diff --git a/packages/core-api/src/routing/RouteResolver.test.ts b/packages/core-api/src/routing/RouteResolver.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5b7e655a46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core-api/src/routing/RouteResolver.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,236 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2020 Spotify AB
+ *
+ * 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 { createRouteRef } from './RouteRef';
+import { createSubRouteRef } from './SubRouteRef';
+import { createExternalRouteRef } from './ExternalRouteRef';
+import { RouteResolver } from './RouteResolver';
+import { AnyRouteRef, ExternalRouteRef, RouteRef, SubRouteRef } from './types';
+
+const element = () => null;
+const rest = { element, caseSensitive: false };
+
+const ref1 = createRouteRef({ id: 'rr1' });
+const ref2 = createRouteRef({ id: 'rr2', params: ['x'] });
+const ref3 = createRouteRef({ id: 'rr3', params: ['y'] });
+const subRef1 = createSubRouteRef({
+  id: 'srr1',
+  parent: ref1,
+  path: '/foo',
+});
+const subRef2 = createSubRouteRef({
+  id: 'srr2',
+  parent: ref1,
+  path: '/foo/:a',
+});
+const subRef3 = createSubRouteRef({
+  id: 'srr3',
+  parent: ref2,
+  path: '/bar',
+});
+const subRef4 = createSubRouteRef({
+  id: 'srr4',
+  parent: ref2,
+  path: '/bar/:a',
+});
+const externalRef1 = createExternalRouteRef({ id: 'err1' });
+const externalRef2 = createExternalRouteRef({
+  id: 'err2',
+  optional: true,
+});
+const externalRef3 = createExternalRouteRef({ id: 'err3', params: ['x'] });
+const externalRef4 = createExternalRouteRef({
+  id: 'err4',
+  optional: true,
+  params: ['x'],
+});
+
+describe('RouteResolver', () => {
+  it('should not resolve anything with an empty resolver', () => {
+    const r = new RouteResolver(new Map(), new Map(), [], new Map());
+
+    expect(r.resolve(ref1, '/')?.()).toBe(undefined);
+    expect(r.resolve(ref2, '/')?.({ x: '1x' })).toBe(undefined);
+    expect(r.resolve(subRef1, '/')?.()).toBe(undefined);
+    expect(r.resolve(subRef2, '/')?.({ a: '2a' })).toBe(undefined);
+    expect(r.resolve(subRef3, '/')?.({ x: '3x' })).toBe(undefined);
+    expect(r.resolve(subRef4, '/')?.({ x: '4x', a: '4a' })).toBe(undefined);
+    expect(r.resolve(externalRef1, '/')?.()).toBe(undefined);
+    expect(r.resolve(externalRef2, '/')?.()).toBe(undefined);
+    expect(r.resolve(externalRef3, '/')?.({ x: '5x' })).toBe(undefined);
+    expect(r.resolve(externalRef4, '/')?.({ x: '6x' })).toBe(undefined);
+  });
+
+  it('should resolve an absolute route', () => {
+    const r = new RouteResolver(
+      new Map([[ref1, '/my-route']]),
+      new Map(),
+      [{ routeRefs: new Set([ref1]), path: '/my-route', ...rest }],
+      new Map(),
+    );
+
+    expect(r.resolve(ref1, '/')?.()).toBe('/my-route');
+    expect(r.resolve(ref2, '/')?.({ x: '1x' })).toBe(undefined);
+    expect(r.resolve(subRef1, '/')?.()).toBe('/my-route/foo');
+    expect(r.resolve(subRef2, '/')?.({ a: '2a' })).toBe('/my-route/foo/2a');
+    expect(r.resolve(subRef3, '/')?.({ x: '3x' })).toBe(undefined);
+    expect(r.resolve(subRef4, '/')?.({ x: '4x', a: '4a' })).toBe(undefined);
+    expect(r.resolve(externalRef1, '/')?.()).toBe(undefined);
+    expect(r.resolve(externalRef2, '/')?.()).toBe(undefined);
+    expect(r.resolve(externalRef3, '/')?.({ x: '5x' })).toBe(undefined);
+    expect(r.resolve(externalRef4, '/')?.({ x: '6x' })).toBe(undefined);
+  });
+
+  it('should resolve an absolute route with a param and with a parent', () => {
+    const r = new RouteResolver(
+      new Map<AnyRouteRef, string>([
+        [ref1, '/my-route'],
+        [ref2, '/my-parent/:x'],
+      ]),
+      new Map([[ref2, ref1]]),
+      [
+        {
+          routeRefs: new Set([ref2]),
+          path: '/my-parent/:x',
+          ...rest,
+          children: [
+            { routeRefs: new Set([ref1]), path: '/my-route', ...rest },
+          ],
+        },
+      ],
+      new Map<ExternalRouteRef, RouteRef | SubRouteRef>([
+        [externalRef1, ref1],
+        [externalRef3, ref2],
+        [externalRef4, subRef3],
+      ]),
+    );
+
+    expect(r.resolve(ref1, '/')?.()).toBe('/my-route');
+    expect(r.resolve(ref2, '/')?.({ x: '1x' })).toBe('/my-route/my-parent/1x');
+    expect(r.resolve(subRef1, '/')?.()).toBe('/my-route/foo');
+    expect(r.resolve(subRef2, '/')?.({ a: '2a' })).toBe('/my-route/foo/2a');
+    expect(r.resolve(subRef3, '/')?.({ x: '3x' })).toBe(
+      '/my-route/my-parent/3x/bar',
+    );
+    expect(r.resolve(subRef4, '/')?.({ x: '4x', a: '4a' })).toBe(
+      '/my-route/my-parent/4x/bar/4a',
+    );
+    expect(r.resolve(externalRef1, '/')?.()).toBe('/my-route');
