diff --git a/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/graph/createAppNodeInstance.ts b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/graph/createAppNodeInstance.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 22cb3d4df7..0000000000
--- a/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/graph/createAppNodeInstance.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,155 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright 2023 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 {
-  AnyExtensionDataMap,
-  AnyExtensionInputMap,
-  ExtensionDataRef,
-} from '@backstage/frontend-plugin-api';
-import mapValues from 'lodash/mapValues';
-import { AppNode, AppNodeInstance, AppNodeSpec } from './types';
-
-type AppNodeWithInstance = AppNode & { instance: AppNodeInstance };
-
-function resolveInputData(
-  dataMap: AnyExtensionDataMap,
-  attachment: AppNodeWithInstance,
-  inputName: string,
-) {
-  return mapValues(dataMap, ref => {
-    const value = attachment.instance.getData(ref);
-    if (value === undefined && !ref.config.optional) {
-      throw new Error(
-        `input '${inputName}' did not receive required extension data '${ref.id}' from extension '${attachment.spec.id}'`,
-      );
-    }
-    return value;
-  });
-}
-
-function resolveInputs(
-  inputMap: AnyExtensionInputMap,
-  attachments: ReadonlyMap<string, AppNode[]>,
-) {
-  const undeclaredAttachments = Array.from(attachments.entries()).filter(
-    ([inputName]) => inputMap[inputName] === undefined,
-  );
-  // TODO: Make this a warning rather than an error
-  if (undeclaredAttachments.length > 0) {
-    throw new Error(
-      `received undeclared input${
-        undeclaredAttachments.length > 1 ? 's' : ''
-      } ${undeclaredAttachments
-        .map(
-          ([k, exts]) =>
-            `'${k}' from extension${exts.length > 1 ? 's' : ''} '${exts
-              .map(e => e.spec.id)
-              .join("', '")}'`,
-        )
-        .join(' and ')}`,
-    );
-  }
-
-  return mapValues(inputMap, (input, inputName) => {
-    const attachedNodes =
-      attachments
-        .get(inputName)
-        ?.filter((node): node is AppNodeWithInstance =>
-          Boolean(node.instance),
-        ) ?? [];
-
-    if (input.config.singleton) {
-      if (attachedNodes.length > 1) {
-        const attachedNodeIds = attachedNodes.map(e => e.spec.id);
-        throw Error(
-          `expected ${
-            input.config.optional ? 'at most' : 'exactly'
-          } one '${inputName}' input but received multiple: '${attachedNodeIds.join(
-            "', '",
-          )}'`,
-        );
-      } else if (attachedNodes.length === 0) {
-        if (input.config.optional) {
-          return undefined;
-        }
-        throw Error(`input '${inputName}' is required but was not received`);
-      }
-      return resolveInputData(input.extensionData, attachedNodes[0], inputName);
-    }
-
-    return attachedNodes.map(attachment =>
-      resolveInputData(input.extensionData, attachment, inputName),
-    );
-  });
-}
-
-/** @internal */
-export function createAppNodeInstance(options: {
-  spec: AppNodeSpec;
-  attachments: ReadonlyMap<string, AppNode[]>;
-}): AppNodeInstance {
-  const { spec, attachments } = options;
-  const { id, extension, config, source } = spec;
-  const extensionData = new Map<string, unknown>();
-  const extensionDataRefs = new Set<ExtensionDataRef<unknown>>();
-
-  let parsedConfig: unknown;
-  try {
-    parsedConfig = extension.configSchema?.parse(config ?? {});
-  } catch (e) {
-    throw new Error(
-      `Invalid configuration for extension '${id}'; caused by ${e}`,
-    );
-  }
-
-  try {
-    extension.factory({
-      source,
-      config: parsedConfig,
-      bind: namedOutputs => {
-        for (const [name, output] of Object.entries(namedOutputs)) {
-          const ref = extension.output[name];
-          if (!ref) {
-            throw new Error(`unknown output provided via '${name}'`);
-          }
-          if (extensionData.has(ref.id)) {
-            throw new Error(
-              `duplicate extension data '${ref.id}' received via output '${name}'`,
-            );
-          }
-          extensionData.set(ref.id, output);
-          extensionDataRefs.add(ref);
-        }
-      },
-      inputs: resolveInputs(extension.inputs, attachments),
-    });
-  } catch (e) {
-    throw new Error(
-      `Failed to instantiate extension '${id}'${
-        e.name === 'Error' ? `, ${e.message}` : `; caused by ${e}`
-      }`,
-    );
-  }
-
-  return {
-    getDataRefs() {
-      return extensionDataRefs.values();
-    },
-    getData<T>(ref: ExtensionDataRef<T>): T | undefined {
-      return extensionData.get(ref.id) as T | undefined;
-    },
-  };
-}
diff --git a/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/graph/instantiateAppNodeTree.ts b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/graph/instantiateAppNodeTree.ts
index b01ad020b9..ba0c85692e 100644
--- a/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/graph/instantiateAppNodeTree.ts
+++ b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/graph/instantiateAppNodeTree.ts
@@ -14,30 +14,178 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import { createAppNodeInstance } from './createAppNodeInstance';
-import { AppNode, Mutable } from './types';
+import {
+  AnyExtensionDataMap,
+  AnyExtensionInputMap,
+  ExtensionDataRef,
+} from '@backstage/frontend-plugin-api';
+import mapValues from 'lodash/mapValues';
+import { AppNode, AppNodeInstance, AppNodeSpec } from './types';
 
