diff --git a/packages/frontend-app-api/api-report.md b/packages/frontend-app-api/api-report.md
index 08db759511..e7dd584734 100644
--- a/packages/frontend-app-api/api-report.md
+++ b/packages/frontend-app-api/api-report.md
@@ -24,9 +24,12 @@ export function createApp(options?: {
 };
 
 // @public
-export type CreateAppFeatureLoader = (options: {
-  config: ConfigApi;
-}) => Promise<FrontendFeature[]>;
+export interface CreateAppFeatureLoader {
+  getLoaderName(): string;
+  load(options: { config: ConfigApi }): Promise<{
+    features: FrontendFeature[];
+  }>;
+}
 
 // @public
 export type CreateAppRouteBinder = <
diff --git a/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/createApp.test.tsx b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/createApp.test.tsx
index 244ce625fb..dc39ab3ae5 100644
--- a/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/createApp.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/createApp.test.tsx
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import {
   createThemeExtension,
 } from '@backstage/frontend-plugin-api';
 import { screen, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
-import { createApp } from './createApp';
+import { CreateAppFeatureLoader, createApp } from './createApp';
 import { MockConfigApi, renderWithEffects } from '@backstage/test-utils';
 import React from 'react';
 import { featureFlagsApiRef, useApi } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
@@ -100,23 +100,32 @@ describe('createApp', () => {
   });
 
   it('should support feature loaders', async () => {
+    const loader: CreateAppFeatureLoader = {
+      getLoaderName() {
+        return 'test-loader';
+      },
+      async load({ config }) {
+        return {
+          features: [
+            createPlugin({
+              id: 'test',
+              extensions: [
+                createPageExtension({
+                  defaultPath: '/',
+                  loader: async () => <div>{config.getString('key')}</div>,
+                }),
+              ],
+            }),
+          ],
+        };
+      },
+    };
+
     const app = createApp({
       configLoader: async () => ({
         config: new MockConfigApi({ key: 'config-value' }),
       }),
-      features: [
-        async ({ config }) => [
-          createPlugin({
-            id: 'test',
-            extensions: [
-              createPageExtension({
-                defaultPath: '/',
-                loader: async () => <div>{config.getString('key')}</div>,
-              }),
-            ],
-          }),
-        ],
-      ],
+      features: [loader],
     });
 
     await renderWithEffects(app.createRoot());
@@ -127,21 +136,26 @@ describe('createApp', () => {
   });
 
   it('should propagate errors thrown by feature loaders', async () => {
+    const loader: CreateAppFeatureLoader = {
+      getLoaderName() {
+        return 'test-loader';
+      },
+      async load() {
+        throw new TypeError('boom');
+      },
+    };
+
     const app = createApp({
       configLoader: async () => ({
         config: new MockConfigApi({}),
       }),
-      features: [
-        async () => {
-          throw new TypeError('boom');
-        },
-      ],
+      features: [loader],
     });
 
     await expect(
       renderWithEffects(app.createRoot()),
     ).rejects.toThrowErrorMatchingInlineSnapshot(
-      `"Failed to read frontend features from loader, TypeError: boom"`,
+      `"Failed to read frontend features from loader 'test-loader', TypeError: boom"`,
     );
   });
 
diff --git a/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/createApp.tsx b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/createApp.tsx
index f3b32db399..572e88e647 100644
--- a/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/createApp.tsx
+++ b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/createApp.tsx
@@ -244,9 +244,19 @@ function deduplicateFeatures(
  *
  * @public
  */
-export type CreateAppFeatureLoader = (options: {
-  config: ConfigApi;
-}) => Promise<FrontendFeature[]>;
+export interface CreateAppFeatureLoader {
+  /**
+   * Returns name of this loader. suitable for showing to users.
+   */
+  getLoaderName(): string;
+
+  /**
+   * Loads a number of features dynamically.
+   */
+  load(options: { config: ConfigApi }): Promise<{
+    features: FrontendFeature[];
+  }>;
+}
 
 /** @public */
 export function createApp(options?: {
@@ -266,20 +276,20 @@ export function createApp(options?: {
     const discoveredFeatures = getAvailableFeatures(config);
 
     const providedFeatures: FrontendFeature[] = [];
-    for (const feature of options?.features ?? []) {
-      if (typeof feature === 'function') {
+    for (const entry of options?.features ?? []) {
+      if ('load' in entry) {
         try {
-          const loadedFeatures = await feature({ config });
-          providedFeatures.push(...loadedFeatures);
+          const result = await entry.load({ config });
+          providedFeatures.push(...result.features);
         } catch (e) {
           throw new Error(
-            `Failed to read frontend features from loader, ${stringifyError(
+            `Failed to read frontend features from loader '${entry.getLoaderName()}', ${stringifyError(
               e,
             )}`,
           );
         }
       } else {
-        providedFeatures.push(feature);
+        providedFeatures.push(entry);
       }
     }