diff --git a/packages/backend-openapi-utils/report.api.md b/packages/backend-openapi-utils/report.api.md
index a0495f39b5..5a2c89ee81 100644
--- a/packages/backend-openapi-utils/report.api.md
+++ b/packages/backend-openapi-utils/report.api.md
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 > Do not edit this file. It is a report generated by [API Extractor](https://api-extractor.com/).
 
 ```ts
+/// <reference types="node" />
+
 import type { ContentObject } from 'openapi3-ts';
 import type core from 'express-serve-static-core';
 import { Express as Express_2 } from 'express';
@@ -682,6 +684,9 @@ type SchemaRef<Doc extends RequiredDoc, Schema> = Schema extends {
       [Key in keyof Schema]: SchemaRef<Doc, Schema[Key]>;
     };
 
+// @public
+export function setupProxyHooks(): void;
+
 // @public
 type TemplateToDocPath<
   Doc extends PathDoc,
@@ -718,6 +723,9 @@ type ValueOf<T> = T[keyof T];
 // @public
 export const wrapInOpenApiTestServer: (app: Express_2) => Server | Express_2;
 
+// @public
+export function wrapServer(app: Express_2): Promise<Server>;
+
 // Warnings were encountered during analysis:
 //
 // src/router.d.ts:8:5 - (ae-undocumented) Missing documentation for "get".
diff --git a/packages/backend-openapi-utils/src/index.ts b/packages/backend-openapi-utils/src/index.ts
index 57d9f755c2..24f4183311 100644
--- a/packages/backend-openapi-utils/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-openapi-utils/src/index.ts
@@ -32,4 +32,8 @@ export type {
 } from './utility';
 export type { ApiRouter } from './router';
 export { createValidatedOpenApiRouter, getOpenApiSpecRoute } from './stub';
-export { wrapInOpenApiTestServer, wrapServer } from './testUtils';
+export {
+  wrapInOpenApiTestServer,
+  wrapServer,
+  setupProxyHooks,
+} from './testUtils';
diff --git a/packages/backend-openapi-utils/src/schema/parameter-validation.ts b/packages/backend-openapi-utils/src/schema/parameter-validation.ts
index 5cdb3dbd6b..90953e6e2a 100644
--- a/packages/backend-openapi-utils/src/schema/parameter-validation.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-openapi-utils/src/schema/parameter-validation.ts
@@ -111,53 +111,51 @@ export class QueryParameterParser
     const remainingQueryParameters = new Set<string>(searchParams.keys());
     const queryParameters: Record<string, any> = {};
 
+    const parameterIterator = Object.entries(this.parameters);
+
     // object parameters with form/explode style should be processed last as they collect all remaining parameters.
-    const parameterIterator = Object.entries(this.parameters).toSorted(
-      ([_, parameterA], [_B, parameterB]) => {
-        if (
-          parameterA.schema.type !== 'object' &&
-          parameterB.schema.type !== 'object'
-        ) {
-          return EQUAL;
-        }
-        if (
-          parameterA.schema.type === 'object' &&
-          parameterB.schema.type !== 'object'
-        ) {
-          return PLACE_A_AFTER_B;
-        }
-        if (
-          parameterA.schema.type !== 'object' &&
-          parameterB.schema.type === 'object'
-        ) {
-          return PLACE_A_BEFORE_B;
-        }
-        const isParameterAForm =
-          parameterA.style === 'form' || !parameterA.style;
-        const isParameterAFormExplode =
-          isParameterAForm &&
-          (parameterA.explode || typeof parameterA.explode === 'undefined');
-        const isParameterBForm =
-          parameterB.style === 'form' || !parameterB.style;
-        const isParameterBFormExplode =
-          isParameterBForm &&
-          (parameterB.explode || typeof parameterB.explode === 'undefined');
-        // Sort the form explode to the bottom of the array.
-        if (isParameterAFormExplode && isParameterBFormExplode) {
-          throw new OperationError(
-            this.operation,
-            'Ambiguous query parameters, you cannot have 2 form explode parameters',
-          );
-        }
-        if (isParameterAFormExplode) {
-          return PLACE_A_AFTER_B;
-        }
-        if (isParameterBFormExplode) {
-          return PLACE_A_BEFORE_B;
-        }
+    parameterIterator.sort(([_, parameterA], [_B, parameterB]) => {
+      if (
+        parameterA.schema.type !== 'object' &&
+        parameterB.schema.type !== 'object'
+      ) {
         return EQUAL;
-      },
-    );
+      }
+      if (
+        parameterA.schema.type === 'object' &&
+        parameterB.schema.type !== 'object'
+      ) {
+        return PLACE_A_AFTER_B;
+      }
+      if (
+        parameterA.schema.type !== 'object' &&
+        parameterB.schema.type === 'object'
+      ) {
+        return PLACE_A_BEFORE_B;
+      }
+      const isParameterAForm = parameterA.style === 'form' || !parameterA.style;
+      const isParameterAFormExplode =
+        isParameterAForm &&
+        (parameterA.explode || typeof parameterA.explode === 'undefined');
+      const isParameterBForm = parameterB.style === 'form' || !parameterB.style;
+      const isParameterBFormExplode =
+        isParameterBForm &&
+        (parameterB.explode || typeof parameterB.explode === 'undefined');
+      // Sort the form explode to the bottom of the array.
