diff --git a/.changeset/cyan-suits-battle.md b/.changeset/cyan-suits-battle.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ac8b9eb811
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/cyan-suits-battle.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/cli': patch
+---
+
+The `scaffolder-module` template has been updated to use a more modern layout and new testing utilities for scaffolder actions.
diff --git a/.changeset/popular-items-retire.md b/.changeset/popular-items-retire.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2b737d9710
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/popular-items-retire.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/backend-test-utils': patch
+---
+
+The `createMockDirectory` cleanup strategy has been changed, no longer requiring it to be called outside individual tests.
diff --git a/packages/backend-test-utils/src/filesystem/MockDirectory.ts b/packages/backend-test-utils/src/filesystem/MockDirectory.ts
index 39518f5d9c..a1d616d8e0 100644
--- a/packages/backend-test-utils/src/filesystem/MockDirectory.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-test-utils/src/filesystem/MockDirectory.ts
@@ -349,8 +349,11 @@ class MockDirectoryImpl {
  */
 export interface CreateMockDirectoryOptions {
   /**
-   * In addition to creating a temporary directory, also mock `os.tmpdir()` to return the
-   * mock directory path until the end of the test suite.
+   * In addition to creating a temporary directory, also mock `os.tmpdir()` to
+   * return the mock directory path until the end of the test suite.
+   *
+   * When this option is provided the `createMockDirectory` call must happen in
+   * a scope where calling `afterAll` from Jest is allowed
    *
    * @returns
    */
@@ -362,6 +365,34 @@ export interface CreateMockDirectoryOptions {
   content?: MockDirectoryContent;
 }
 
+const cleanupCallbacks = new Array<() => void>();
+
+let registered = false;
+function registerTestHooks() {
+  if (typeof afterAll !== 'function') {
+    return;
+  }
+  if (registered) {
+    return;
+  }
+  registered = true;
+
+  afterAll(async () => {
+    for (const callback of cleanupCallbacks) {
+      try {
+        callback();
+      } catch (error) {
+        console.error(
+          `Failed to clean up mock directory after tests, ${error}`,
+        );
+      }
+    }
+    cleanupCallbacks.length = 0;
+  });
+}
+
+registerTestHooks();
+
 /**
  * Creates a new temporary mock directory that will be removed after the tests have completed.
  *
@@ -410,17 +441,14 @@ export function createMockDirectory(
     process.on('beforeExit', mocker.remove);
   }
 
-  try {
+  if (needsCleanup) {
+    cleanupCallbacks.push(() => mocker.remove());
+  }
+
+  if (origTmpdir) {
     afterAll(() => {
-      if (origTmpdir) {
-        os.tmpdir = origTmpdir;
-      }
-      if (needsCleanup) {
-        mocker.remove();
-      }
+      os.tmpdir = origTmpdir;
     });
-  } catch {
-    /* ignore */
   }
 