+    expect(r.resolve(externalRef2, '/')?.()).toBe(undefined);
+    expect(r.resolve(externalRef3, '/')?.({ x: '5x' })).toBe(
+      '/my-route/my-parent/5x',
+    );
+    expect(r.resolve(externalRef4, '/')?.({ x: '6x' })).toBe(
+      '/my-route/my-parent/6x/bar',
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('should resolve an absolute route with multiple parents', () => {
+    const r = new RouteResolver(
+      new Map<AnyRouteRef, string>([
+        [ref1, '/my-route'],
+        [ref2, '/my-parent/:x'],
+        [ref3, '/my-grandparent/:y'],
+      ]),
+      new Map<AnyRouteRef, AnyRouteRef>([
+        [ref1, ref2],
+        [ref2, ref3],
+      ]),
+      [
+        {
+          routeRefs: new Set([ref3]),
+          path: '/my-grandparent/:y',
+          ...rest,
+          children: [
+            {
+              routeRefs: new Set([ref2]),
+              path: '/my-parent/:x',
+              ...rest,
+              children: [
+                { routeRefs: new Set([ref1]), path: '/my-route', ...rest },
+              ],
+            },
+          ],
+        },
+      ],
+      new Map<ExternalRouteRef, RouteRef | SubRouteRef>([
+        [externalRef1, ref1],
+        [externalRef3, ref2],
+        [externalRef4, subRef3],
+      ]),
+    );
+
+    const l = '/my-grandparent/my-y/my-parent/my-x';
+    expect(r.resolve(ref1, l)?.()).toBe(
+      '/my-grandparent/my-y/my-parent/my-x/my-route',
+    );
+    expect(() => r.resolve(ref1, '/')?.()).toThrow(
+      /^Cannot route.*with parent.*as it has parameters$/,
+    );
+    expect(r.resolve(ref2, l)?.({ x: '1x' })).toBe(
+      '/my-grandparent/my-y/my-parent/1x',
+    );
+    expect(r.resolve(ref2, '/my-grandparent/my-y')?.({ x: '1x' })).toBe(
+      '/my-grandparent/my-y/my-parent/1x',
+    );
+    expect(() => r.resolve(ref2, '/')?.({ x: '1x' })).toThrow(
+      /^Cannot route.*with parent.*as it has parameters$/,
+    );
+    expect(r.resolve(subRef1, l)?.()).toBe(
+      '/my-grandparent/my-y/my-parent/my-x/my-route/foo',
+    );
+    expect(() => r.resolve(subRef1, '/')?.()).toThrow(
+      /^Cannot route.*with parent.*as it has parameters$/,
+    );
+    expect(r.resolve(subRef2, l)?.({ a: '2a' })).toBe(
+      '/my-grandparent/my-y/my-parent/my-x/my-route/foo/2a',
+    );
+    expect(() => r.resolve(subRef2, '/')?.({ a: '2a' })).toThrow(
+      /^Cannot route.*with parent.*as it has parameters$/,
+    );
+    expect(r.resolve(subRef3, l)?.({ x: '3x' })).toBe(
+      '/my-grandparent/my-y/my-parent/3x/bar',
+    );
+    expect(r.resolve(subRef3, '/my-grandparent/my-y')?.({ x: '3x' })).toBe(
+      '/my-grandparent/my-y/my-parent/3x/bar',
+    );
+    expect(r.resolve(subRef4, l)?.({ x: '4x', a: '4a' })).toBe(
+      '/my-grandparent/my-y/my-parent/4x/bar/4a',
+    );
+    expect(
+      r.resolve(subRef4, '/my-grandparent/my-y')?.({ x: '4x', a: '4a' }),
+    ).toBe('/my-grandparent/my-y/my-parent/4x/bar/4a');
+    expect(r.resolve(externalRef1, l)?.()).toBe(
+      '/my-grandparent/my-y/my-parent/my-x/my-route',
+    );
+    expect(() => r.resolve(externalRef1, '/')?.()).toThrow(
+      /^Cannot route.*with parent.*as it has parameters$/,
+    );
+    expect(r.resolve(externalRef2, l)?.()).toBe(undefined);
+    expect(r.resolve(externalRef3, l)?.({ x: '5x' })).toBe(
+      '/my-grandparent/my-y/my-parent/5x',
+    );
+    expect(() => r.resolve(externalRef3, '/')?.({ x: '5x' })).toThrow(
+      /^Cannot route.*with parent.*as it has parameters$/,
+    );
+    expect(r.resolve(externalRef4, l)?.({ x: '6x' })).toBe(
+      '/my-grandparent/my-y/my-parent/6x/bar',
+    );
+    expect(() => r.resolve(externalRef4, '/')?.({ x: '6x' })).toThrow(
+      /^Cannot route.*with parent.*as it has parameters$/,
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/core-api/src/routing/RouteResolver.ts b/packages/core-api/src/routing/RouteResolver.ts
index 511d6bce2e..f417b9af2a 100644
--- a/packages/core-api/src/routing/RouteResolver.ts
+++ b/packages/core-api/src/routing/RouteResolver.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import { generatePath, matchRoutes, useLocation } from 'react-router-dom';
+import { generatePath, matchRoutes } from 'react-router-dom';
 import {
   AnyRouteRef,
   BackstageRouteObject,
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ export class RouteResolver {
       | RouteRef<Params>
       | SubRouteRef<Params>
       | ExternalRouteRef<Params, any>,
-    sourceLocation: ReturnType<typeof useLocation>,
+    sourceLocation: Parameters<typeof matchRoutes>[1],
   ): RouteFunc<Params> | undefined {
     let resolvedRef: AnyRouteRef;
     let subRoutePath = '';