diff --git a/app-config.yaml b/app-config.yaml
index e49e29c45a..b025064c74 100644
--- a/app-config.yaml
+++ b/app-config.yaml
@@ -464,6 +464,3 @@ apacheAirflow:
 
 gocd:
   baseUrl: https://your.gocd.instance.com
-
-airbrake:
-  apiKey: ${AIRBRAKE_API_KEY}
diff --git a/plugins/airbrake-backend/README.md b/plugins/airbrake-backend/README.md
index 7ded50c85a..9c9b56ade4 100644
--- a/plugins/airbrake-backend/README.md
+++ b/plugins/airbrake-backend/README.md
@@ -10,8 +10,19 @@ See the [Airbrake plugin instructions](../airbrake/README.md#how-to-use).
 
 This method of serving the plugin provides quicker iteration speed and a faster startup and hot reloads.
 
-1. Set the environment variable `AIRBRAKE_API_KEY` with your [API key](https://airbrake.io/docs/api/#authentication).
-2. Run this plugin in standalone mode by running `yarn start`. The configuration is already setup in the root [`app-config.yaml`](../../app-config.yaml) to pick up your API key from the environment variable above.
+1. Add the required config to your `app-config.local.yaml`:
+
+   ```yaml
+   airbrake:
+     apiKey: ${AIRBRAKE_API_KEY}
+   ```
+
+2. Set the environment variable `AIRBRAKE_API_KEY` with your [API
+   key](https://airbrake.io/docs/api/#authentication). You can also write it
+   directly into the config file above for convenience - but beware of
+   accidentally leaking the key.
+
+3. Go into the plugin's directory and run it in standalone mode by running `yarn start`.
 
 Access it from http://localhost:7007/api/airbrake. Or use the Airbrake plugin which will talk to it automatically.
 
diff --git a/plugins/airbrake-backend/api-report.md b/plugins/airbrake-backend/api-report.md
index 58f299fb4c..b9e9a50e0b 100644
--- a/plugins/airbrake-backend/api-report.md
+++ b/plugins/airbrake-backend/api-report.md
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 import { Config } from '@backstage/config';
 import express from 'express';
 import { Logger as Logger_2 } from 'winston';
-import * as winston from 'winston';
 
 // @public
 export interface AirbrakeConfig {
@@ -17,10 +16,7 @@ export interface AirbrakeConfig {
 export function createRouter(options: RouterOptions): Promise<express.Router>;
 
 // @public
-export function extractAirbrakeConfig(
-  config: Config,
-  logger: winston.Logger,
-): AirbrakeConfig;
+export function extractAirbrakeConfig(config: Config): AirbrakeConfig;
 
 // @public
 export interface RouterOptions {
diff --git a/plugins/airbrake-backend/config.d.ts b/plugins/airbrake-backend/config.d.ts
index 9563121127..a21f609550 100644
--- a/plugins/airbrake-backend/config.d.ts
+++ b/plugins/airbrake-backend/config.d.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,9 @@ export interface Config {
   /** Configuration options for the Airbrake plugin */
   airbrake?: {
     /**
-     * The API Key to authenticate requests. More details on how to get this here: https://airbrake.io/docs/api/#authentication
+     * The API Key to authenticate requests. More details on how to get this
+     * here: https://airbrake.io/docs/api/#authentication
+     *
      * @visibility secret
      */
     apiKey: string;
diff --git a/plugins/airbrake-backend/src/config/ExtractAirbrakeConfig.test.ts b/plugins/airbrake-backend/src/config/ExtractAirbrakeConfig.test.ts
index d94746c8ef..53d744b9ee 100644
--- a/plugins/airbrake-backend/src/config/ExtractAirbrakeConfig.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/airbrake-backend/src/config/ExtractAirbrakeConfig.test.ts
@@ -13,20 +13,11 @@
  * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
  * limitations under the License.
  */
-import { getVoidLogger } from '@backstage/backend-common';
+
 import { ConfigReader } from '@backstage/config';
 import { extractAirbrakeConfig } from './ExtractAirbrakeConfig';
-import * as winston from 'winston';
 
 describe('ExtractAirbrakeConfig', () => {
-  let oldProcessEnv: NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
-  let voidLogger: winston.Logger;
-
-  beforeEach(() => {
-    oldProcessEnv = process.env;
-    voidLogger = getVoidLogger();
-  });
-
   it('gets the API key', () => {
     const config = new ConfigReader({
       airbrake: {
@@ -34,34 +25,14 @@ describe('ExtractAirbrakeConfig', () => {
       },
     });
 
-    const airbrakeConfig = extractAirbrakeConfig(config, voidLogger);
+    const airbrakeConfig = extractAirbrakeConfig(config);
     expect(airbrakeConfig.apiKey).toStrictEqual('fakeApiKey');
   });
 
