diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/start/startBackend.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/start/startBackend.ts
index c9b6496bb0..4f62044de7 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/start/startBackend.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/start/startBackend.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 
 import fs from 'fs-extra';
 import { paths } from '../../lib/paths';
-import { startBackendExperimental } from '../../lib/experimental/startBackendExperimental';
+import { runBackend } from '../../lib/runner';
 
 interface StartBackendOptions {
   checksEnabled: boolean;
@@ -26,9 +26,8 @@ interface StartBackendOptions {
 }
 
 export async function startBackend(options: StartBackendOptions) {
-  const waitForExit = await startBackendExperimental({
+  const waitForExit = await runBackend({
     entry: 'src/index',
-    checksEnabled: false, // not supported
     inspectEnabled: options.inspectEnabled,
     inspectBrkEnabled: options.inspectBrkEnabled,
     require: options.require,
@@ -48,9 +47,8 @@ export async function startBackendPlugin(options: StartBackendOptions) {
     return;
   }
 
-  const waitForExit = await startBackendExperimental({
+  const waitForExit = await runBackend({
     entry: 'dev/index',
-    checksEnabled: false, // not supported
     inspectEnabled: options.inspectEnabled,
     inspectBrkEnabled: options.inspectBrkEnabled,
     require: options.require,
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/bundler/types.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/bundler/types.ts
index f8e228c5c4..3f52e4f765 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/lib/bundler/types.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/bundler/types.ts
@@ -67,10 +67,3 @@ export type BackendBundlingOptions = {
   inspectBrkEnabled: boolean;
   require?: string;
 };
-
-export type BackendServeOptions = BundlingPathsOptions & {
-  checksEnabled: boolean;
-  inspectEnabled: boolean;
-  inspectBrkEnabled: boolean;
-  require?: string;
-};
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/experimental/IpcServer.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/ipc/IpcServer.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/cli/src/lib/experimental/IpcServer.ts
rename to packages/cli/src/lib/ipc/IpcServer.ts
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/experimental/ServerDataStore.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/ipc/ServerDataStore.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/cli/src/lib/experimental/ServerDataStore.ts
rename to packages/cli/src/lib/ipc/ServerDataStore.ts
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/ipc/index.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/ipc/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..78ee98a942
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/ipc/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2024 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 { IpcServer } from './IpcServer';
+export { ServerDataStore } from './ServerDataStore';
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/runner/index.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/runner/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e00ffaa3e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/runner/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2024 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 { runBackend } from './runBackend';
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/experimental/startBackendExperimental.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/runner/runBackend.ts
similarity index 90%
rename from packages/cli/src/lib/experimental/startBackendExperimental.ts
rename to packages/cli/src/lib/runner/runBackend.ts
index bd4bb94b17..f0ce971fee 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/lib/experimental/startBackendExperimental.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/runner/runBackend.ts
@@ -15,12 +15,9 @@
  */
 
 import { FSWatcher, watch } from 'chokidar';
-
-import { BackendServeOptions } from '../bundler/types';
 import type { ChildProcess } from 'child_process';
 import { ctrlc } from 'ctrlc-windows';
-import { IpcServer } from './IpcServer';
-import { ServerDataStore } from './ServerDataStore';
+import { IpcServer, ServerDataStore } from '../ipc';
 import debounce from 'lodash/debounce';
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'url';
 import { isAbsolute as isAbsolutePath } from 'path';
@@ -34,7 +31,18 @@ const loaderArgs = [
   // TODO: Support modules, although there's currently no way to load them since import() is transpiled tp require()
 ];
 
-export async function startBackendExperimental(options: BackendServeOptions) {
+export type RunBackendOptions = {
+  /** relative entry point path without extension, e.g. 'src/index' */
+  entry: string;
+  /** Whether to forward the --inspect flag to the node process */
+  inspectEnabled: boolean;
+  /** Whether to forward the --inspect-brk flag to the node process */
+  inspectBrkEnabled: boolean;
+  /** Additional module to require via the --require flag to the node process */
+  require?: string;
+};
+
+export async function runBackend(options: RunBackendOptions) {
   const envEnv = process.env as { NODE_ENV: string };
   if (!envEnv.NODE_ENV) {
     envEnv.NODE_ENV = 'development';