diff --git a/.changeset/fuzzy-bottles-greet.md b/.changeset/fuzzy-bottles-greet.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d54a4300ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/fuzzy-bottles-greet.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/core-app-api': patch
+---
+
+Reintroduce export of `defaultConfigLoader`.
diff --git a/packages/core-app-api/api-report.md b/packages/core-app-api/api-report.md
index ce85078a88..8cb18cf1ce 100644
--- a/packages/core-app-api/api-report.md
+++ b/packages/core-app-api/api-report.md
@@ -200,6 +200,9 @@ export { ConfigReader }
 // @public
 export function createApp(options?: AppOptions): PrivateAppImpl;
 
+// @public
+export const defaultConfigLoader: AppConfigLoader;
+
 // @public
 export class ErrorAlerter implements ErrorApi {
     constructor(alertApi: AlertApi, errorApi: ErrorApi);
diff --git a/packages/core-app-api/src/app/index.ts b/packages/core-app-api/src/app/index.ts
index 4bf27851b2..ab82774cad 100644
--- a/packages/core-app-api/src/app/index.ts
+++ b/packages/core-app-api/src/app/index.ts
@@ -14,5 +14,5 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-export { createApp } from './createApp';
+export { createApp, defaultConfigLoader } from './createApp';
 export * from './types';
diff --git a/packages/core-app-api/src/index.test.ts b/packages/core-app-api/src/index.test.ts
index 1d17e78402..bbbf2b8679 100644
--- a/packages/core-app-api/src/index.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core-app-api/src/index.test.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ describe('index', () => {
     expect(index).toEqual({
       // Public API
       createApp: expect.any(Function),
+      defaultConfigLoader: expect.any(Function),
       ApiProvider: expect.any(Function),
       // TODO(Rugvip): Figure out if we need these
       ApiFactoryRegistry: expect.any(Function),