diff --git a/.changeset/huge-paws-design.md b/.changeset/huge-paws-design.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8d90435480
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/huge-paws-design.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/ui': patch
+---
+
+We are motion away from `motion` to use `gsap` instead to make Backstage UI backward compatible with React 17.
diff --git a/packages/types/report.api.md b/packages/types/report.api.md
index b6bfae0862..efd46b81c3 100644
--- a/packages/types/report.api.md
+++ b/packages/types/report.api.md
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ export type JsonValue = JsonObject | JsonArray | JsonPrimitive;
 // @public
 export type Observable<T> = {
   [Symbol.observable](): Observable<T>;
-  subscribe(observer: Observer<T>): Subscription;
+  subscribe(observer: Observer_2<T>): Subscription;
   subscribe(
     onNext?: (value: T) => void,
     onError?: (error: Error) => void,
@@ -73,11 +73,12 @@ export type Observable<T> = {
 };
 
 // @public
-export type Observer<T> = {
+type Observer_2<T> = {
   next?(value: T): void;
   error?(error: Error): void;
   complete?(): void;
 };
+export { Observer_2 as Observer };
 
 // @public
 export type Subscription = {
diff --git a/packages/ui/package.json b/packages/ui/package.json
index c5be84a257..8c0f569bd7 100644
--- a/packages/ui/package.json
+++ b/packages/ui/package.json
@@ -42,10 +42,11 @@
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "@base-ui-components/react": "1.0.0-alpha.7",
+    "@gsap/react": "^2.1.2",
     "@remixicon/react": "^4.6.0",
     "@tanstack/react-table": "^8.21.3",
     "clsx": "^2.1.1",
-    "motion": "^12.20.1",
+    "gsap": "^3.13.0",
     "react-aria-components": "^1.10.1"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/Header/HeaderToolbar.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/Header/HeaderToolbar.tsx
index cc165dc661..20f0519707 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/Header/HeaderToolbar.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/Header/HeaderToolbar.tsx
@@ -22,8 +22,12 @@ import type { HeaderToolbarProps } from './types';
 import { ButtonIcon } from '../ButtonIcon';
 import { Menu } from '../Menu';
 import { Text } from '../Text';
-import { motion, useScroll, useTransform } from 'motion/react';
 import { useNavigate, useHref } from 'react-router-dom';
+import { gsap } from 'gsap';
+import { ScrollTrigger } from 'gsap/ScrollTrigger';
+import { useGSAP } from '@gsap/react';
+
+gsap.registerPlugin(ScrollTrigger);
 
 /**
  * A component that renders a toolbar.
@@ -42,13 +46,12 @@ export const HeaderToolbar = (props: HeaderToolbarProps) => {
   } = props;
   const { classNames } = useStyles('Header');
   let navigate = useNavigate();
-  const { scrollY } = useScroll();
-  const breadcrumbOpacity = useTransform(scrollY, [80, 120], [0, 1]);
 
   // Refs for collision detection
   const toolbarWrapperRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
   const toolbarContentRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
   const toolbarControlsRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
+  const breadcrumbsRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
 
   // State for breadcrumb visibility
   const [showBreadcrumbs, setShowBreadcrumbs] = useState(true);
@@ -96,6 +99,19 @@ export const HeaderToolbar = (props: HeaderToolbarProps) => {
     };
   }, []);
 
