diff --git a/.changeset/many-swans-eat.md b/.changeset/many-swans-eat.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..86580d7cfe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/many-swans-eat.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-badges-backend': patch
+---
+
+Make sure the default badge factory is used if nothing is defined
diff --git a/plugins/badges-backend/src/plugin.ts b/plugins/badges-backend/src/plugin.ts
index 3e462e88e9..e5a51d763f 100644
--- a/plugins/badges-backend/src/plugin.ts
+++ b/plugins/badges-backend/src/plugin.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import {
   createBackendPlugin,
 } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { createRouter } from './service/router';
+import { createDefaultBadgeFactories } from './badges';
 
 /**
  * Badges backend plugin
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ export const badgesPlugin = createBackendPlugin({
           await createRouter({
             config,
             logger: loggerToWinstonLogger(logger),
+            badgeFactories: createDefaultBadgeFactories(),
             discovery,
             tokenManager,
             identity,
diff --git a/plugins/badges-backend/src/service/router.ts b/plugins/badges-backend/src/service/router.ts
index 308865b73a..47bb8fcbe8 100644
--- a/plugins/badges-backend/src/service/router.ts
+++ b/plugins/badges-backend/src/service/router.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import { Logger } from 'winston';
 import { IdentityApi } from '@backstage/plugin-auth-node';
 import { getBearerTokenFromAuthorizationHeader } from '@backstage/plugin-auth-node';
 import { BadgesStore, DatabaseBadgesStore } from '../database/badgesStore';
+import { createDefaultBadgeFactories } from '../badges';
 
 /** @public */
 export interface RouterOptions {
@@ -54,7 +55,9 @@ export async function createRouter(
     options.catalog || new CatalogClient({ discoveryApi: options.discovery });
   const badgeBuilder =
     options.badgeBuilder ||
-    new DefaultBadgeBuilder(options.badgeFactories || {});
+    new DefaultBadgeBuilder(
+      options.badgeFactories || createDefaultBadgeFactories(),
+    );
   const router = Router();
 
   const { config, logger, tokenManager, discovery, identity } = options;