diff --git a/packages/app/src/plugins.ts b/packages/app/src/plugins.ts
index 9f72242c80..919ea0666b 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/plugins.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/plugins.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
  * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
  * limitations under the License.
  */
-import { default as HomePagePlugin } from '@backstage/plugin-home-page';
-import { default as WelcomePlugin } from '@backstage/plugin-welcome';
-import { default as LighthousePlugin } from '@backstage/plugin-lighthouse';
-export { HomePagePlugin, WelcomePlugin, LighthousePlugin };
+export { plugin as HomePagePlugin } from '@backstage/plugin-home-page';
+export { plugin as WelcomePlugin } from '@backstage/plugin-welcome';
+export { plugin as LighthousePlugin } from '@backstage/plugin-lighthouse';
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/create-plugin/createPlugin.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/create-plugin/createPlugin.ts
index 7efb29d270..df8b71f619 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/create-plugin/createPlugin.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/create-plugin/createPlugin.ts
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ export async function addPluginToApp(rootDir: string, pluginName: string) {
     .split('-')
     .map(name => capitalize(name))
     .join('');
-  const pluginImport = `import { default as ${pluginNameCapitalized} } from '${pluginPackage}';`;
+  const pluginImport = `import { plugin as ${pluginNameCapitalized} } from '${pluginPackage}';`;
   const pluginExport = `export { ${pluginNameCapitalized} };`;
   const pluginsFilePath = 'packages/app/src/plugins.ts';
   const pluginsFile = resolvePath(rootDir, pluginsFilePath);
diff --git a/packages/cli/templates/default-app/packages/app/src/plugins.ts b/packages/cli/templates/default-app/packages/app/src/plugins.ts
index 6639319bbd..000bd79f3e 100644
--- a/packages/cli/templates/default-app/packages/app/src/plugins.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/templates/default-app/packages/app/src/plugins.ts
@@ -1 +1 @@
-export { default as WelcomePlugin } from 'plugin-welcome';
+export { plugin as WelcomePlugin } from 'plugin-welcome';
diff --git a/packages/cli/templates/default-app/plugins/welcome/src/index.ts b/packages/cli/templates/default-app/plugins/welcome/src/index.ts
index b68aea57f9..99edba26c3 100644
--- a/packages/cli/templates/default-app/plugins/welcome/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/templates/default-app/plugins/welcome/src/index.ts
@@ -1 +1 @@
-export { default } from './plugin';
+export { plugin } from './plugin';
diff --git a/packages/cli/templates/default-app/plugins/welcome/src/plugin.test.ts b/packages/cli/templates/default-app/plugins/welcome/src/plugin.test.ts
index f61dee5690..f5bf8e68c3 100644
--- a/packages/cli/templates/default-app/plugins/welcome/src/plugin.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/templates/default-app/plugins/welcome/src/plugin.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import plugin from './plugin';
+import { plugin } from './plugin';
 
 describe('welcome', () => {
   it('should export plugin', () => {
diff --git a/packages/cli/templates/default-app/plugins/welcome/src/plugin.ts b/packages/cli/templates/default-app/plugins/welcome/src/plugin.ts
index 35ceddd65f..a65fad5348 100644
--- a/packages/cli/templates/default-app/plugins/welcome/src/plugin.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/templates/default-app/plugins/welcome/src/plugin.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { createPlugin } from '@backstage/core';
 import WelcomePage from './components/WelcomePage';
 
-export default createPlugin({
+export const plugin = createPlugin({
   id: 'welcome',
   register({ router }) {
     router.registerRoute('/', WelcomePage);
diff --git a/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/index.ts b/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/index.ts
index 0b2dc1b524..3a0a0fe2d3 100644
--- a/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/index.ts
@@ -14,4 +14,4 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-export { default } from './plugin';
+export { plugin } from './plugin';
diff --git a/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/plugin.test.ts.hbs b/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/plugin.test.ts.hbs
index 4e94ca5d50..e34204c9ae 100644
--- a/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/plugin.test.ts.hbs
+++ b/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/plugin.test.ts.hbs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import plugin from './plugin';
+import { plugin } from './plugin';
 
 describe('{{ id }}', () => {
   it('should export plugin', () => {
diff --git a/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/plugin.ts.hbs b/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/plugin.ts.hbs
index bb0b93ca25..61d82fca53 100644
--- a/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/plugin.ts.hbs
+++ b/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/plugin.ts.hbs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 import { createPlugin } from '@backstage/core';
 import ExampleComponent from './components/ExampleComponent';
 
