diff --git a/packages/backend-defaults/package.json b/packages/backend-defaults/package.json
index 7107b80d7e..1ebd5de801 100644
--- a/packages/backend-defaults/package.json
+++ b/packages/backend-defaults/package.json
@@ -86,15 +86,15 @@
       "rootHealth": [
         "src/entrypoints/rootHealth/index.ts"
       ],
+      "rootSystemMetadata": [
+        "src/entrypoints/rootSystemMetadata/index.ts"
+      ],
       "rootHttpRouter": [
         "src/entrypoints/rootHttpRouter/index.ts"
       ],
       "rootLifecycle": [
         "src/entrypoints/rootLifecycle/index.ts"
       ],
-      "rootSystemMetadata": [
-        "src/entrypoints/rootSystemMetadata/index.ts"
-      ],
       "rootLogger": [
         "src/entrypoints/rootLogger/index.ts"
       ],
diff --git a/packages/backend-defaults/report-alpha.api.md b/packages/backend-defaults/report-alpha.api.md
index 2ca3525946..34f2d1066b 100644
--- a/packages/backend-defaults/report-alpha.api.md
+++ b/packages/backend-defaults/report-alpha.api.md
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ export const actionsServiceFactory: ServiceFactory<
 // @alpha @deprecated (undocumented)
 export const instanceMetadataServiceFactory: ServiceFactory<
   InstanceMetadataService,
-  'plugin',
+  'root',
   'singleton'
 >;
 
diff --git a/packages/backend-defaults/report-discovery.api.md b/packages/backend-defaults/report-discovery.api.md
index ddbbd9d025..260e04a8a3 100644
--- a/packages/backend-defaults/report-discovery.api.md
+++ b/packages/backend-defaults/report-discovery.api.md
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 > Do not edit this file. It is a report generated by [API Extractor](https://api-extractor.com/).
 
 ```ts
+import { Config } from '@backstage/config';
 import { DiscoveryService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { LoggerService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { RootConfigService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
@@ -26,6 +27,21 @@ export class HostDiscovery implements DiscoveryService {
   getBaseUrl(pluginId: string): Promise<string>;
   // (undocumented)
   getExternalBaseUrl(pluginId: string): Promise<string>;
+  // (undocumented)
+  getInstanceAddress(config: Config): {
+    internal: string;
+    external: string;
+  };
+  // (undocumented)
+  listResolutions(): Promise<
+    Map<
+      string,
+      {
+        internal?: string;
+        external?: string;
+      }[]
+    >
+  >;
 }
 
 // @public
diff --git a/packages/backend-defaults/report-rootSystemMetadata.api.md b/packages/backend-defaults/report-rootSystemMetadata.api.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f871282826
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/backend-defaults/report-rootSystemMetadata.api.md
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+## API Report File for "@backstage/backend-defaults"
+
+> Do not edit this file. It is a report generated by [API Extractor](https://api-extractor.com/).
+
+```ts
+import { LoggerService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
+import { RootConfigService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
+import { RootInstanceMetadataService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
+import { RootSystemMetadataService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
+import { RootSystemMetadataServicePluginInfo } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
+import { ServiceFactory } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
+
+// @alpha (undocumented)
+export class DefaultRootSystemMetadataService
+  implements RootSystemMetadataService
+{
+  constructor(options: {
+    logger: LoggerService;
+    config: RootConfigService;
+    instanceMetadata: RootInstanceMetadataService;
+  });
+  // (undocumented)
+  static create(pluginEnv: {
+    logger: LoggerService;
+    config: RootConfigService;
+    instanceMetadata: RootInstanceMetadataService;
+  }): DefaultRootSystemMetadataService;
+  // (undocumented)
+  getInstalledPlugins(): Promise<RootSystemMetadataServicePluginInfo[]>;
+}
+
+// @alpha
+export const rootSystemMetadataServiceFactory: ServiceFactory<
+  RootSystemMetadataService,
+  'root',
+  'singleton'
+>;
+
+// (No @packageDocumentation comment for this package)
+```
diff --git a/packages/backend-defaults/report-systemMetadata.api.md b/packages/backend-defaults/report-systemMetadata.api.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 6f0f106039..0000000000
--- a/packages/backend-defaults/report-systemMetadata.api.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,47 +0,0 @@
-## API Report File for "@backstage/backend-defaults"
-
-> Do not edit this file. It is a report generated by [API Extractor](https://api-extractor.com/).
