';
+
+describe('isValidUrl', () => {
+  it('should return true for url', () => {
+    const validUrl = isValidUrl('http://some.valid.url');
+    expect(validUrl).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('should return false for absolute path', () => {
+    const validUrl = isValidUrl('/some/absolute/path');
+    expect(validUrl).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('should return false for relative path', () => {
+    const validUrl = isValidUrl('../some/relative/path');
+    expect(validUrl).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/backend-common/src/urls.ts b/packages/backend-common/src/urls.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..848cea25d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/backend-common/src/urls.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2021 The Backstage Authors
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+export function isValidUrl(url: string): boolean {
+  try {
+    // eslint-disable-next-line no-new
+    new URL(url);
+    return true;
+  } catch {
+    return false;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/config.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/config.ts
index 79d30ee220..80b374039f 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/lib/config.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/config.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import {
 } from '@backstage/config-loader';
 import { ConfigReader } from '@backstage/config';
 import { paths } from './paths';
-import { isValidUrl } from '@backstage/integration';
+import { isValidUrl } from './urls';
 
 type Options = {
   args: string[];
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ export async function loadCliConfig(options: Options) {
       ? async name => process.env[name] || 'x'
       : undefined,
     configRoot: paths.targetRoot,
+    configPaths: [],
     configTargets: configTargets,
   });
 
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/urls.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/urls.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c2a67fb849
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/urls.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2021 The Backstage Authors
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+import { isValidUrl } from './urls';
+
+describe('isValidUrl', () => {
+  it('should return true for url', () => {
+    const validUrl = isValidUrl('http://some.valid.url');
+    expect(validUrl).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('should return false for absolute path', () => {
+    const validUrl = isValidUrl('/some/absolute/path');
+    expect(validUrl).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('should return false for relative path', () => {
+    const validUrl = isValidUrl('../some/relative/path');
+    expect(validUrl).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/urls.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/urls.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..848cea25d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/urls.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2021 The Backstage Authors
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+export function isValidUrl(url: string): boolean {
+  try {
+    // eslint-disable-next-line no-new
+    new URL(url);
+    return true;
+  } catch {
+    return false;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/config-loader/api-report.md b/packages/config-loader/api-report.md
index 3b61b67d7b..be4678aa0f 100644
--- a/packages/config-loader/api-report.md
+++ b/packages/config-loader/api-report.md
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ export function loadConfig(options: LoadConfigOptions): Promise<AppConfig[]>;
 // @public
 export type LoadConfigOptions = {
   configRoot: string;
+  configPaths: string[];
   configTargets: ConfigTarget[];
   env?: string;
   experimentalEnvFunc?: (name: string) => Promise<string | undefined>;
diff --git a/packages/config-loader/package.json b/packages/config-loader/package.json
index 456bca90ad..58b0061996 100644
--- a/packages/config-loader/package.json
+++ b/packages/config-loader/package.json
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@
     "clean": "backstage-cli clean"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "@backstage/integration": "^0.6.5",
     "@backstage/cli-common": "^0.1.4",
     "@backstage/config": "^0.1.9",
     "@backstage/errors": "^0.1.3",
diff --git a/packages/config-loader/src/lib/index.ts b/packages/config-loader/src/lib/index.ts
index 32a0191cae..ca88b771ba 100644
--- a/packages/config-loader/src/lib/index.ts
+++ b/packages/config-loader/src/lib/index.ts
@@ -17,3 +17,4 @@
 export { readEnvConfig } from './env';
 export * from './transform';
 export * from './schema';
+export { isValidUrl } from './urls';
diff --git a/packages/config-loader/src/lib/urls.test.ts b/packages/config-loader/src/lib/urls.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c2a67fb849
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/config-loader/src/lib/urls.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2021 The Backstage Authors
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+import { isValidUrl } from './urls';
+
+describe('isValidUrl', () => {
+  it('should return true for url', () => {
+    const validUrl = isValidUrl('http://some.valid.url');
+    expect(validUrl).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('should return false for absolute path', () => {
+    const validUrl = isValidUrl('/some/absolute/path');
+    expect(validUrl).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('should return false for relative path', () => {
+    const validUrl = isValidUrl('../some/relative/path');
+    expect(validUrl).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/config-loader/src/lib/urls.ts b/packages/config-loader/src/lib/urls.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..848cea25d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/config-loader/src/lib/urls.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2021 The Backstage Authors
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+export function isValidUrl(url: string): boolean {
+  try {
+    // eslint-disable-next-line no-new
+    new URL(url);
+    return true;
+  } catch {
+    return false;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/config-loader/src/loader.test.ts b/packages/config-loader/src/loader.test.ts
index e8b5a8828b..804254afa0 100644
--- a/packages/config-loader/src/loader.test.ts
+++ b/packages/config-loader/src/loader.test.ts
@@ -67,6 +67,13 @@ describe('loadConfig', () => {
             $file: secrets/session-key.txt
           escaped: \$\${Escaped}
       `,
+      '/root/app-config2.yaml': `
+        app:
+          title: Example App 2
+          sessionKey:
+            $file: secrets/session-key.txt
+          escaped: \$\${Escaped}
+      `,
       '/root/app-config.development.yaml': `
         app:
           sessionKey: development-key
@@ -111,6 +118,7 @@ describe('loadConfig', () => {
     await expect(
       loadConfig({
         configRoot: '/root',
+        configPaths: [],
         configTargets: [],
         env: 'production',
       }),
@@ -136,6 +144,7 @@ describe('loadConfig', () => {
     await expect(
       loadConfig({
         configRoot: '/root',
+        configPaths: [],
         configTargets: [{ url: configUrl }],
         env: 'production',
         remote: {
@@ -156,10 +165,43 @@ describe('loadConfig', () => {
     ]);
   });
 