-export default createPlugin({
+export const plugin = createPlugin({
   id: '{{ id }}',
   register({ router }) {
     router.registerRoute('/{{ id }}', ExampleComponent);
diff --git a/plugins/home-page/src/index.ts b/plugins/home-page/src/index.ts
index 0b2dc1b524..3a0a0fe2d3 100644
--- a/plugins/home-page/src/index.ts
+++ b/plugins/home-page/src/index.ts
@@ -14,4 +14,4 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-export { default } from './plugin';
+export { plugin } from './plugin';
diff --git a/plugins/home-page/src/plugin.test.ts b/plugins/home-page/src/plugin.test.ts
index 76c1fb7a6c..aea6b90d2a 100644
--- a/plugins/home-page/src/plugin.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/home-page/src/plugin.test.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import plugin from './plugin';
+import { plugin } from './plugin';
 
 describe('home-page', () => {
   it('should export plugin', () => {
diff --git a/plugins/home-page/src/plugin.ts b/plugins/home-page/src/plugin.ts
index c3b4d30fe3..7de760a849 100644
--- a/plugins/home-page/src/plugin.ts
+++ b/plugins/home-page/src/plugin.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 import { createPlugin } from '@backstage/core';
 import HomePage from 'components/HomePage';
 
-export default createPlugin({
+export const plugin = createPlugin({
   id: 'home-page',
   register({ router }) {
     router.registerRoute('/home', HomePage);
diff --git a/plugins/lighthouse/src/index.ts b/plugins/lighthouse/src/index.ts
index 1ef6bc4339..d67bc6a864 100644
--- a/plugins/lighthouse/src/index.ts
+++ b/plugins/lighthouse/src/index.ts
@@ -14,5 +14,5 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-export { default } from './plugin';
+export { plugin } from './plugin';
 export * from './api';
diff --git a/plugins/lighthouse/src/plugin.test.ts b/plugins/lighthouse/src/plugin.test.ts
index 58ea41bd60..70b1844ec2 100644
--- a/plugins/lighthouse/src/plugin.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/lighthouse/src/plugin.test.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import plugin from './plugin';
+import { plugin } from './plugin';
 
 describe('lighthouse', () => {
   it('should export plugin', () => {
diff --git a/plugins/lighthouse/src/plugin.ts b/plugins/lighthouse/src/plugin.ts
index 4d138a8ab5..f8da8d84ed 100644
--- a/plugins/lighthouse/src/plugin.ts
+++ b/plugins/lighthouse/src/plugin.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import AuditList from './components/AuditList';
 import AuditView from './components/AuditView';
 import CreateAudit from './components/CreateAudit';
 
-export default createPlugin({
+export const plugin = createPlugin({
   id: 'lighthouse',
   register({ router }) {
     router.registerRoute('/lighthouse', AuditList);
diff --git a/plugins/welcome/src/index.ts b/plugins/welcome/src/index.ts
index 0b2dc1b524..3a0a0fe2d3 100644
--- a/plugins/welcome/src/index.ts
+++ b/plugins/welcome/src/index.ts
@@ -14,4 +14,4 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-export { default } from './plugin';
+export { plugin } from './plugin';
diff --git a/plugins/welcome/src/plugin.test.ts b/plugins/welcome/src/plugin.test.ts
index f935f03edb..d60c73ec68 100644
--- a/plugins/welcome/src/plugin.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/welcome/src/plugin.test.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import plugin from './plugin';
+import { plugin } from './plugin';
 
 describe('welcome', () => {
   it('should export plugin', () => {
diff --git a/plugins/welcome/src/plugin.ts b/plugins/welcome/src/plugin.ts
index 740c6d2da3..fbc1d14256 100644
--- a/plugins/welcome/src/plugin.ts
+++ b/plugins/welcome/src/plugin.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 import { createPlugin } from '@backstage/core';
 import WelcomePage from 'components/WelcomePage';
 
-export default createPlugin({
+export const plugin = createPlugin({
   id: 'welcome',
   register({ router, featureFlags }) {
     router.registerRoute('/', WelcomePage);