+type Mutable<T> = {
+  -readonly [P in keyof T]: T[P];
+};
+
+function resolveInputData(
+  dataMap: AnyExtensionDataMap,
+  attachment: { id: string; instance: AppNodeInstance },
+  inputName: string,
+) {
+  return mapValues(dataMap, ref => {
+    const value = attachment.instance.getData(ref);
+    if (value === undefined && !ref.config.optional) {
+      throw new Error(
+        `input '${inputName}' did not receive required extension data '${ref.id}' from extension '${attachment.id}'`,
+      );
+    }
+    return value;
+  });
+}
+
+function resolveInputs(
+  inputMap: AnyExtensionInputMap,
+  attachments: ReadonlyMap<string, { id: string; instance: AppNodeInstance }[]>,
+) {
+  const undeclaredAttachments = Array.from(attachments.entries()).filter(
+    ([inputName]) => inputMap[inputName] === undefined,
+  );
+  // TODO: Make this a warning rather than an error
+  if (undeclaredAttachments.length > 0) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `received undeclared input${
+        undeclaredAttachments.length > 1 ? 's' : ''
+      } ${undeclaredAttachments
+        .map(
+          ([k, exts]) =>
+            `'${k}' from extension${exts.length > 1 ? 's' : ''} '${exts
+              .map(e => e.id)
+              .join("', '")}'`,
+        )
+        .join(' and ')}`,
+    );
+  }
+
+  return mapValues(inputMap, (input, inputName) => {
+    const attachedNodes = attachments.get(inputName) ?? [];
+
+    if (input.config.singleton) {
+      if (attachedNodes.length > 1) {
+        const attachedNodeIds = attachedNodes.map(e => e.id);
+        throw Error(
+          `expected ${
+            input.config.optional ? 'at most' : 'exactly'
+          } one '${inputName}' input but received multiple: '${attachedNodeIds.join(
+            "', '",
+          )}'`,
+        );
+      } else if (attachedNodes.length === 0) {
+        if (input.config.optional) {
+          return undefined;
+        }
+        throw Error(`input '${inputName}' is required but was not received`);
+      }
+      return resolveInputData(input.extensionData, attachedNodes[0], inputName);
+    }
+
+    return attachedNodes.map(attachment =>
+      resolveInputData(input.extensionData, attachment, inputName),
+    );
+  });
+}
+
+/** @internal */
+export function createAppNodeInstance(options: {
+  spec: AppNodeSpec;
+  attachments: ReadonlyMap<string, { id: string; instance: AppNodeInstance }[]>;
+}): AppNodeInstance {
+  const { spec, attachments } = options;
+  const { id, extension, config, source } = spec;
+  const extensionData = new Map<string, unknown>();
+  const extensionDataRefs = new Set<ExtensionDataRef<unknown>>();
+
+  let parsedConfig: unknown;
+  try {
+    parsedConfig = extension.configSchema?.parse(config ?? {});
+  } catch (e) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `Invalid configuration for extension '${id}'; caused by ${e}`,
+    );
+  }
+
+  try {
+    extension.factory({
+      source,
+      config: parsedConfig,
+      bind: namedOutputs => {
+        for (const [name, output] of Object.entries(namedOutputs)) {
+          const ref = extension.output[name];
+          if (!ref) {
+            throw new Error(`unknown output provided via '${name}'`);
+          }
+          if (extensionData.has(ref.id)) {
+            throw new Error(
+              `duplicate extension data '${ref.id}' received via output '${name}'`,
+            );
+          }
+          extensionData.set(ref.id, output);
+          extensionDataRefs.add(ref);
+        }
+      },
+      inputs: resolveInputs(extension.inputs, attachments),
+    });
+  } catch (e) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `Failed to instantiate extension '${id}'${
+        e.name === 'Error' ? `, ${e.message}` : `; caused by ${e}`
+      }`,
+    );
+  }
+
+  return {
+    getDataRefs() {
+      return extensionDataRefs.values();
+    },
+    getData<T>(ref: ExtensionDataRef<T>): T | undefined {
+      return extensionData.get(ref.id) as T | undefined;
+    },
+  };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Starting at the provided node, instantiate all reachable nodes in the graph that have not been disabled.
+ * @internal
+ */
 export function instantiateAppNodeTree(rootNode: AppNode): void {
-  function createInstance(node: AppNode): void {
+  function createInstance(node: AppNode): AppNodeInstance | undefined {
     if (node.instance) {
-      return;
+      return node.instance;
     }
     if (node.spec.disabled) {
-      return;
+      return undefined;
     }
 
-    for (const children of node.edges.attachments.values()) {
-      for (const child of children) {
-        createInstance(child);
-      }
+    const instantiatedAttachments = new Map<
+      string,
+      { id: string; instance: AppNodeInstance }[]
+    >();
+
+    for (const [input, children] of node.edges.attachments) {
+      const instantiatedChildren = children.flatMap(child => {
+        const childInstance = createInstance(child);
+        if (!childInstance) {
+          return [];
+        }
+        return [{ id: child.spec.id, instance: childInstance }];
+      });
+      instantiatedAttachments.set(input, instantiatedChildren);
     }
 
     (node as Mutable<AppNode>).instance = createAppNodeInstance({
       spec: node.spec,
-      attachments: node.edges.attachments,
+      attachments: instantiatedAttachments,
     });
 
-    return;
+    return node.instance;
   }
 
   createInstance(rootNode);
diff --git a/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/graph/types.ts b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/graph/types.ts
index d7f80faa1b..b828c9762e 100644
--- a/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/graph/types.ts
+++ b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/graph/types.ts
@@ -20,11 +20,6 @@ import {
   ExtensionDataRef,
 } from '@backstage/frontend-plugin-api';
 
-/** @internal */
-export type Mutable<T> = {
-  -readonly [P in keyof T]: T[P];
-};
-
 /**
  * The specification for this node in the app graph.
  * @public