diff --git a/.changeset/fine-hands-think.md b/.changeset/fine-hands-think.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0fa99c904c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/fine-hands-think.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/frontend-plugin-api': patch
+---
+
+Improved the types of `createFrontendPlugin` and `createFrontendModule` so that errors due to incompatible options are indicated more clearly.
diff --git a/packages/frontend-plugin-api/report.api.md b/packages/frontend-plugin-api/report.api.md
index 9b9d9f99d7..e6259c70d7 100644
--- a/packages/frontend-plugin-api/report.api.md
+++ b/packages/frontend-plugin-api/report.api.md
@@ -691,7 +691,7 @@ export interface CreateFrontendFeatureLoaderOptions {
 // @public
 export function createFrontendModule<
   TId extends string,
-  TExtensions extends readonly ExtensionDefinition[] = [],
+  TExtensions extends readonly ExtensionDefinition[],
 >(options: CreateFrontendModuleOptions<TId, TExtensions>): FrontendModule;
 
 // @public (undocumented)
@@ -710,13 +710,13 @@ export interface CreateFrontendModuleOptions<
 // @public
 export function createFrontendPlugin<
   TId extends string,
+  TExtensions extends readonly ExtensionDefinition[],
   TRoutes extends {
     [name in string]: RouteRef | SubRouteRef;
   } = {},
   TExternalRoutes extends {
     [name in string]: ExternalRouteRef;
   } = {},
-  TExtensions extends readonly ExtensionDefinition[] = [],
 >(
   options: PluginOptions<TId, TRoutes, TExternalRoutes, TExtensions>,
 ): OverridableFrontendPlugin<
diff --git a/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/wiring/createFrontendModule.ts b/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/wiring/createFrontendModule.ts
index 7921f98635..cea0760e68 100644
--- a/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/wiring/createFrontendModule.ts
+++ b/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/wiring/createFrontendModule.ts
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ export interface InternalFrontendModule extends FrontendModule {
  */
 export function createFrontendModule<
   TId extends string,
-  TExtensions extends readonly ExtensionDefinition[] = [],
+  TExtensions extends readonly ExtensionDefinition[],
 >(options: CreateFrontendModuleOptions<TId, TExtensions>): FrontendModule {
   const { pluginId } = options;
 
diff --git a/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/wiring/createFrontendPlugin.ts b/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/wiring/createFrontendPlugin.ts
index 49c173912a..5555a0b47c 100644
--- a/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/wiring/createFrontendPlugin.ts
+++ b/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/wiring/createFrontendPlugin.ts
@@ -182,9 +182,9 @@ export interface PluginOptions<
  */
 export function createFrontendPlugin<
   TId extends string,
+  TExtensions extends readonly ExtensionDefinition[],
   TRoutes extends { [name in string]: RouteRef | SubRouteRef } = {},
   TExternalRoutes extends { [name in string]: ExternalRouteRef } = {},
-  TExtensions extends readonly ExtensionDefinition[] = [],
 >(
   options: PluginOptions<TId, TRoutes, TExternalRoutes, TExtensions>,
 ): OverridableFrontendPlugin<