+      if (isParameterAFormExplode && isParameterBFormExplode) {
+        throw new OperationError(
+          this.operation,
+          'Ambiguous query parameters, you cannot have 2 form explode parameters',
+        );
+      }
+      if (isParameterAFormExplode) {
+        return PLACE_A_AFTER_B;
+      }
+      if (isParameterBFormExplode) {
+        return PLACE_A_BEFORE_B;
+      }
+      return EQUAL;
+    });
     for (const [name, parameter] of parameterIterator) {
       if (!parameter.schema) {
         throw new OperationError(
diff --git a/packages/backend-openapi-utils/src/schema/validation.test.ts b/packages/backend-openapi-utils/src/schema/validation.test.ts
index fdb1350625..9c8c4589a3 100644
--- a/packages/backend-openapi-utils/src/schema/validation.test.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-openapi-utils/src/schema/validation.test.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 import { findOperationByRequest, OpenApiProxyValidator } from './validation';
 import { rest } from 'msw';
 import { setupServer } from 'msw/node';
-import { setupRequestMockHandlers } from '@backstage/backend-test-utils';
+import { registerMswTestHooks } from '@backstage/test-utils';
 import { CompletedBody, CompletedRequest, CompletedResponse } from 'mockttp';
 import withResponseBody from './__fixtures__/schemas/withJsonResponseBody.json';
 import withQueryParameter from './__fixtures__/schemas/withQueryParameter.json';
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ function createMockttpResponse(response: {
 }
 
 describe('OpenApiProxyValidator', () => {
-  setupRequestMockHandlers(server);
+  registerMswTestHooks(server);
   let validator: OpenApiProxyValidator;
 
   async function mockSchema(schema: any) {
diff --git a/packages/backend-openapi-utils/src/testUtils.ts b/packages/backend-openapi-utils/src/testUtils.ts
index d93029fa8e..ea329332bd 100644
--- a/packages/backend-openapi-utils/src/testUtils.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-openapi-utils/src/testUtils.ts
@@ -19,14 +19,28 @@ import { Proxy } from './proxy/setup';
 
 const proxy = new Proxy();
 
-beforeAll(async () => {
-  await proxy.setup();
-});
+/**
+ * Setup the proxy hooks for the test suite. This will start the proxy before all tests and stop it after all tests.
+ * @public
+ */
+export function setupProxyHooks() {
+  beforeAll(async () => {
+    await proxy.setup();
+  });
 
-afterAll(() => {
-  proxy.stop();
-});
+  afterAll(() => {
+    proxy.stop();
+  });
+}
 
+/**
+ * !!! THIS CURRENTLY ONLY SUPPORTS SUPERTEST !!!
+ * Setup a server with a custom OpenAPI proxy. This proxy will capture all requests and responses and make sure they
+ *  conform to the spec.
+ * @param app - express server, needed to ensure we have the correct ports for the proxy.
+ * @returns - a configured HTTP server that should be used with supertest.
+ * @public
+ */
 export async function wrapServer(app: Express): Promise<Server> {
   const server = app.listen(proxy.forwardTo.port);
   await proxy.initialize(`http://localhost:${proxy.forwardTo.port}`, server);
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/createRouter.test.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/createRouter.test.ts
index 6654187526..3b478a2a84 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/createRouter.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/createRouter.test.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ import { RESOURCE_TYPE_CATALOG_ENTITY } from '@backstage/plugin-catalog-common/a
 import { CatalogProcessingOrchestrator } from '../processing/types';
 import { z } from 'zod';
 import { decodeCursor, encodeCursor } from './util';
-import { wrapServer } from '@backstage/backend-openapi-utils';
+import { setupProxyHooks, wrapServer } from '@backstage/backend-openapi-utils';
 import { Server } from 'http';
 import { mockCredentials, mockServices } from '@backstage/backend-test-utils';
 import { LocationAnalyzer } from '@backstage/plugin-catalog-node';
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ describe('createRouter readonly disabled', () => {
   let locationAnalyzer: jest.Mocked<LocationAnalyzer>;
   let permissionsService: jest.Mocked<PermissionsService>;
 
+  setupProxyHooks();
+
   beforeAll(async () => {
     entitiesCatalog = {
       entities: jest.fn(),
diff --git a/plugins/search-backend/src/service/router.test.ts b/plugins/search-backend/src/service/router.test.ts
index 5b6900ede1..41b03501a3 100644
--- a/plugins/search-backend/src/service/router.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/search-backend/src/service/router.test.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import {
 import express from 'express';
 import request from 'supertest';
 import { createRouter } from './router';
-import { wrapServer } from '@backstage/backend-openapi-utils';
+import { setupProxyHooks, wrapServer } from '@backstage/backend-openapi-utils';
 import { Server } from 'http';
 import {
   mockCredentials,
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ describe('createRouter', () => {
     },
   };
 
+  setupProxyHooks();
+
   beforeAll(async () => {
     const logger = mockServices.logger.mock();
     mockSearchEngine = {