diff --git a/app-config.development.yaml b/app-config.development.yaml
index da274ba1a8..817847c6d6 100644
--- a/app-config.development.yaml
+++ b/app-config.development.yaml
@@ -9,3 +9,5 @@ backend:
     origin: http://localhost:3000
     methods: [GET, POST, PUT, DELETE]
     credentials: true
+  csp:
+    connect-src: ["'self'", 'http:', 'https:']
diff --git a/app-config.yaml b/app-config.yaml
index 01925c21dd..a29240fd9c 100644
--- a/app-config.yaml
+++ b/app-config.yaml
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ backend:
   database:
     client: sqlite3
     connection: ':memory:'
+  csp:
+    connect-src: ["'self'", 'https:']
 
 # See README.md in the proxy-backend plugin for information on the configuration format
 proxy:
diff --git a/packages/backend-common/src/service/lib/ServiceBuilderImpl.ts b/packages/backend-common/src/service/lib/ServiceBuilderImpl.ts
index 10f9ca4d9b..35298dba6e 100644
--- a/packages/backend-common/src/service/lib/ServiceBuilderImpl.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-common/src/service/lib/ServiceBuilderImpl.ts
@@ -31,10 +31,12 @@ import {
 } from '../../middleware';
 import { ServiceBuilder } from '../types';
 import {
+  CspOptions,
+  HttpsSettings,
   readBaseOptions,
   readCorsOptions,
+  readCspOptions,
   readHttpsSettings,
-  HttpsSettings,
 } from './config';
 import { createHttpServer, createHttpsServer } from './hostFactory';
 import { metricsHandler } from './metrics';
@@ -42,12 +44,27 @@ import { metricsHandler } from './metrics';
 const DEFAULT_PORT = 7000;
 // '' is express default, which listens to all interfaces
 const DEFAULT_HOST = '';
+// taken from the helmet source code - don't seem to be exported
+const DEFAULT_CSP = {
+  'default-src': ["'self'"],
+  'base-uri': ["'self'"],
+  'block-all-mixed-content': [],
+  'font-src': ["'self'", 'https:', 'data:'],
+  'frame-ancestors': ["'self'"],
+  'img-src': ["'self'", 'data:'],
+  'object-src': ["'none'"],
+  'script-src': ["'self'"],
+  'script-src-attr': ["'none'"],
+  'style-src': ["'self'", 'https:', "'unsafe-inline'"],
+  'upgrade-insecure-requests': [],
+};
 
 export class ServiceBuilderImpl implements ServiceBuilder {
   private port: number | undefined;
   private host: string | undefined;
   private logger: Logger | undefined;
   private corsOptions: cors.CorsOptions | undefined;
+  private cspOptions: CspOptions | undefined;
   private httpsSettings: HttpsSettings | undefined;
   private enableMetrics: boolean = true;
   private routers: [string, Router][];
@@ -79,6 +96,11 @@ export class ServiceBuilderImpl implements ServiceBuilder {
       this.corsOptions = corsOptions;
     }
 
+    const cspOptions = readCspOptions(backendConfig);
+    if (cspOptions) {
+      this.cspOptions = cspOptions;
+    }
+
     const httpsSettings = readHttpsSettings(backendConfig);
     if (httpsSettings) {
       this.httpsSettings = httpsSettings;
@@ -115,6 +137,11 @@ export class ServiceBuilderImpl implements ServiceBuilder {
     return this;
   }
 
+  setCsp(options: CspOptions): ServiceBuilder {
+    this.cspOptions = options;
+    return this;
+  }
+
   addRouter(root: string, router: Router): ServiceBuilder {
     this.routers.push([root, router]);
     return this;
@@ -127,10 +154,20 @@ export class ServiceBuilderImpl implements ServiceBuilder {
       host,
       logger,
       corsOptions,
+      cspOptions,
       httpsSettings,
     } = this.getOptions();
 
