diff --git a/packages/backend/src/plugins/badges.ts b/packages/backend/src/plugins/badges.ts
index 4e2eee74e5..cea58d8737 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/plugins/badges.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/plugins/badges.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,10 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import { createRouter, badges } from '@backstage/plugin-badges-backend';
+import {
+  createRouter,
+  createDefaultBadges,
+} from '@backstage/plugin-badges-backend';
 import { PluginEnvironment } from '../types';
 
 export default async function createPlugin({
@@ -22,5 +25,10 @@ export default async function createPlugin({
   config,
   discovery,
 }: PluginEnvironment) {
-  return await createRouter({ logger, config, discovery, badges });
+  return await createRouter({
+    logger,
+    config,
+    discovery,
+    badges: createDefaultBadges(),
+  });
 }
diff --git a/plugins/badges-backend/README.md b/plugins/badges-backend/README.md
index ac85267ca1..94008c4ba0 100644
--- a/plugins/badges-backend/README.md
+++ b/plugins/badges-backend/README.md
@@ -9,20 +9,6 @@ the badges, in svg.
 The list of all badges to offer are passed to the badges-backend
 `createRouter()`.
 
-You may also add/redefine badges in the `app-config.yaml`, under a
-`badges` key. Example:
-
-```yaml
-badges:
-  docs:
-    kind: 'entity'
-    target: '_{entity_url}/docs'
-    label: 'docs'
-    message: '_{entity.metadata.name}'
-    color: 'navyblue'
-    style: for-the-badge
-```
-
 ## Links
 
 - [Frontend part of the plugin](https://github.com/backstage/backstage/tree/master/plugins/badges)
diff --git a/plugins/badges-backend/config.d.ts b/plugins/badges-backend/config.d.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 5870b650a0..0000000000
--- a/plugins/badges-backend/config.d.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,103 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright 2021 Spotify AB
- *
- * 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.
- */
-
-export interface Config {
-  /**
-   * Define custom badges. By default, the badges are declared in
-   * code, and passed to the badges backend `createRouter`, which
-   * merges them with any additional badges defined in this
-   * configuration.
-   *
-   * The `label` and `message` fields may use templating to support
-   * dynamic content, based on context. Use same syntax as for
-   * javascript template literals, but with `_` instead of `$`,
-   * e.g. `_{context.variable.name}`.
-   *
-   */
-  badges?: {
-    [badgeId: string]: {
-      /**
-       * (Optional) Badge kind.
-       *
-       * Restrict badge usage to a certain kind only.
-       * Useful when using templating for label and/or message if they
-       * use context data only available for a certain kind of badge.
-       *
-       * Context per badge kind.
-       *
-       * Entity badges:
-       *
-       *   * `entity` The entity data is available as `entity` in the template.
-       *   * `entity_url` The (frontend) URL to view the entity in Backstage.
-       *
-       * Default context for all badges:
-       *
-       *   * `app.title` As configured or defaults to "Backstage".
-       *   * `badge_url` The URL to the badge image.
-       *
-       */
-      kind?: 'entity';
-
-      /**
-       * The badge label.
-       */
-      label: string;
-
-      /**
-       * The badge message.
-       */
-      message: string;
-
-      /**
-       * The message color. Default: `#36BAA2`.
-       */
-      color?: string;
-
-      /**
-       * The label color. Default: `gray`.
-       */
-      labelColor?: string;
-
-      /**
-       * Visual design of the badge. One of: 'plastic', 'flat', 'flat-square',
-       * 'for-the-badge' or 'social'.
-       *
-       * Default: 'flat'
-       *
-       */
-      style?: 'plastic' | 'flat' | 'flat-square' | 'for-the-badge' | 'social';
-
-      /**
-       * Badge description, used as prefix on the alt text in the markdown code.
-       *
-       * Defaults to badge id.
-       *
-       */
-      description?: string;
-
-      /**
-       * Badge link URL, turns badge into a link in the markdown code.
-       *
-       * For `entity` badges, there is a `entity_url` in the context
-       * that could be appropriate to use here.
-       *
-       * Defaults to the `entity_url`, set to falsey value to disable the link.
-       *
-       */
-      link?: string;
-    };
-  };
-}
diff --git a/plugins/badges-backend/package.json b/plugins/badges-backend/package.json
index ef9e23e16f..f3bdef761c 100644
--- a/plugins/badges-backend/package.json
+++ b/plugins/badges-backend/package.json
@@ -48,8 +48,6 @@
     "supertest": "^4.0.2"
   },
   "files": [
-    "dist",
-    "config.d.ts"
-  ],
-  "configSchema": "config.d.ts"
+    "dist"
+  ]
 }
diff --git a/plugins/badges-backend/src/badges.ts b/plugins/badges-backend/src/badges.ts
index c830fbcfa2..da1dad6bce 100644
--- a/plugins/badges-backend/src/badges.ts
+++ b/plugins/badges-backend/src/badges.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 
 import { Badge } from './types';
 