-  it('loads config with secrets', async () => {
+  it('loads config with secrets from two different files', async () => {
     await expect(
       loadConfig({
         configRoot: '/root',
+        configPaths: ['/root/app-config2.yaml'],
+        configTargets: [{ path: '/root/app-config.yaml' }],
+        env: 'production',
+      }),
+    ).resolves.toEqual([
+      {
+        context: 'app-config.yaml',
+        data: {
+          app: {
+            title: 'Example App',
+            sessionKey: 'abc123',
+            escaped: '${Escaped}',
+          },
+        },
+      },
+      {
+        context: 'app-config2.yaml',
+        data: {
+          app: {
+            title: 'Example App 2',
+            sessionKey: 'abc123',
+            escaped: '${Escaped}',
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it('loads config with secrets from single file', async () => {
+    await expect(
+      loadConfig({
+        configRoot: '/root',
+        configPaths: ['/root/app-config.yaml'],
         configTargets: [{ path: '/root/app-config.yaml' }],
         env: 'production',
       }),
@@ -181,6 +223,7 @@ describe('loadConfig', () => {
     await expect(
       loadConfig({
         configRoot: '/root',
+        configPaths: [],
         configTargets: [
           { path: '/root/app-config.yaml' },
           { path: '/root/app-config.development.yaml' },
@@ -221,6 +264,7 @@ describe('loadConfig', () => {
     await expect(
       loadConfig({
         configRoot: '/root',
+        configPaths: [],
         configTargets: [{ path: '/root/app-config.substitute.yaml' }],
         env: 'development',
       }),
@@ -246,6 +290,7 @@ describe('loadConfig', () => {
     await expect(
       loadConfig({
         configRoot: '/root',
+        configPaths: [],
         configTargets: [],
         watch: {
           onChange: onChange.resolve,
@@ -294,6 +339,7 @@ describe('loadConfig', () => {
     await expect(
       loadConfig({
         configRoot: '/root',
+        configPaths: [],
         configTargets: [{ url: configUrl }],
         watch: {
           onChange: onChange.resolve,
@@ -339,6 +385,7 @@ describe('loadConfig', () => {
 
     await loadConfig({
       configRoot: '/root',
+      configPaths: [],
       configTargets: [],
       watch: {
         onChange: () => {
diff --git a/packages/config-loader/src/loader.ts b/packages/config-loader/src/loader.ts
index 8c4bbae9d6..338f199132 100644
--- a/packages/config-loader/src/loader.ts
+++ b/packages/config-loader/src/loader.ts
@@ -25,10 +25,10 @@ import {
   createIncludeTransform,
   createSubstitutionTransform,
   EnvFunc,
+  isValidUrl,
   readEnvConfig,
 } from './lib';
 import fetch from 'node-fetch';
-import { isValidUrl } from '@backstage/integration';
 
 export type ConfigTarget = { path: string } | { url: string };
 
