diff --git a/.changeset/wicked-spies-draw.md b/.changeset/wicked-spies-draw.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..399f70e062
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/wicked-spies-draw.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-cicd-statistics-module-gitlab': patch
+---
+
+add the ability to add CICD default options to createGitlabApi constructor
diff --git a/plugins/cicd-statistics-module-gitlab/README.md b/plugins/cicd-statistics-module-gitlab/README.md
index 0b11f6950a..392bd0e937 100644
--- a/plugins/cicd-statistics-module-gitlab/README.md
+++ b/plugins/cicd-statistics-module-gitlab/README.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ This is an extension module to the `cicd-statistics` plugin, providing a `CicdSt
 1. Install the `cicd-statistics` and `cicd-statistics-module-gitlab` plugins in the `app` package.
 
 2. Configure your ApiFactory:
+   - You can optionally pass in a second argument to `CicdStatisticsApiGitlab` of type [CicdDefaults](https://github.com/backstage/backstage/blob/2881c53cb383bf127c150f837f37fe535d8cf97b/plugins/cicd-statistics/src/apis/types.ts#L179) to alter the default CICD UI configuration
 
 ```tsx
 // packages/app/src/apis.ts
diff --git a/plugins/cicd-statistics-module-gitlab/api-report.md b/plugins/cicd-statistics-module-gitlab/api-report.md
index 5e07255f54..a0364afa31 100644
--- a/plugins/cicd-statistics-module-gitlab/api-report.md
+++ b/plugins/cicd-statistics-module-gitlab/api-report.md
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 ```ts
 import { CicdConfiguration } from '@backstage/plugin-cicd-statistics';
+import { CicdDefaults } from '@backstage/plugin-cicd-statistics';
 import { CicdState } from '@backstage/plugin-cicd-statistics';
 import { CicdStatisticsApi } from '@backstage/plugin-cicd-statistics';
 import { Entity } from '@backstage/catalog-model';
@@ -13,7 +14,7 @@ import { OAuthApi } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
 
 // @public
 export class CicdStatisticsApiGitlab implements CicdStatisticsApi {
-  constructor(gitLabAuthApi: OAuthApi);
+  constructor(gitLabAuthApi: OAuthApi, cicdDefaults?: Partial<CicdDefaults>);
   // (undocumented)
   createGitlabApi(entity: Entity, scopes: string[]): Promise<GitlabClient>;
   // (undocumented)
diff --git a/plugins/cicd-statistics-module-gitlab/src/api/gitlab.ts b/plugins/cicd-statistics-module-gitlab/src/api/gitlab.ts
index 7439d1800c..5e4384fe88 100644
--- a/plugins/cicd-statistics-module-gitlab/src/api/gitlab.ts
+++ b/plugins/cicd-statistics-module-gitlab/src/api/gitlab.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import {
   CicdStatisticsApi,
   CicdState,
   CicdConfiguration,
+  CicdDefaults,
   Build,
   FetchBuildsOptions,
   Stage,
@@ -47,9 +48,14 @@ export type GitlabClient = {
  */
 export class CicdStatisticsApiGitlab implements CicdStatisticsApi {
   readonly #gitLabAuthApi: OAuthApi;
+  readonly #cicdDefaults: Partial<CicdDefaults>;
 
-  constructor(gitLabAuthApi: OAuthApi) {
+  constructor(
+    gitLabAuthApi: OAuthApi,
+    cicdDefaults: Partial<CicdDefaults> = {},
+  ) {
     this.#gitLabAuthApi = gitLabAuthApi;
+    this.#cicdDefaults = cicdDefaults;
   }
 
   public async createGitlabApi(
@@ -154,6 +160,7 @@ export class CicdStatisticsApiGitlab implements CicdStatisticsApi {
         'expired',
         'unknown',
       ] as const,
+      defaults: this.#cicdDefaults,
     };
   }
 }