diff --git a/packages/backend-app-api/api-report.md b/packages/backend-app-api/api-report.md
index 24499f6c86..18c2c52370 100644
--- a/packages/backend-app-api/api-report.md
+++ b/packages/backend-app-api/api-report.md
@@ -4,12 +4,10 @@
 
 ```ts
 /// <reference types="node" />
-/// <reference types="qs" />
 
 import { BackendFeature } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { Config } from '@backstage/config';
 import { ConfigService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
-import cors from 'cors';
 import { CorsOptions } from 'cors';
 import { ErrorRequestHandler } from 'express';
 import { Express as Express_2 } from 'express';
@@ -17,24 +15,18 @@ import { ExtensionPoint } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { HelmetOptions } from 'helmet';
 import * as http from 'http';
 import { HttpRouterService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
-import { IncomingMessage } from 'http';
 import { LifecycleService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { LoggerService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
-import { ParamsDictionary } from 'express-serve-static-core';
-import { ParsedQs } from 'qs';
 import { PermissionsService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { PluginCacheManager } from '@backstage/backend-common';
 import { PluginDatabaseManager } from '@backstage/backend-common';
 import { PluginEndpointDiscovery } from '@backstage/backend-common';
-import { Request as Request_2 } from 'express';
 import { RequestHandler } from 'express';
 import { RequestListener } from 'http';
-import { Response as Response_2 } from 'express';
 import { RootHttpRouterService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { RootLifecycleService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { RootLoggerService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { SchedulerService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
-import { ServerResponse } from 'http';
 import { ServiceFactory } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { ServiceFactoryOrFunction } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { ServiceRef } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
@@ -146,35 +138,13 @@ export const loggerFactory: (
 
 // @public
 export class MiddlewareFactory {
-  compression(): RequestHandler<
-    ParamsDictionary,
-    any,
-    any,
-    ParsedQs,
-    Record<string, any>
-  >;
-  cors(): (
-    req: cors.CorsRequest,
-    res: {
-      statusCode?: number | undefined;
-      setHeader(key: string, value: string): any;
-      end(): any;
-    },
-    next: (err?: any) => any,
-  ) => void;
+  compression(): RequestHandler;
+  cors(): RequestHandler;
   static create(options: MiddlewareFactoryOptions): MiddlewareFactory;
   error(options?: MiddlewareFactoryErrorOptions): ErrorRequestHandler;
-  helmet(): (
-    req: IncomingMessage,
-    res: ServerResponse<IncomingMessage>,
-    next: (err?: unknown) => void,
-  ) => void;
-  logging(): (
-    req: IncomingMessage,
-    res: ServerResponse<IncomingMessage>,
-    callback: (err?: Error | undefined) => void,
-  ) => void;
-  notFound(): (_req: Request_2, res: Response_2) => void;
+  helmet(): RequestHandler;
+  logging(): RequestHandler;
+  notFound(): RequestHandler;
 }
 
 // @public
diff --git a/packages/backend-app-api/src/http/MiddlewareFactory.ts b/packages/backend-app-api/src/http/MiddlewareFactory.ts
index 09e6709793..dc9fe9aa5f 100644
--- a/packages/backend-app-api/src/http/MiddlewareFactory.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-app-api/src/http/MiddlewareFactory.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,13 @@
  */
 
 import { ConfigService, LoggerService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
-import { Request, Response, ErrorRequestHandler, NextFunction } from 'express';
+import {
+  Request,
+  Response,
+  ErrorRequestHandler,
+  NextFunction,
+  RequestHandler,
+} from 'express';
 import cors from 'cors';
 import helmet from 'helmet';
 import morgan from 'morgan';
@@ -95,7 +101,7 @@ export class MiddlewareFactory {
    *
    * @returns An Express request handler
    */
-  notFound() {
+  notFound(): RequestHandler {
     return (_req: Request, res: Response) => {
       res.status(404).end();
     };
@@ -109,7 +115,7 @@ export class MiddlewareFactory {
    * The middleware will attempt to compress response bodies for all requests
    * that traverse through the middleware.
    */
-  compression() {
+  compression(): RequestHandler {
     return compression();
   }
 
@@ -124,7 +130,7 @@ export class MiddlewareFactory {
    *
    * @returns An Express request handler
    */
-  logging() {
+  logging(): RequestHandler {
     const logger = this.#logger.child({
       type: 'incomingRequest',
     });
@@ -150,7 +156,7 @@ export class MiddlewareFactory {
    *
    * @returns An Express request handler
    */
-  helmet() {
+  helmet(): RequestHandler {
     return helmet(readHelmetOptions(this.#config.getOptionalConfig('backend')));
   }
 
@@ -166,7 +172,7 @@ export class MiddlewareFactory {
    *
    * @returns An Express request handler
    */
-  cors() {
+  cors(): RequestHandler {
     return cors(readCorsOptions(this.#config.getOptionalConfig('backend')));
   }