-export const badges: Badge[] = [
+export const createDefaultBadges = (): Badge[] => [
   {
     id: 'pingback',
     kind: 'entity',
diff --git a/plugins/badges-backend/src/lib/BadgeBuilder/DefaultBadgeBuilder.ts b/plugins/badges-backend/src/lib/BadgeBuilder/DefaultBadgeBuilder.ts
index 76d2645b51..c9c9021ddd 100644
--- a/plugins/badges-backend/src/lib/BadgeBuilder/DefaultBadgeBuilder.ts
+++ b/plugins/badges-backend/src/lib/BadgeBuilder/DefaultBadgeBuilder.ts
@@ -17,29 +17,31 @@
 import { Logger } from 'winston';
 import { makeBadge } from 'badge-maker';
 import { BadgeBuilder, BadgeOptions } from './types';
-import { Badge, BadgeConfig, BadgeStyle, BadgeStyles } from '../../types';
+import { Badge, BadgeConfig, BadgeStyle, BADGE_STYLES } from '../../types';
 import { interpolate } from '../../utils';
 
 export class DefaultBadgeBuilder implements BadgeBuilder {
-  constructor(
-    private readonly logger: Logger,
-    private readonly config: BadgeConfig,
-  ) {
-    for (const [badgeId, badge] of Object.entries(config)) {
-      if (badge) {
-        badge.id = badgeId;
+  private readonly badges: BadgeConfig = {};
+
+  constructor(private readonly logger: Logger, initBadges: Badge[]) {
+    for (const badge of initBadges) {
+      if (!badge.id) {
+        logger.warning(`badge without "id": ${JSON.stringify(badge, null, 2)}`);
+      } else {
+        this.badges[badge.id] = badge;
+        logger.info(`register ${badge.kind || 'entity'} badge: "${badge.id}"`);
       }
     }
   }
 
   public async getAllBadgeConfigs(): Promise<Badge[]> {
-    return Object.values(this.config);
+    return Object.values(this.badges);
   }
 
   public async getBadgeConfig(badgeId: string): Promise<Badge> {
     return (
-      this.config[badgeId] ||
-      this.config.default ||
+      this.badges[badgeId] ||
+      this.badges.default ||
       ({
         label: 'Unknown badge ID',
         message: badgeId,
@@ -60,7 +62,7 @@ export class DefaultBadgeBuilder implements BadgeBuilder {
       params.labelColor = badge.labelColor;
     }
 
-    if (BadgeStyles.includes(badge.style as BadgeStyle)) {
+    if (BADGE_STYLES.includes(badge.style as BadgeStyle)) {
       params.style = badge.style as BadgeStyle;
     }
 
diff --git a/plugins/badges-backend/src/service/router.ts b/plugins/badges-backend/src/service/router.ts
index 694d53aed0..31eb96ceb1 100644
--- a/plugins/badges-backend/src/service/router.ts
+++ b/plugins/badges-backend/src/service/router.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import {
 import { Entity } from '@backstage/catalog-model';
 import { Config, JsonObject } from '@backstage/config';
 import { BadgeBuilder, DefaultBadgeBuilder } from '../lib/BadgeBuilder';
-import { Badge, BadgeConfig, BadgeStyle, BadgeStyles } from '../types';
+import { Badge, BadgeStyle, BADGE_STYLES } from '../types';
 
 export interface RouterOptions {
   badgeBuilder?: BadgeBuilder;
@@ -42,22 +42,9 @@ export async function createRouter(
   const logger = options.logger.child({ plugin: 'badges' });
   const title = options.config.getString('app.title') || 'Backstage';
   const catalogUrl = `${options.config.getString('app.baseUrl')}/catalog`;
-  const badgesConfig = (options.config.getOptional('badges') ??
-    {}) as BadgeConfig;
-
-  for (const badge of options.badges || []) {
-    if (!badge.id) {
-      logger.warning(`badge without "id": ${JSON.stringify(badge, null, 2)}`);
-    } else if (!badgesConfig[badge.id]) {
-      badgesConfig[badge.id] = badge;
-      logger.info(`register builtin badge: ${badge.id}`);
-    } else {
-      logger.info(`builtin badge replaced from configuration: ${badge.id}`);
-    }
-  }
-
   const badgeBuilder =
-    options.badgeBuilder || new DefaultBadgeBuilder(logger, badgesConfig);
+    options.badgeBuilder ||
+    new DefaultBadgeBuilder(logger, options.badges || []);
 
   router.get('/entity/:namespace/:kind/:name/badge-specs', async (req, res) => {
     const entityUri = getEntityUri(req.params);
@@ -122,7 +109,7 @@ export async function createRouter(
       format = 'application/json';
     }
 
-    if (BadgeStyles.includes(req.query.style as BadgeStyle)) {
+    if (BADGE_STYLES.includes(req.query.style as BadgeStyle)) {
       badge.style = req.query.style as BadgeStyle;
     }
 
diff --git a/plugins/badges-backend/src/types.ts b/plugins/badges-backend/src/types.ts
index 00a3d40756..0943589422 100644
--- a/plugins/badges-backend/src/types.ts
+++ b/plugins/badges-backend/src/types.ts
@@ -14,14 +14,14 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-export const BadgeStyles = [
+export const BADGE_STYLES = [
   'plastic',
   'flat',
   'flat-square',
   'for-the-badge',
   'social',
 ] as const;
-export type BadgeStyle = typeof BadgeStyles[number];
+export type BadgeStyle = typeof BADGE_STYLES[number];
 
 export interface Badge {
   /** Unique name for the badge. */