-    app.use(helmet());
+    app.use(
+      helmet({
+        contentSecurityPolicy: {
+          directives: {
+            ...DEFAULT_CSP,
+            ...cspOptions,
+          },
+        },
+      }),
+    );
     if (corsOptions) {
       app.use(cors(corsOptions));
     }
@@ -177,6 +214,7 @@ export class ServiceBuilderImpl implements ServiceBuilder {
     host: string;
     logger: Logger;
     corsOptions?: cors.CorsOptions;
+    cspOptions?: CspOptions;
     httpsSettings?: HttpsSettings;
   } {
     return {
@@ -184,6 +222,7 @@ export class ServiceBuilderImpl implements ServiceBuilder {
       host: this.host ?? DEFAULT_HOST,
       logger: this.logger ?? getRootLogger(),
       corsOptions: this.corsOptions,
+      cspOptions: this.cspOptions,
       httpsSettings: this.httpsSettings,
     };
   }
diff --git a/packages/backend-common/src/service/lib/config.ts b/packages/backend-common/src/service/lib/config.ts
index e257bd4111..bfd966b499 100644
--- a/packages/backend-common/src/service/lib/config.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-common/src/service/lib/config.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import { ConfigReader } from '@backstage/config';
+import { Config } from '@backstage/config';
 import { CorsOptions } from 'cors';
 
 export type BaseOptions = {
@@ -57,6 +57,13 @@ export type CertificateAttributes = {
   commonName?: string;
 };
 
+/**
+ * A map from CSP directive names to their values.
+ *
+ * Added here since helmet doesn't export this type publicly.
+ */
+export type CspOptions = Record<string, string[]>;
+
 /**
  * Reads some base options out of a config object.
  *
@@ -71,7 +78,7 @@ export type CertificateAttributes = {
  * }
  * ```
  */
-export function readBaseOptions(config: ConfigReader): BaseOptions {
+export function readBaseOptions(config: Config): BaseOptions {
   if (typeof config.get('listen') === 'string') {
     // TODO(freben): Expand this to support more addresses and perhaps optional
     const { host, port } = parseListenAddress(config.getString('listen'));
@@ -105,7 +112,7 @@ export function readBaseOptions(config: ConfigReader): BaseOptions {
  * }
  * ```
  */
-export function readCorsOptions(config: ConfigReader): CorsOptions | undefined {
+export function readCorsOptions(config: Config): CorsOptions | undefined {
   const cc = config.getOptionalConfig('cors');
   if (!cc) {
     return undefined;
@@ -123,6 +130,33 @@ export function readCorsOptions(config: ConfigReader): CorsOptions | undefined {
   });
 }
 
+/**
+ * Attempts to read a CSP options object from the root of a config object.
+ *
+ * @param config The root of a backend config object
+ * @returns A CSP options object, or undefined if not specified
+ *
+ * @example
+ * ```yaml
+ * backend:
+ *   csp:
+ *     connect-src: ["'self'", 'http:', 'https:']
+ * ```
+ */
+export function readCspOptions(config: Config): CspOptions | undefined {
+  const cc = config.getOptionalConfig('csp');
+  if (!cc) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+
+  const result: CspOptions = {};
+  for (const key of cc.keys()) {
+    result[key] = cc.getStringArray(key);
+  }
+
+  return result;
+}
+
 /**
  * Attempts to read a https settings object from the root of a config object.
  *
@@ -138,9 +172,7 @@ export function readCorsOptions(config: ConfigReader): CorsOptions | undefined {
  * }
  * ```
  */
-export function readHttpsSettings(
-  config: ConfigReader,
-): HttpsSettings | undefined {
+export function readHttpsSettings(config: Config): HttpsSettings | undefined {
   const cc = config.getOptionalConfig('https');
 
   if (!cc) {
@@ -157,7 +189,7 @@ export function readHttpsSettings(
 }
 
 function getOptionalStringOrStrings(
-  config: ConfigReader,
+  config: Config,
   key: string,
 ): string | string[] | undefined {
   const value = config.getOptional(key);
diff --git a/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/app-config.development.yaml b/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/app-config.development.yaml
index da274ba1a8..817847c6d6 100644
--- a/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/app-config.development.yaml
+++ b/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/app-config.development.yaml
@@ -9,3 +9,5 @@ backend:
     origin: http://localhost:3000
     methods: [GET, POST, PUT, DELETE]
     credentials: true
+  csp:
+    connect-src: ["'self'", 'http:', 'https:']
diff --git a/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/app-config.yaml.hbs b/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/app-config.yaml.hbs
index 92c517bf93..17e9fa0728 100644
--- a/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/app-config.yaml.hbs
+++ b/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/app-config.yaml.hbs
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ backend:
   baseUrl: http://localhost:7000
   listen:
     port: 7000
+  csp:
+    connect-src: ["'self'", 'https:']
   {{#if dbTypeSqlite}}
   database:
     client: sqlite3