diff --git a/.changeset/perfect-spoons-behave.md b/.changeset/perfect-spoons-behave.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cd7a024596
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/perfect-spoons-behave.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/frontend-app-api': patch
+---
+
+A `configLoader` passed to `createApp` now returns an object, to make room for future expansion
diff --git a/packages/frontend-app-api/api-report.md b/packages/frontend-app-api/api-report.md
index ad3afa27a4..a453463645 100644
--- a/packages/frontend-app-api/api-report.md
+++ b/packages/frontend-app-api/api-report.md
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@ import { SubRouteRef } from '@backstage/frontend-plugin-api';
 // @public (undocumented)
 export function createApp(options?: {
   features?: (BackstagePlugin | ExtensionOverrides)[];
-  configLoader?: () => Promise<ConfigApi>;
+  configLoader?: () => Promise<{
+    config: ConfigApi;
+  }>;
   bindRoutes?(context: { bind: CreateAppRouteBinder }): void;
   featureLoader?: (ctx: {
     config: ConfigApi;
diff --git a/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/createApp.test.tsx b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/createApp.test.tsx
index 32773de7e1..3505c5c63f 100644
--- a/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/createApp.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/createApp.test.tsx
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ import { featureFlagsApiRef, useApi } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
 describe('createApp', () => {
   it('should allow themes to be installed', async () => {
     const app = createApp({
-      configLoader: async () =>
-        new MockConfigApi({
+      configLoader: async () => ({
+        config: new MockConfigApi({
           app: {
             extensions: [
               { 'theme:app/light': false },
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ describe('createApp', () => {
             ],
           },
         }),
+      }),
       features: [
         createPlugin({
           id: 'test',
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ describe('createApp', () => {
   it('should deduplicate features keeping the last received one', async () => {
     const duplicatedFeatureId = 'test';
     const app = createApp({
-      configLoader: async () => new MockConfigApi({}),
+      configLoader: async () => ({ config: new MockConfigApi({}) }),
       features: [
         createPlugin({
           id: duplicatedFeatureId,
@@ -100,7 +101,7 @@ describe('createApp', () => {
 
   it('should register feature flags', async () => {
     const app = createApp({
-      configLoader: async () => new MockConfigApi({}),
+      configLoader: async () => ({ config: new MockConfigApi({}) }),
       features: [
         createPlugin({
           id: 'test',
@@ -155,7 +156,7 @@ describe('createApp', () => {
     let appTreeApi: AppTreeApi | undefined = undefined;
 
     const app = createApp({
-      configLoader: async () => new MockConfigApi({}),
+      configLoader: async () => ({ config: new MockConfigApi({}) }),
       features: [
         createPlugin({
           id: 'my-plugin',
diff --git a/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/createApp.tsx b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/createApp.tsx
index dc6feb9b90..e082f05a3b 100644
--- a/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/createApp.tsx
+++ b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/createApp.tsx
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ function deduplicateFeatures(
 /** @public */
 export function createApp(options?: {
   features?: (BackstagePlugin | ExtensionOverrides)[];
-  configLoader?: () => Promise<ConfigApi>;
+  configLoader?: () => Promise<{ config: ConfigApi }>;
   bindRoutes?(context: { bind: CreateAppRouteBinder }): void;
   featureLoader?: (ctx: {
     config: ConfigApi;
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ export function createApp(options?: {
 } {
   async function appLoader() {
     const config =
-      (await options?.configLoader?.()) ??
+      (await options?.configLoader?.().then(c => c.config)) ??
       ConfigReader.fromConfigs(
         overrideBaseUrlConfigs(defaultConfigLoaderSync()),
       );
diff --git a/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/wiring/createPlugin.test.ts b/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/wiring/createPlugin.test.ts
index 18054a5de2..d533048d2b 100644
--- a/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/wiring/createPlugin.test.ts
+++ b/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/wiring/createPlugin.test.ts
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ function createTestAppRoot({
 }) {
   return createApp({
     features,
-    configLoader: async () => new MockConfigApi(config),
+    configLoader: async () => ({ config: new MockConfigApi(config) }),
   }).createRoot();
 }