diff --git a/.changeset/polite-parrots-clap.md b/.changeset/polite-parrots-clap.md
deleted file mode 100644
index de485e0856..0000000000
--- a/.changeset/polite-parrots-clap.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
----
-'@backstage/create-app': patch
----
-
-Update the search backend template to forward env discovery to the router.
diff --git a/.changeset/six-grapes-sniff.md b/.changeset/six-grapes-sniff.md
index 43e5ef04f6..095e96dd77 100644
--- a/.changeset/six-grapes-sniff.md
+++ b/.changeset/six-grapes-sniff.md
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@
 '@backstage/plugin-search-backend': patch
 ---
 
-**BREAKING**: Update the router to use the new `auth` services. The router now requires a discovery service option to get credentials for the permission service.
+Update the router to use the new `auth` services, it now accepts an optional discovery service option to get credentials for the permission service.
diff --git a/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/packages/backend/src/plugins/search.ts.hbs b/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/packages/backend/src/plugins/search.ts.hbs
index 4149f67193..467ac60a5a 100644
--- a/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/packages/backend/src/plugins/search.ts.hbs
+++ b/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/packages/backend/src/plugins/search.ts.hbs
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ export default async function createPlugin(
     engine: indexBuilder.getSearchEngine(),
     types: indexBuilder.getDocumentTypes(),
     permissions: env.permissions,
-    discovery: env.discovery,
     config: env.config,
     logger: env.logger,
   });
diff --git a/plugins/search-backend-node/api-report-alpha.md b/plugins/search-backend-node/api-report-alpha.md
index a7ac52a218..c8e5cbb65d 100644
--- a/plugins/search-backend-node/api-report-alpha.md
+++ b/plugins/search-backend-node/api-report-alpha.md
@@ -3,39 +3,12 @@
 > Do not edit this file. It is a report generated by [API Extractor](https://api-extractor.com/).
 
 ```ts
-/// <reference types="node" />
-
-import { BackstageCredentials } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { DocumentTypeInfo } from '@backstage/plugin-search-common';
 import { ExtensionPoint } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
-import { IndexableResultSet } from '@backstage/plugin-search-common';
 import { RegisterCollatorParameters } from '@backstage/plugin-search-backend-node';
 import { RegisterDecoratorParameters } from '@backstage/plugin-search-backend-node';
-import { SearchQuery } from '@backstage/plugin-search-common';
+import { SearchEngine } from '@backstage/plugin-search-backend-node';
 import { ServiceRef } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
-import { Writable } from 'stream';
-
-// @public
-export type QueryRequestOptions =
-  | {
-      token?: string;
-    }
-  | {
-      credentials: BackstageCredentials;
-    };
-
-// @public
-export type QueryTranslator = (query: SearchQuery) => unknown;
-
-// @public
-export interface SearchEngine {
-  getIndexer(type: string): Promise<Writable>;
-  query(
-    query: SearchQuery,
-    options?: QueryRequestOptions,
-  ): Promise<IndexableResultSet>;
-  setTranslator(translator: QueryTranslator): void;
-}
 
 // @alpha
 export interface SearchEngineRegistryExtensionPoint {
diff --git a/plugins/search-backend-node/src/alpha.ts b/plugins/search-backend-node/src/alpha.ts
index a491e158b4..272bef7f84 100644
--- a/plugins/search-backend-node/src/alpha.ts
+++ b/plugins/search-backend-node/src/alpha.ts
@@ -30,14 +30,10 @@ import {
   RegisterDecoratorParameters,
 } from '@backstage/plugin-search-backend-node';
 
-import { SearchEngine } from './types';
-import { IndexBuilder } from './IndexBuilder';
-
-export type {
+import {
   SearchEngine,
-  QueryRequestOptions,
-  QueryTranslator,
-} from './types';
+  IndexBuilder,
+} from '@backstage/plugin-search-backend-node';
 
 /**
  * @alpha
diff --git a/plugins/search-backend/api-report.md b/plugins/search-backend/api-report.md
index f868ed43a3..4f99632f28 100644
--- a/plugins/search-backend/api-report.md
+++ b/plugins/search-backend/api-report.md
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ export function createRouter(options: RouterOptions): Promise<express.Router>;
 export type RouterOptions = {
   engine: SearchEngine;
   types: Record<string, DocumentTypeInfo>;
-  discovery: DiscoveryService;
+  discovery?: DiscoveryService;
   permissions: PermissionEvaluator | PermissionAuthorizer;
   config: Config;
   logger: Logger;
diff --git a/plugins/search-backend/src/service/router.ts b/plugins/search-backend/src/service/router.ts
index 9f811d5d06..ae470ba40e 100644
--- a/plugins/search-backend/src/service/router.ts
+++ b/plugins/search-backend/src/service/router.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import express from 'express';
 import { Logger } from 'winston';
 import { z } from 'zod';
 import {
+  HostDiscovery,
   createLegacyAuthAdapters,
   errorHandler,
 } from '@backstage/backend-common';
@@ -64,7 +65,7 @@ const jsonObjectSchema: z.ZodSchema<JsonObject> = z.lazy(() => {
 export type RouterOptions = {
   engine: SearchEngine;
   types: Record<string, DocumentTypeInfo>;
-  discovery: DiscoveryService;
+  discovery?: DiscoveryService;
   permissions: PermissionEvaluator | PermissionAuthorizer;
   config: Config;
   logger: Logger;
@@ -83,9 +84,19 @@ export async function createRouter(
   options: RouterOptions,
 ): Promise<express.Router> {
   const router = await createOpenApiRouter();
-  const { engine: inputEngine, types, permissions, config, logger } = options;
+  const {
+    engine: inputEngine,
+    types,
+    permissions,
+    config,
+    logger,
+    discovery = HostDiscovery.fromConfig(config),
+  } = options;
 
-  const { auth, httpAuth } = createLegacyAuthAdapters(options);
+  const { auth, httpAuth } = createLegacyAuthAdapters({
+    ...options,
+    discovery,
+  });
 
   const maxPageLimit =
     config.getOptionalNumber('search.maxPageLimit') ?? defaultMaxPageLimit;