   if (options?.content) {
diff --git a/packages/cli/package.json b/packages/cli/package.json
index ef75a3f3b4..15ac0e5eb3 100644
--- a/packages/cli/package.json
+++ b/packages/cli/package.json
@@ -174,6 +174,7 @@
     "@backstage/plugin-auth-backend-module-guest-provider": "workspace:^",
     "@backstage/plugin-catalog-node": "workspace:^",
     "@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-node": "workspace:^",
+    "@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-node-test-utils": "workspace:^",
     "@backstage/test-utils": "workspace:^",
     "@backstage/theme": "workspace:^",
     "@rspack/core": "^1.0.10",
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/new/factories/scaffolderModule.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/new/factories/scaffolderModule.test.ts
index bdcd8b6bdc..160177f5c0 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/lib/new/factories/scaffolderModule.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/new/factories/scaffolderModule.test.ts
@@ -93,10 +93,8 @@ describe('scaffolderModule factory', () => {
       'templating    README.md.hbs',
       'templating    package.json.hbs',
       'templating    index.ts.hbs',
-      'copying       index.ts',
       'copying       example.test.ts',
       'copying       example.ts',
-      'copying       index.ts',
       'copying       module.ts',
       'Installing:',
       `moving        plugins${sep}scaffolder-backend-module-test`,
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/version.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/version.ts
index fb4a7105c3..51826ef681 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/lib/version.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/version.ts
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ import { version as devUtils } from '../../../../packages/dev-utils/package.json
 import { version as errors } from '../../../../packages/errors/package.json';
 import { version as testUtils } from '../../../../packages/test-utils/package.json';
 import { version as scaffolderNode } from '../../../../plugins/scaffolder-node/package.json';
+import { version as scaffolderNodeTestUtils } from '../../../../plugins/scaffolder-node-test-utils/package.json';
 import { version as authBackend } from '../../../../plugins/auth-backend/package.json';
 import { version as authBackendModuleGuestProvider } from '../../../../plugins/auth-backend-module-guest-provider/package.json';
 import { version as catalogNode } from '../../../../plugins/catalog-node/package.json';
@@ -65,6 +66,7 @@ export const packageVersions: Record<string, string> = {
   '@backstage/test-utils': testUtils,
   '@backstage/theme': theme,
   '@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-node': scaffolderNode,
+  '@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-node-test-utils': scaffolderNodeTestUtils,
   '@backstage/plugin-auth-backend': authBackend,
   '@backstage/plugin-auth-backend-module-guest-provider':
     authBackendModuleGuestProvider,
diff --git a/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/package.json.hbs b/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/package.json.hbs
index a6e6b5c5bc..25cd8616f2 100644
--- a/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/package.json.hbs
+++ b/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/package.json.hbs
@@ -29,10 +29,12 @@
     "postpack": "backstage-cli package postpack"
   },
   "dependencies": {
+    "@backstage/backend-plugin-api": "{{versionQuery '@backstage/backend-plugin-api'}}",
     "@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-node": "{{versionQuery '@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-node'}}"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
-    "@backstage/cli": "{{versionQuery '@backstage/cli'}}"
+    "@backstage/cli": "{{versionQuery '@backstage/cli'}}",
+    "@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-node-test-utils": "{{versionQuery '@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-node-test-utils'}}"
   },
   "files": [
     "dist"
diff --git a/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/actions/example.test.ts b/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/actions/example.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2e6020c240
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/actions/example.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import { createExampleAction } from './example';
+import {createMockActionContext} from '@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-node-test-utils'
+
+describe('createExampleAction', () => {
+  it('should call action', async () => {
+    const action = createExampleAction();
+
+    await expect(action.handler(createMockActionContext({
+      input: {
+        myParameter: 'test',
+      },
+    }))).resolves.toBeUndefined()
+  });
+
+  it('should fail when passing foo', async () => {
+    const action = createExampleAction();
+
+    await expect(action.handler(createMockActionContext({
+      input: {
+        myParameter: 'foo',
+      },
+    }))).rejects.toThrow("myParameter cannot be 'foo'")
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/actions/example/example.ts b/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/actions/example.ts
similarity index 77%
rename from packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/actions/example/example.ts
rename to packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/actions/example.ts
index 2b05c7fe38..7e47a89bcc 100644
--- a/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/actions/example/example.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/actions/example.ts
@@ -9,14 +9,14 @@ import { createTemplateAction } from '@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-node';
  *
  * @public
  */
-export function createAcmeExampleAction() {
+export function createExampleAction() {
   // For more information on how to define custom actions, see
   //   https://backstage.io/docs/features/software-templates/writing-custom-actions
   return createTemplateAction<{
     myParameter: string;
   }>({
     id: 'acme:example',
-    description: 'Runs Yeoman on an installed Yeoman generator',
+    description: 'Runs an example action',
     schema: {
       input: {
         type: 'object',
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ export function createAcmeExampleAction() {
         properties: {
           myParameter: {
             title: 'An example parameter',
-            description: 'This is the schema for our example parameter',
+            description: "This is an example parameter, don't set it to foo",
             type: 'string',
           },
         },
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@ export function createAcmeExampleAction() {
         `Running example template with parameters: ${ctx.input.myParameter}`,
       );
 