+  useGSAP(() => {
+    gsap.to(breadcrumbsRef.current, {
+      scrollTrigger: {
+        start: '10% 10%',
+        end: '20% 20%',
+        scrub: true,
+      },
+      opacity: 1,
+      duration: 1,
+      ease: 'power2.inOut',
+    });
+  });
+
   const titleContent = (
     <>
       <div className={classNames.toolbarIcon}>{icon || <RiShapesLine />}</div>
@@ -116,10 +132,11 @@ export const HeaderToolbar = (props: HeaderToolbarProps) => {
               <div className={classNames.toolbarName}>{titleContent}</div>
             )}
             {breadcrumbs && (
-              <motion.div
+              <div
+                ref={breadcrumbsRef}
                 className={classNames.breadcrumbs}
                 style={{
-                  opacity: breadcrumbOpacity,
+                  opacity: 0,
                   visibility: showBreadcrumbs ? 'visible' : 'hidden',
                 }}
               >
@@ -144,7 +161,7 @@ export const HeaderToolbar = (props: HeaderToolbarProps) => {
                     )}
                   </div>
                 ))}
-              </motion.div>
+              </div>
             )}
           </div>
           <div className={classNames.toolbarControls} ref={toolbarControlsRef}>
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 5e40cbb6f1..72dceeed70 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -8458,6 +8458,7 @@ __metadata:
   dependencies:
     "@backstage/cli": "workspace:^"
     "@base-ui-components/react": "npm:1.0.0-alpha.7"
+    "@gsap/react": "npm:^2.1.2"
     "@remixicon/react": "npm:^4.6.0"
     "@storybook/addon-essentials": "npm:^8.6.12"
     "@storybook/addon-interactions": "npm:^8.6.12"
@@ -8476,9 +8477,9 @@ __metadata:
     eslint-plugin-storybook: "npm:^0.12.0"
     glob: "npm:^11.0.1"
     globals: "npm:^15.11.0"
+    gsap: "npm:^3.13.0"
     lightningcss: "npm:^1.29.1"
     mini-css-extract-plugin: "npm:^2.9.2"
-    motion: "npm:^12.20.1"
     react: "npm:^18.0.2"
     react-aria-components: "npm:^1.10.1"
     react-dom: "npm:^18.0.2"
@@ -10316,6 +10317,16 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
+"@gsap/react@npm:^2.1.2":
+  version: 2.1.2
+  resolution: "@gsap/react@npm:2.1.2"
+  peerDependencies:
+    gsap: ^3.12.5
+    react: ">=17"
+  checksum: 10/48e78bbb31a4ec5a75aab6ea69ec3f4df0bb7cff0c8ebfcdc14553cb8e35f54b7fcf94f933e2aa65fd977135aaac87b855007d376504f1bb93a74328ba1dc0cb
+  languageName: node
+  linkType: hard
+
 "@headlessui/react@npm:^1.7.15":
   version: 1.7.17
   resolution: "@headlessui/react@npm:1.7.17"
@@ -32319,28 +32330,6 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
-"framer-motion@npm:^12.20.1":
-  version: 12.20.1
-  resolution: "framer-motion@npm:12.20.1"
-  dependencies:
-    motion-dom: "npm:^12.20.1"
-    motion-utils: "npm:^12.19.0"
-    tslib: "npm:^2.4.0"
-  peerDependencies:
-    "@emotion/is-prop-valid": "*"
-    react: ^18.0.0 || ^19.0.0
-    react-dom: ^18.0.0 || ^19.0.0
-  peerDependenciesMeta:
-    "@emotion/is-prop-valid":
-      optional: true
-    react:
-      optional: true
-    react-dom:
-      optional: true
-  checksum: 10/ba36e76dbf66c856f0c5d3cfb80973bb0ef95ca9169fc16b22560a7bc55fbedcf63205266dba7beecac5152c4cd140097ff504c5d529beffca86cd85f97bf5e3
-  languageName: node
-  linkType: hard
-
 "framer-motion@npm:^6.5.1":
   version: 6.5.1
   resolution: "framer-motion@npm:6.5.1"
@@ -33438,6 +33427,13 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
+"gsap@npm:^3.13.0":
+  version: 3.13.0
+  resolution: "gsap@npm:3.13.0"
+  checksum: 10/1908d51cbdf8f0bec8a69919af352d743a06529639a89f750f1c02e9a165d3ea816f867569df222ee7bfc14e23e268ebeb51dc5df0687fa7918ddd5d3b3efaec
+  languageName: node
+  linkType: hard
+
 "gtoken@npm:^7.0.0":
   version: 7.0.1
   resolution: "gtoken@npm:7.0.1"
@@ -39809,43 +39805,6 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
-"motion-dom@npm:^12.20.1":
-  version: 12.20.1
-  resolution: "motion-dom@npm:12.20.1"
-  dependencies:
-    motion-utils: "npm:^12.19.0"
-  checksum: 10/b92d733fdfe3f66511f73c7f84f9483a0529eadf6ad2ab633cef584d161bcd1af786d257776e1fe7cd2b4e2c9c10912773f96ce9e2bd5b45c6c33ba6d9edfe86
-  languageName: node
-  linkType: hard
-
-"motion-utils@npm:^12.19.0":
-  version: 12.19.0
-  resolution: "motion-utils@npm:12.19.0"
-  checksum: 10/a6fe6b329bf4e2070bb95788218f36f0d7ea6cc3098e6ea2646ed68d5be88d25fa30e55284463ace78d19a5e19714875a7b70055bd86ae6e52a5fdee08438470
-  languageName: node
-  linkType: hard
-
-"motion@npm:^12.20.1":
-  version: 12.20.1
-  resolution: "motion@npm:12.20.1"
-  dependencies:
-    framer-motion: "npm:^12.20.1"
-    tslib: "npm:^2.4.0"
-  peerDependencies:
-    "@emotion/is-prop-valid": "*"
-    react: ^18.0.0 || ^19.0.0
-    react-dom: ^18.0.0 || ^19.0.0
-  peerDependenciesMeta:
-    "@emotion/is-prop-valid":
-      optional: true
-    react:
-      optional: true
-    react-dom:
-      optional: true
-  checksum: 10/49057c8d5812207209ca078a67ee7467d2dca7abacdcf2db486cd28c3ca105a7fe2504c34407df201c85035f6df1c806954af94914417ee89d721133fc4e92ce
-  languageName: node
-  linkType: hard
-
 "mri@npm:1.1.4":
   version: 1.1.4
   resolution: "mri@npm:1.1.4"