diff --git a/packages/dev-utils/api-report.md b/packages/dev-utils/api-report.md
index c44f7328b9..d30df29200 100644
--- a/packages/dev-utils/api-report.md
+++ b/packages/dev-utils/api-report.md
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ import { GridProps } from '@material-ui/core/Grid';
 import { IconComponent } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
 import { PropsWithChildren } from 'react';
 import { ReactNode } from 'react';
-import { RouteRef } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
 
 // @public
 export function createDevApp(): DevAppBuilder;
@@ -43,8 +42,7 @@ export type DevAppPageOptions = {
   children?: JSX.Element;
   title?: string;
   icon?: IconComponent;
-  sideBarItem?: JSX.Element;
-  routeRef?: RouteRef;
+  sidebarItem?: JSX.Element;
 };
 
 // @public (undocumented)
diff --git a/packages/dev-utils/src/devApp/render.tsx b/packages/dev-utils/src/devApp/render.tsx
index 1b57a4b9b7..26fd96052b 100644
--- a/packages/dev-utils/src/devApp/render.tsx
+++ b/packages/dev-utils/src/devApp/render.tsx
@@ -80,9 +80,7 @@ export type DevAppPageOptions = {
   children?: JSX.Element;
   title?: string;
   icon?: IconComponent;
-  sideBarItem?: JSX.Element;
-
-  routeRef?: RouteRef;
+  sidebarItem?: JSX.Element;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -144,8 +142,8 @@ export class DevAppBuilder {
       this.defaultPage = path;
     }
 
-    if (opts.sideBarItem) {
-      this.sidebarItems.push(opts.sideBarItem);
+    if (opts.sidebarItem) {
+      this.sidebarItems.push(opts.sidebarItem);
     } else if (opts.title) {
       this.sidebarItems.push(
         <SidebarItem
@@ -157,28 +155,14 @@ export class DevAppBuilder {
       );
     }
 
-    if (opts.routeRef) {
-      const Elem = () => <>{opts.element}</>;
-      attachComponentData(Elem, 'core.mountPoint', opts.routeRef);
-
-      this.routes.push(
-        <MaybeGatheringRoute
-          key={path}
-          path={path}
-          element={<Elem />}
-          children={opts.children}
-        />,
-      );
-    } else {
-      this.routes.push(
-        <MaybeGatheringRoute
-          key={path}
-          path={path}
-          element={opts.element}
-          children={opts.children}
-        />,
-      );
-    }
+    this.routes.push(
+      <MaybeGatheringRoute
+        key={path}
+        path={path}
+        element={opts.element}
+        children={opts.children}
+      />,
+    );
     return this;
   }
 
diff --git a/plugins/notifications-backend/dev/index.ts b/plugins/notifications-backend/dev/index.ts
index 987f984dcb..fe35606dd2 100644
--- a/plugins/notifications-backend/dev/index.ts
+++ b/plugins/notifications-backend/dev/index.ts
@@ -35,8 +35,7 @@ const notificationsDebug = createBackendPlugin({
           interval = setInterval(async () => {
             await notifications.send({
               recipients: {
-                type: 'entity',
-                entityRef: 'user:development/guest',
+                type: 'broadcast',
               },
               payload: { title: 'Test notification' },
             });
diff --git a/plugins/notifications-backend/src/service/router.ts b/plugins/notifications-backend/src/service/router.ts
index 0bce3d4bb3..4c38d2ba2a 100644
--- a/plugins/notifications-backend/src/service/router.ts
+++ b/plugins/notifications-backend/src/service/router.ts
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ export async function createRouter(
 
       if (!recipients || !title) {
         logger.error(`Invalid notification request received`);
-        throw new InputError();
+        throw new InputError(`Invalid notification request received`);
       }
 
       const origin = credentials.principal.subject;
@@ -496,8 +496,10 @@ export async function createRouter(
         try {
           users = await getUsersForEntityRef(entityRef);
         } catch (e) {
-          throw new InputError();
+          logger.error(`Failed to resolve notification receivers: ${e}`);
+          throw new InputError('Failed to resolve notification receivers', e);
         }
+
         const userNotifications = await sendUserNotifications(
           baseNotification,
           users,
diff --git a/plugins/notifications/dev/index.tsx b/plugins/notifications/dev/index.tsx
index 27bfe23842..1406f55b59 100644
--- a/plugins/notifications/dev/index.tsx
+++ b/plugins/notifications/dev/index.tsx
@@ -15,10 +15,8 @@
  */
 import React from 'react';
 import { createDevApp } from '@backstage/dev-utils';
-import { notificationsPlugin } from '../src/plugin';
-import { NotificationsPage } from '../src/components/NotificationsPage';
+import { NotificationsPage, notificationsPlugin } from '../src/plugin';
 import { NotificationsSidebarItem } from '../src';
-import { rootRouteRef } from '../src/routes';
 
 // TODO: How to sign in here as guest user?
 createDevApp()
@@ -26,7 +24,6 @@ createDevApp()
   .addPage({
     element: <NotificationsPage />,
     path: '/notifications',
-    sideBarItem: <NotificationsSidebarItem />,
-    routeRef: rootRouteRef,
+    sidebarItem: <NotificationsSidebarItem />,
   })
   .render();