+      if (ctx.input.myParameter === 'foo') {
+        throw new Error(`myParameter cannot be 'foo'`);
+      }
+
       await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 1000));
     },
   });
diff --git a/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/actions/example/example.test.ts b/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/actions/example/example.test.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index d0e5374f3f..0000000000
--- a/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/actions/example/example.test.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,32 +0,0 @@
-import { PassThrough } from 'stream';
-import { createAcmeExampleAction } from './example';
-
-describe('acme:example', () => {
-  afterEach(() => {
-    jest.resetAllMocks();
-  });
-
-  it('should call action', async () => {
-    const action = createAcmeExampleAction();
-
-    const logger = { info: jest.fn() };
-
-    await action.handler({
-      input: {
-        myParameter: 'test',
-      },
-      workspacePath: '/tmp',
-      logger: logger as any,
-      logStream: new PassThrough(),
-      output: jest.fn(),
-      createTemporaryDirectory() {
-        // Usage of createMockDirectory is recommended for testing of filesystem operations
-        throw new Error('Not implemented');
-      },
-    });
-
-    expect(logger.info).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-      'Running example template with parameters: test',
-    );
-  });
-});
diff --git a/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/actions/example/index.ts b/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/actions/example/index.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 06ce5befc0..0000000000
--- a/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/actions/example/index.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-import { scaffolderModule } from './module';
-
-/*
-  @deprecated - this way of importing modules will soon be unsupported, and you should use `backend.add(import(...))` instead.
-*/
-export { createAcmeExampleAction } from './example';
-export default scaffolderModule;
diff --git a/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/actions/index.ts b/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/actions/index.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index ab6642ebb0..0000000000
--- a/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/actions/index.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-export * from './example';
diff --git a/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/index.ts.hbs b/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/index.ts.hbs
index 3690e43b8e..58d5da4a57 100644
--- a/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/index.ts.hbs
+++ b/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/index.ts.hbs
@@ -5,4 +5,4 @@
  * @packageDocumentation
  */
 
-export * from './actions';
+export { scaffolderModule as default } from './module';
diff --git a/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/actions/example/module.ts b/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/module.ts
similarity index 77%
rename from packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/actions/example/module.ts
rename to packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/module.ts
index 238268dcec..56ec38ac33 100644
--- a/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/actions/example/module.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/templates/scaffolder-module/src/module.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 import { createBackendModule } from "@backstage/backend-plugin-api";
 import { scaffolderActionsExtensionPoint  } from '@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-node/alpha';
-import { createAcmeExampleAction } from "./example";
+import { createExampleAction } from "./actions/example";
 
 /**
  * A backend module that registers the action into the scaffolder
  */
 export const scaffolderModule = createBackendModule({
-  moduleId: 'acme:example',
+  moduleId: 'example-action',
   pluginId: 'scaffolder',
   register({ registerInit }) {
     registerInit({
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ export const scaffolderModule = createBackendModule({
         scaffolderActions: scaffolderActionsExtensionPoint
       },
       async init({ scaffolderActions}) {
-        scaffolderActions.addActions(createAcmeExampleAction());
+        scaffolderActions.addActions(createExampleAction());
       }
     });
   },
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 26dc3ecd5b..c8bbb716f3 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -3930,6 +3930,7 @@ __metadata:
     "@backstage/plugin-auth-backend-module-guest-provider": "workspace:^"
     "@backstage/plugin-catalog-node": "workspace:^"
     "@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-node": "workspace:^"
+    "@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-node-test-utils": "workspace:^"
     "@backstage/release-manifests": "workspace:^"
     "@backstage/test-utils": "workspace:^"
     "@backstage/theme": "workspace:^"