@@ -83,6 +83,11 @@ export type LoadConfigOptions = {
   // The root directory of the config loading context. Used to find default configs.
   configRoot: string;
 
+  /** Absolute paths to load config files from. Configs from earlier paths have lower priority.
+   * @deprecated Use {@link configTargets} instead.
+   */
+  configPaths: string[];
+
   // Paths to load config files from. Configs from earlier paths have lower priority.
   configTargets: ConfigTarget[];
 
@@ -122,6 +127,13 @@ export async function loadConfig(
     .filter((e): e is { path: string } => e.hasOwnProperty('path'))
     .map(configTarget => configTarget.path);
 
+  // Append deprecated configPaths to the absolute config paths received via configTargets.
+  options.configPaths.forEach(cp => {
+    if (!configPaths.includes(cp)) {
+      configPaths.push(cp);
+    }
+  });
+
   const configUrls: string[] = options.configTargets
     .slice()
     .filter((e): e is { url: string } => e.hasOwnProperty('url'))
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 113b0d48c2..079cd96a5c 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -11555,11 +11555,6 @@ core-js@^2.4.0, core-js@^2.5.0, core-js@^2.6.10:
   resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/core-js/-/core-js-2.6.12.tgz#d9333dfa7b065e347cc5682219d6f690859cc2ec"
   integrity sha512-Kb2wC0fvsWfQrgk8HU5lW6U/Lcs8+9aaYcy4ZFc6DDlo4nZ7n70dEgE5rtR0oG6ufKDUnrwfWL1mXR5ljDatrQ==
 
-core-js@^3.0.0:
-  version "3.18.3"
-  resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/core-js/-/core-js-3.18.3.tgz#86a0bba2d8ec3df860fefcc07a8d119779f01509"
-  integrity sha512-tReEhtMReZaPFVw7dajMx0vlsz3oOb8ajgPoHVYGxr8ErnZ6PcYEvvmjGmXlfpnxpkYSdOQttjB+MvVbCGfvLw==
-
 core-js@^3.0.4, core-js@^3.6.5, core-js@^3.8.2:
   version "3.15.0"
   resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/core-js/-/core-js-3.15.0.tgz#db9554ebce0b6fd90dc9b1f2465c841d2d055044"
@@ -14248,22 +14243,6 @@ fetch-blob@2.1.2:
   resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/fetch-blob/-/fetch-blob-2.1.2.tgz#a7805db1361bd44c1ef62bb57fb5fe8ea173ef3c"
   integrity sha512-YKqtUDwqLyfyMnmbw8XD6Q8j9i/HggKtPEI+pZ1+8bvheBu78biSmNaXWusx1TauGqtUUGx/cBb1mKdq2rLYow==
 
-fetch-mock@^9.11.0:
-  version "9.11.0"
-  resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/fetch-mock/-/fetch-mock-9.11.0.tgz#371c6fb7d45584d2ae4a18ee6824e7ad4b637a3f"
-  integrity sha512-PG1XUv+x7iag5p/iNHD4/jdpxL9FtVSqRMUQhPab4hVDt80T1MH5ehzVrL2IdXO9Q2iBggArFvPqjUbHFuI58Q==
-  dependencies:
-    "@babel/core" "^7.0.0"
-    "@babel/runtime" "^7.0.0"
-    core-js "^3.0.0"
-    debug "^4.1.1"
-    glob-to-regexp "^0.4.0"
-    is-subset "^0.1.1"
-    lodash.isequal "^4.5.0"
-    path-to-regexp "^2.2.1"
-    querystring "^0.2.0"
-    whatwg-url "^6.5.0"
-
 fetch-readablestream@^0.2.0:
   version "0.2.0"
   resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/fetch-readablestream/-/fetch-readablestream-0.2.0.tgz#eaa6d1a76b12de2d4731a343393c6ccdcfe2c795"
@@ -15088,7 +15067,7 @@ glob-to-regexp@^0.3.0:
   resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/glob-to-regexp/-/glob-to-regexp-0.3.0.tgz#8c5a1494d2066c570cc3bfe4496175acc4d502ab"
   integrity sha1-jFoUlNIGbFcMw7/kSWF1rMTVAqs=
 
