diff --git a/.changeset/silent-worms-admire.md b/.changeset/silent-worms-admire.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c9e7e25ad9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/silent-worms-admire.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/backend-defaults': minor
+---
+
+**BREAKING** Removed `createLifecycleMiddleware` and `LifecycleMiddlewareOptions` to clean up API surface. These exports have no external usage and do not provide value in its current form. If you were using these exports, please reach out to the maintainers to discuss your use case.
diff --git a/packages/backend-defaults/api-report-httpRouter.md b/packages/backend-defaults/api-report-httpRouter.md
index dc612377ae..97805bc926 100644
--- a/packages/backend-defaults/api-report-httpRouter.md
+++ b/packages/backend-defaults/api-report-httpRouter.md
@@ -4,16 +4,8 @@
 
 ```ts
 import { HttpRouterService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
-import { HumanDuration } from '@backstage/types';
-import { LifecycleService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
-import { RequestHandler } from 'express';
 import { ServiceFactory } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 
-// @public
-export function createLifecycleMiddleware(
-  options: LifecycleMiddlewareOptions,
-): RequestHandler;
-
 // @public
 export const httpRouterServiceFactory: ServiceFactory<
   HttpRouterService,
@@ -21,12 +13,5 @@ export const httpRouterServiceFactory: ServiceFactory<
   'singleton'
 >;
 
-// @public
-export interface LifecycleMiddlewareOptions {
-  // (undocumented)
-  lifecycle: LifecycleService;
-  startupRequestPauseTimeout?: HumanDuration;
-}
-
 // (No @packageDocumentation comment for this package)
 ```
diff --git a/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/httpRouter/createLifecycleMiddleware.ts b/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/httpRouter/createLifecycleMiddleware.ts
index 3f8ee3ea69..18ff2f0840 100644
--- a/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/httpRouter/createLifecycleMiddleware.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/httpRouter/createLifecycleMiddleware.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ export const DEFAULT_TIMEOUT = { seconds: 5 };
 
 /**
  * Options for {@link createLifecycleMiddleware}.
- * @public
+ * @internal
  */
 export interface LifecycleMiddlewareOptions {
   lifecycle: LifecycleService;
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ export interface LifecycleMiddlewareOptions {
  * If the service is shutting down, all requests will be rejected with a
  * {@link @backstage/errors#ServiceUnavailableError}.
  *
- * @public
+ * @internal
  */
 export function createLifecycleMiddleware(
   options: LifecycleMiddlewareOptions,
diff --git a/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/httpRouter/index.ts b/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/httpRouter/index.ts
index bc12480ae8..15bced5ef3 100644
--- a/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/httpRouter/index.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/httpRouter/index.ts
@@ -15,5 +15,3 @@
  */
 
 export { httpRouterServiceFactory } from './httpRouterServiceFactory';
-export { createLifecycleMiddleware } from './createLifecycleMiddleware';
-export type { LifecycleMiddlewareOptions } from './createLifecycleMiddleware';