-  it('does not fail in development', () => {
-    process.env = {
-      ...oldProcessEnv,
-      NODE_ENV: 'development',
-    };
-
-    const config = new ConfigReader({});
-
-    expect(() => extractAirbrakeConfig(config, voidLogger)).not.toThrow();
-    const airbrakeConfig = extractAirbrakeConfig(config, voidLogger);
-    expect(airbrakeConfig.apiKey).toStrictEqual('');
-  });
-
-  it('fails in production', () => {
-    process.env = {
-      ...oldProcessEnv,
-      NODE_ENV: 'production',
-    };
-
-    const config = new ConfigReader({});
-    expect(() => extractAirbrakeConfig(config, voidLogger)).toThrow();
-  });
-
-  afterEach(() => {
-    process.env = { ...oldProcessEnv };
+  it('fails for missing keys', () => {
+    expect(() => extractAirbrakeConfig(new ConfigReader({}))).toThrow();
+    expect(() =>
+      extractAirbrakeConfig(new ConfigReader({ airbrake: {} })),
+    ).toThrow();
   });
 });
diff --git a/plugins/airbrake-backend/src/config/ExtractAirbrakeConfig.ts b/plugins/airbrake-backend/src/config/ExtractAirbrakeConfig.ts
index 20542ccbde..de6a31feec 100644
--- a/plugins/airbrake-backend/src/config/ExtractAirbrakeConfig.ts
+++ b/plugins/airbrake-backend/src/config/ExtractAirbrakeConfig.ts
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@
  * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
  * limitations under the License.
  */
+
 import { Config } from '@backstage/config';
-import * as winston from 'winston';
 
 /**
  * The configuration needed for the airbrake-backend plugin
@@ -34,27 +34,9 @@ export interface AirbrakeConfig {
  * @public
  *
  * @param config - The config object to extract from
- * @param logger - THe logger object
  */
-export function extractAirbrakeConfig(
-  config: Config,
-  logger: winston.Logger,
-): AirbrakeConfig {
-  try {
-    return {
-      apiKey: config.getString('airbrake.apiKey'),
-    };
-  } catch (e) {
-    if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'development') {
-      throw e;
-    } else {
-      logger.warn(
-        'Airbrake config missing, Airbrake plugin will probably not work',
-        e,
-      );
-      return {
-        apiKey: '',
-      };
-    }
-  }
+export function extractAirbrakeConfig(config: Config): AirbrakeConfig {
+  return {
+    apiKey: config.getString('airbrake.apiKey'),
+  };
 }
diff --git a/plugins/airbrake-backend/src/service/router.test.ts b/plugins/airbrake-backend/src/service/router.test.ts
index 05c9308d7f..7ccafd7eba 100644
--- a/plugins/airbrake-backend/src/service/router.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/airbrake-backend/src/service/router.test.ts
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ describe('createRouter', () => {
         apiKey: 'fakeApiKey',
       },
     });
-    airbrakeConfig = extractAirbrakeConfig(config, voidLogger);
+    airbrakeConfig = extractAirbrakeConfig(config);
 
     const router = await createRouter({
       logger: voidLogger,
diff --git a/plugins/airbrake-backend/src/service/standaloneServer.ts b/plugins/airbrake-backend/src/service/standaloneServer.ts
index 2f2de71fa1..6825e60a0a 100644
--- a/plugins/airbrake-backend/src/service/standaloneServer.ts
+++ b/plugins/airbrake-backend/src/service/standaloneServer.ts
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ export async function startStandaloneServer(
 ): Promise<Server> {
   const logger = options.logger.child({ service: 'airbrake-backend' });
   const config = await loadBackendConfig({ logger, argv: process.argv });
-  const airbrakeConfig = extractAirbrakeConfig(config, logger);
+  const airbrakeConfig = extractAirbrakeConfig(config);
   logger.debug('Starting application server...');
   const router = await createRouter({
     logger,
diff --git a/plugins/airbrake/README.md b/plugins/airbrake/README.md
index 2fb5dbd2fc..d5ea9bb006 100644
--- a/plugins/airbrake/README.md
+++ b/plugins/airbrake/README.md
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ The Airbrake plugin provides connectivity between Backstage and Airbrake (https:
 
 ## Local Development
 
-Start this plugin in standalone mode by running `yarn start`. This method of serving the plugin provides quicker
+Start this plugin in standalone mode by running `yarn start` inside the plugin directory. This method of serving the plugin provides quicker
 iteration speed and a faster startup and hot reloads. It is only meant for local development, and the setup for it can
 be found inside the [/dev](./dev) directory.