-
-```ts
-import { ActionsRegistryService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api/alpha';
-import { ActionsService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api/alpha';
-import { ServiceFactory } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
-
-// @public (undocumented)
-export const actionsRegistryServiceFactory: ServiceFactory<
-  ActionsRegistryService,
-  'plugin',
-  'singleton'
->;
-
-// @public (undocumented)
-export const actionsServiceFactory: ServiceFactory<
-  ActionsService,
-import { BackstageInstance } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
-import { LoggerService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
-import { Observable } from '@backstage/types';
-import { RootConfigService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
-import { ServiceFactory } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
-import { SystemMetadataService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
-
-// @alpha (undocumented)
-export class DefaultSystemMetadataService implements SystemMetadataService {
-  constructor(options: { logger: LoggerService; config: RootConfigService });
-  // (undocumented)
-  static create(pluginEnv: {
-    logger: LoggerService;
-    config: RootConfigService;
-  }): DefaultSystemMetadataService;
-  // (undocumented)
-  instances(): Observable<BackstageInstance[]>;
-}
-
-// @alpha
-export const systemMetadataServiceFactory: ServiceFactory<
-  SystemMetadataService,
-  'root',
-  'singleton'
->;
-
-// (No @packageDocumentation comment for this package)
-```
diff --git a/packages/backend-plugin-api/report.api.md b/packages/backend-plugin-api/report.api.md
index abb20539db..fdca63ec6b 100644
--- a/packages/backend-plugin-api/report.api.md
+++ b/packages/backend-plugin-api/report.api.md
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ import { isChildPath } from '@backstage/cli-common';
 import { JsonObject } from '@backstage/types';
 import { JsonValue } from '@backstage/types';
 import { Knex } from 'knex';
-import { Observable } from '@backstage/types';
 import { Permission } from '@backstage/plugin-permission-common';
 import { PermissionAttributes } from '@backstage/plugin-permission-common';
 import { PermissionEvaluator } from '@backstage/plugin-permission-common';
@@ -138,14 +137,6 @@ export type BackstageCredentials<TPrincipal = unknown> = {
   principal: TPrincipal;
 };
 
-// @public (undocumented)
-export interface BackstageInstance {
-  // (undocumented)
-  externalUrl: string;
-  // (undocumented)
-  internalUrl: string;
-}
-
 // @public
 export type BackstageNonePrincipal = {
   type: 'none';
@@ -246,13 +237,11 @@ export namespace coreServices {
     'root',
     'singleton'
   >;
-  const // @alpha
-    systemMetadataServiceRef: ServiceRef<
-      SystemMetadataService,
-      'root',
-      'singleton'
-    >;
-  const systemMetadata: ServiceRef<SystemMetadataService, 'root', 'singleton'>;
+  const rootSystemMetadata: ServiceRef<
+    RootSystemMetadataService,
+    'root',
+    'singleton'
+  >;
 }
 
 // @public
@@ -644,6 +633,28 @@ export interface RootServiceFactoryOptions<
   service: ServiceRef<TService, 'root', TInstances>;
 }
 
+// @public (undocumented)
+export interface RootSystemMetadataService {
+  // (undocumented)
+  getInstalledPlugins: () => Promise<
+    ReadonlyArray<RootSystemMetadataServicePluginInfo>
+  >;
+}
+
+// @public (undocumented)
+export interface RootSystemMetadataServicePluginInfo {
+  // (undocumented)
+  readonly hosts: (
+    | string
+    | {
+        external: string;
+        internal: string;
+      }
+  )[];
+  // (undocumented)
+  readonly pluginId: string;
+}
+
 // @public
 export interface SchedulerService {
   createScheduledTaskRunner(
@@ -760,12 +771,6 @@ export interface ServiceRefOptions<
   scope?: TScope;
 }
 
-// @public (undocumented)
-export interface SystemMetadataService {
-  // (undocumented)
-  instances(): Observable<BackstageInstance[]>;
-}
-
 // @public
 export interface UrlReaderService {
   readTree(
diff --git a/packages/backend-test-utils/report.api.md b/packages/backend-test-utils/report.api.md
index 08e6979928..bfa46a3725 100644
--- a/packages/backend-test-utils/report.api.md
+++ b/packages/backend-test-utils/report.api.md
