diff --git a/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/httpRouter/createLifecycleMiddleware.test.ts b/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/httpRouter/createLifecycleMiddleware.test.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 31eecf14bb..0000000000
--- a/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/httpRouter/createLifecycleMiddleware.test.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,81 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright 2022 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 { createLifecycleMiddleware } from './createLifecycleMiddleware';
-import { BackendLifecycleImpl } from '../rootLifecycle/rootLifecycleServiceFactory';
-import { mockServices } from '@backstage/backend-test-utils';
-import { ServiceUnavailableError } from '@backstage/errors';
-
-describe('createLifecycleMiddleware', () => {
-  it('should pause requests when plugin is not ready', async () => {
-    const lifecycle = new BackendLifecycleImpl(mockServices.rootLogger());
-
-    const middleware = createLifecycleMiddleware({ lifecycle });
-
-    const next = jest.fn();
-    middleware({} as any, {} as any, next);
-    expect(next).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-    await lifecycle.startup();
-
-    // pending call
-    expect(next).toHaveBeenCalledWith();
-
-    // new call
-    const next2 = jest.fn();
-    middleware({} as any, {} as any, next2);
-    expect(next2).toHaveBeenCalledWith();
-  });
-
-  it('should throw ServiceUnavailableError after shutdown', async () => {
-    const lifecycle = new BackendLifecycleImpl(mockServices.rootLogger());
-    const middleware = createLifecycleMiddleware({ lifecycle });
-
-    const next = jest.fn();
-    middleware({} as any, {} as any, next);
-    expect(next).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-    await lifecycle.shutdown();
-
-    // pending call
-    expect(next).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-      new ServiceUnavailableError('Service is shutting down'),
-    );
-
-    // new call
-    const next2 = jest.fn();
-    middleware({} as any, {} as any, next2);
-    expect(next2).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-      new ServiceUnavailableError('Service is shutting down'),
-    );
-  });
-
-  it('should throw ServiceUnavailableError after timeout', async () => {
-    const lifecycle = new BackendLifecycleImpl(mockServices.rootLogger());
-    const middleware = createLifecycleMiddleware({
-      lifecycle,
-      startupRequestPauseTimeout: { milliseconds: 1 },
-    });
-
-    const next = jest.fn();
-    middleware({} as any, {} as any, next);
-    expect(next).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-
-    await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 2));
-
-    expect(next).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-      new ServiceUnavailableError('Service has not started up yet'),
-    );
-  });
-});
diff --git a/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/httpRouter/createLifecycleMiddleware.ts b/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/httpRouter/createLifecycleMiddleware.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 99fb82a41e..0000000000
--- a/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/httpRouter/createLifecycleMiddleware.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,108 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright 2022 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 { RootLifecycleService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
-import { ServiceUnavailableError } from '@backstage/errors';
-import { HumanDuration, durationToMilliseconds } from '@backstage/types';
-import { RequestHandler } from 'express';
-
-export const DEFAULT_STARTUP_REQUEST_PAUSE_TIMEOUT = { seconds: 5 };
-export const DEFAULT_SERVER_SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT = { seconds: 0 };
-
-/**
- * Options for {@link createLifecycleMiddleware}.
- * @public
- */
-export interface LifecycleMiddlewareOptions {
-  lifecycle: RootLifecycleService;
-  /**
-   * The maximum time that paused requests will wait for the service to start, before returning an error.
-   *
-   * Defaults to 5 seconds.
-   */
-  startupRequestPauseTimeout?: HumanDuration;
-}
-
-/**
- * Creates a middleware that pauses requests until the service has started.
- *
- * @remarks
- *
- * Requests that arrive before the service has started will be paused until startup is complete.
- * If the service does not start within the provided timeout, the request will be rejected with a
- * {@link @backstage/errors#ServiceUnavailableError}.
- *
- * If the service is shutting down, all requests will be rejected with a
- * {@link @backstage/errors#ServiceUnavailableError}.
- *
- * @public
- */
-export function createLifecycleMiddleware(
-  options: LifecycleMiddlewareOptions,
-): RequestHandler {
-  const { lifecycle, startupRequestPauseTimeout } = options;
-
-  let state: 'init' | 'up' | 'down' = 'init';
-  const waiting = new Set<{
-    next: (err?: Error) => void;
-    timeout: NodeJS.Timeout;
-  }>();
-
-  lifecycle.addStartupHook(async () => {
-    if (state === 'init') {
-      state = 'up';
-      for (const item of waiting) {
-        clearTimeout(item.timeout);
-        item.next();
-      }
-      waiting.clear();
-    }
-  });
-
-  lifecycle.addShutdownHook(async () => {
-    state = 'down';
-    for (const item of waiting) {
-      clearTimeout(item.timeout);
-      item.next(new ServiceUnavailableError('Service is shutting down'));
-    }
-    waiting.clear();
-  });
-
-  return (_req, _res, next) => {
-    if (state === 'up') {
-      next();
-      return;
-    } else if (state === 'down') {
-      next(new ServiceUnavailableError('Service is shutting down'));
-      return;
-    }
-
-    const timeoutMs = durationToMilliseconds(
-      startupRequestPauseTimeout ?? DEFAULT_STARTUP_REQUEST_PAUSE_TIMEOUT,
-    );
-
-    const item = {
-      next,
-      timeout: setTimeout(() => {
-        if (waiting.delete(item)) {
-          next(new ServiceUnavailableError('Service has not started up yet'));
-        }
-      }, timeoutMs),
-    };
-
-    waiting.add(item);
-  };
-}