-glob-to-regexp@^0.4.0, glob-to-regexp@^0.4.1:
+glob-to-regexp@^0.4.1:
   version "0.4.1"
   resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/glob-to-regexp/-/glob-to-regexp-0.4.1.tgz#c75297087c851b9a578bd217dd59a92f59fe546e"
   integrity sha512-lkX1HJXwyMcprw/5YUZc2s7DrpAiHB21/V+E1rHUrVNokkvB6bqMzT0VfV6/86ZNabt1k14YOIaT7nDvOX3Iiw==
@@ -17129,11 +17108,6 @@ is-subdir@^1.1.1:
   dependencies:
     better-path-resolve "1.0.0"
 
-is-subset@^0.1.1:
-  version "0.1.1"
-  resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/is-subset/-/is-subset-0.1.1.tgz#8a59117d932de1de00f245fcdd39ce43f1e939a6"
-  integrity sha1-ilkRfZMt4d4A8kX83TnOQ/HpOaY=
-
 is-svg@^3.0.0:
   version "3.0.0"
   resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/is-svg/-/is-svg-3.0.0.tgz#9321dbd29c212e5ca99c4fa9794c714bcafa2f75"
@@ -19002,7 +18976,7 @@ lodash.isempty@^4.4.0:
   resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/lodash.isempty/-/lodash.isempty-4.4.0.tgz#6f86cbedd8be4ec987be9aaf33c9684db1b31e7e"
   integrity sha1-b4bL7di+TsmHvpqvM8loTbGzHn4=
 
-lodash.isequal@^4.0.0, lodash.isequal@^4.5.0:
+lodash.isequal@^4.0.0:
   version "4.5.0"
   resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/lodash.isequal/-/lodash.isequal-4.5.0.tgz#415c4478f2bcc30120c22ce10ed3226f7d3e18e0"
   integrity sha1-QVxEePK8wwEgwizhDtMib30+GOA=
@@ -22191,11 +22165,6 @@ path-to-regexp@^1.7.0:
   dependencies:
     isarray "0.0.1"
 
-path-to-regexp@^2.2.1:
-  version "2.4.0"
-  resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/path-to-regexp/-/path-to-regexp-2.4.0.tgz#35ce7f333d5616f1c1e1bfe266c3aba2e5b2e704"
-  integrity sha512-G6zHoVqC6GGTQkZwF4lkuEyMbVOjoBKAEybQUypI1WTkqinCOrq2x6U2+phkJ1XsEMTy4LjtwPI7HW+NVrRR2w==
-
 path-type@^1.0.0:
   version "1.1.0"
   resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/path-type/-/path-type-1.1.0.tgz#59c44f7ee491da704da415da5a4070ba4f8fe441"
@@ -28732,7 +28701,7 @@ whatwg-url@^5.0.0:
     tr46 "~0.0.3"
     webidl-conversions "^3.0.0"
 
-whatwg-url@^6.4.1, whatwg-url@^6.5.0:
+whatwg-url@^6.4.1:
   version "6.5.0"
   resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/whatwg-url/-/whatwg-url-6.5.0.tgz#f2df02bff176fd65070df74ad5ccbb5a199965a8"
   integrity sha512-rhRZRqx/TLJQWUpQ6bmrt2UV4f0HCQ463yQuONJqC6fO2VoEb1pTYddbe59SkYq87aoM5A3bdhMZiUiVws+fzQ==