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import { AuthService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { Backend } from '@backstage/backend-app-api';
 import { BackendFeature } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { BackstageCredentials } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
-import { BackstageInstance } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { BackstageNonePrincipal } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { BackstagePrincipalAccessRestrictions } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { BackstageServicePrincipal } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
@@ -39,10 +38,10 @@ import { RootHttpRouterService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { RootInstanceMetadataService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { RootLifecycleService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { RootLoggerService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
+import { RootSystemMetadataService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { SchedulerService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { ServiceFactory } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { ServiceRef } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
-import { SystemMetadataService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { UrlReaderService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { UserInfoService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 
@@ -354,7 +353,7 @@ export namespace mockServices {
       factory: () => ServiceFactory<
         RootInstanceMetadataService,
         'root',
-        'singleton'
+        'singleton' | 'multiton'
       >;
   }
   // (undocumented)
@@ -384,6 +383,19 @@ export namespace mockServices {
       ) => ServiceMock<RootLoggerService>;
   }
   // (undocumented)
+  export function rootSystemMetadata(): RootSystemMetadataService;
+  // (undocumented)
+  export namespace rootSystemMetadata {
+    const factory: () => ServiceFactory<
+      RootSystemMetadataService,
+      'root',
+      'singleton' | 'multiton'
+    >;
+    const mock: (
+      partialImpl?: Partial<RootSystemMetadataService> | undefined,
+    ) => ServiceMock<RootSystemMetadataService>;
+  }
+  // (undocumented)
   export function scheduler(): SchedulerService;
   // (undocumented)
   export namespace scheduler {
@@ -398,22 +410,6 @@ export namespace mockServices {
         partialImpl?: Partial<SchedulerService> | undefined,
       ) => ServiceMock<SchedulerService>;
   }
-  export function systemMetadata(options: {
-    instances: BackstageInstance[];
-  }): SystemMetadataService;
-  // (undocumented)
-  export namespace systemMetadata {
-    const factory: (options: {
-      instances: BackstageInstance[];
-    }) => ServiceFactory<
-      SystemMetadataService,
-      'root',
-      'singleton' | 'multiton'
-    >;
-    const mock: (
-      partialImpl?: Partial<SystemMetadataService> | undefined,
-    ) => ServiceMock<SystemMetadataService>;
-  }
   // (undocumented)
   export namespace urlReader {
     const // (undocumented)
diff --git a/packages/backend-test-utils/src/services/mockServices.ts b/packages/backend-test-utils/src/services/mockServices.ts
index de034aae07..0c19bf40ca 100644
--- a/packages/backend-test-utils/src/services/mockServices.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-test-utils/src/services/mockServices.ts
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ import {
   coreServices,
   createServiceFactory,
   RootLoggerService,
+  RootSystemMetadataService,
 } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { ConfigReader } from '@backstage/config';
 import { EventsService, eventsServiceRef } from '@backstage/plugin-events-node';
@@ -573,6 +574,12 @@ export namespace mockServices {
       rootInstanceMetadata,
     );
   }
+
+  export function rootSystemMetadata(): RootSystemMetadataService {
+    return {
+      getInstalledPlugins: () => Promise.resolve([]),
+    };
+  }
   export namespace rootSystemMetadata {
     /**
      * Creates a functional mock factory for the
@@ -589,7 +596,6 @@ export namespace mockServices {
      */
     export const mock = simpleMock(coreServices.rootSystemMetadata, () => ({
       getInstalledPlugins: jest.fn(),
-      getHosts: jest.fn(),
     }));
   }
 }