diff --git a/.changeset/dry-lobsters-flash.md b/.changeset/dry-lobsters-flash.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9815bf62f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/dry-lobsters-flash.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/frontend-app-api': patch
+---
+
+Added `IconsApi` implementation and the ability to configure icons through the `icons` option for `createApp` and `createSpecializedApp`. This is not a long-term solution as icons should be installable via extensions instead. This is just a stop-gap to make sure there is feature parity with the existing frontend system.
diff --git a/packages/frontend-app-api/api-report.md b/packages/frontend-app-api/api-report.md
index e7dd584734..d0aadb7e8c 100644
--- a/packages/frontend-app-api/api-report.md
+++ b/packages/frontend-app-api/api-report.md
@@ -8,12 +8,16 @@ import { ConfigApi } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
 import { ExtensionDataRef } from '@backstage/frontend-plugin-api';
 import { ExternalRouteRef } from '@backstage/frontend-plugin-api';
 import { FrontendFeature } from '@backstage/frontend-plugin-api';
+import { IconComponent } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
 import { JSX as JSX_2 } from 'react';
 import { RouteRef } from '@backstage/frontend-plugin-api';
 import { SubRouteRef } from '@backstage/frontend-plugin-api';
 
 // @public (undocumented)
 export function createApp(options?: {
+  icons?: {
+    [key in string]: IconComponent;
+  };
   features?: (FrontendFeature | CreateAppFeatureLoader)[];
   configLoader?: () => Promise<{
     config: ConfigApi;
@@ -49,6 +53,9 @@ export function createExtensionTree(options: { config: Config }): ExtensionTree;
 
 // @public
 export function createSpecializedApp(options?: {
+  icons?: {
+    [key in string]: IconComponent;
+  };
   features?: FrontendFeature[];
   config?: ConfigApi;
   bindRoutes?(context: { bind: CreateAppRouteBinder }): void;
diff --git a/packages/frontend-app-api/src/apis/implementations/IconsApi/IconsApi.ts b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/apis/implementations/IconsApi/IconsApi.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f64bbc67f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/apis/implementations/IconsApi/IconsApi.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+/*
+ * 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 { IconComponent, IconsApi } from '@backstage/frontend-plugin-api';
+
+/**
+ * Implementation for the {@link IconsApi}
+ *
+ * @internal
+ */
+export class DefaultIconsApi implements IconsApi {
+  #icons: Map<string, IconComponent>;
+
+  constructor(icons: { [key in string]: IconComponent }) {
+    this.#icons = new Map(Object.entries(icons));
+  }
+
+  getIcon(key: string): IconComponent | undefined {
+    return this.#icons.get(key);
+  }
+
+  listIconKeys: IconsApi['listIconKeys'] = () => {
+    return { keys: this.#icons.keys() };
+  };
+}
diff --git a/packages/frontend-app-api/src/apis/implementations/IconsApi/index.ts b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/apis/implementations/IconsApi/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4a73182e84
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/apis/implementations/IconsApi/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+/*
+ * 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.
+ */
+
+export { DefaultIconsApi } from './IconsApi';
diff --git a/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/createApp.tsx b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/createApp.tsx
index 7b2f17193e..832aa2663b 100644
--- a/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/createApp.tsx
+++ b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/createApp.tsx
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import {
   createTranslationExtension,
   ExtensionDataRef,
   FrontendFeature,
+  iconsApiRef,
   RouteRef,
   useRouteRef,
 } from '@backstage/frontend-plugin-api';
@@ -105,7 +106,10 @@ import { toInternalBackstagePlugin } from '../../../frontend-plugin-api/src/wiri
 // eslint-disable-next-line @backstage/no-relative-monorepo-imports
 import { toInternalExtensionOverrides } from '../../../frontend-plugin-api/src/wiring/createExtensionOverrides';
 import { DefaultComponentsApi } from '../apis/implementations/ComponentsApi';
+import { DefaultIconsApi } from '../apis/implementations/IconsApi';
 import { stringifyError } from '@backstage/errors';
+// eslint-disable-next-line @backstage/no-relative-monorepo-imports
+import { icons as defaultIcons } from '../../../app-defaults/src/defaults';
 
 const DefaultApis = defaultApis.map(factory => createApiExtension({ factory }));
 
@@ -269,6 +273,7 @@ export interface CreateAppFeatureLoader {
 
 /** @public */
 export function createApp(options?: {
+  icons?: { [key in string]: IconComponent };
   features?: (FrontendFeature | CreateAppFeatureLoader)[];
   configLoader?: () => Promise<{ config: ConfigApi }>;
   bindRoutes?(context: { bind: CreateAppRouteBinder }): void;
@@ -303,6 +308,7 @@ export function createApp(options?: {
     }
 
     const app = createSpecializedApp({
+      icons: options?.icons,
       config,
       features: [...discoveredFeatures, ...providedFeatures],
       bindRoutes: options?.bindRoutes,
@@ -330,6 +336,7 @@ export function createApp(options?: {
  * @public
  */
 export function createSpecializedApp(options?: {
+  icons?: { [key in string]: IconComponent };
   features?: FrontendFeature[];
   config?: ConfigApi;
   bindRoutes?(context: { bind: CreateAppRouteBinder }): void;
@@ -348,7 +355,12 @@ export function createSpecializedApp(options?: {
   });
 
   const appIdentityProxy = new AppIdentityProxy();
-  const apiHolder = createApiHolder(tree, config, appIdentityProxy);
+  const apiHolder = createApiHolder(
+    tree,
+    config,
+    appIdentityProxy,
+    options?.icons,
+  );
 
   const featureFlagApi = apiHolder.get(featureFlagsApiRef);
   if (featureFlagApi) {
@@ -402,6 +414,7 @@ function createApiHolder(
   tree: AppTree,
   configApi: ConfigApi,
   appIdentityProxy: AppIdentityProxy,
+  icons?: { [key in string]: IconComponent },
 ): ApiHolder {
   const factoryRegistry = new ApiFactoryRegistry();
 
@@ -470,6 +483,12 @@ function createApiHolder(
     factory: () => new DefaultComponentsApi(componentsMap),
   });
 
+  factoryRegistry.register('static', {
+    api: iconsApiRef,
+    deps: {},
+    factory: () => new DefaultIconsApi({ ...defaultIcons, ...icons }),
+  });
+
   factoryRegistry.register('static', {
     api: appThemeApiRef,
     deps: {},