diff --git a/.changeset/wicked-spies-draw.md b/.changeset/wicked-spies-draw.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3b92e394d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/wicked-spies-draw.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-cicd-statistics-module-gitlab': patch
+---
+
+add the ability to add cicd default options to createGitlabApi constructor
diff --git a/plugins/cicd-statistics-module-gitlab/src/api/gitlab.ts b/plugins/cicd-statistics-module-gitlab/src/api/gitlab.ts
index 7439d1800c..5e4384fe88 100644
--- a/plugins/cicd-statistics-module-gitlab/src/api/gitlab.ts
+++ b/plugins/cicd-statistics-module-gitlab/src/api/gitlab.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import {
   CicdStatisticsApi,
   CicdState,
   CicdConfiguration,
+  CicdDefaults,
   Build,
   FetchBuildsOptions,
   Stage,
@@ -47,9 +48,14 @@ export type GitlabClient = {
  */
 export class CicdStatisticsApiGitlab implements CicdStatisticsApi {
   readonly #gitLabAuthApi: OAuthApi;
+  readonly #cicdDefaults: Partial<CicdDefaults>;
 
-  constructor(gitLabAuthApi: OAuthApi) {
+  constructor(
+    gitLabAuthApi: OAuthApi,
+    cicdDefaults: Partial<CicdDefaults> = {},
+  ) {
     this.#gitLabAuthApi = gitLabAuthApi;
+    this.#cicdDefaults = cicdDefaults;
   }
 
   public async createGitlabApi(
@@ -154,6 +160,7 @@ export class CicdStatisticsApiGitlab implements CicdStatisticsApi {
         'expired',
         'unknown',
       ] as const,
+      defaults: this.#cicdDefaults,
     };
   }
 }