diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/diff/handlers.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/diff/handlers.ts
index 36e163d67e..a03cff8536 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/lib/diff/handlers.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/diff/handlers.ts
@@ -172,10 +172,6 @@ class PackageJsonHandler {
       if (this.variant === 'app' && key.startsWith('plugin-')) {
         continue;
       }
-      // Skip checking of the core packages, since we're migrating over
-      if (key.startsWith('@backstage/core')) {
-        continue;
-      }
 
       await this.syncField(key, pkgDeps, targetDeps, fieldName);
     }
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/version.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/version.ts
index b2b793717d..3d792789ec 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/lib/version.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/version.ts
@@ -34,7 +34,9 @@ leaving any imports in place.
 import { version as backendCommon } from '@backstage/backend-common/package.json';
 import { version as cli } from '@backstage/cli/package.json';
 import { version as config } from '@backstage/config/package.json';
-import { version as core } from '@backstage/core/package.json';
+import { version as coreAppApi } from '@backstage/core-app-api/package.json';
+import { version as coreComponents } from '@backstage/core-components/package.json';
+import { version as corePluginApi } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api/package.json';
 import { version as devUtils } from '@backstage/dev-utils/package.json';
 import { version as testUtils } from '@backstage/test-utils/package.json';
 import { version as theme } from '@backstage/theme/package.json';
@@ -43,7 +45,9 @@ export const packageVersions = {
   '@backstage/backend-common': backendCommon,
   '@backstage/cli': cli,
   '@backstage/config': config,
-  '@backstage/core': core,
+  '@backstage/core-app-api': coreAppApi,
+  '@backstage/core-components': coreComponents,
+  '@backstage/core-plugin-api': corePluginApi,
   '@backstage/dev-utils': devUtils,
   '@backstage/test-utils': testUtils,
   '@backstage/theme': theme,
diff --git a/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/package.json.hbs b/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/package.json.hbs
index 1d2766eab4..f5249e7918 100644
--- a/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/package.json.hbs
+++ b/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/package.json.hbs
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@
     "clean": "backstage-cli clean"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "@backstage/core": "^{{version '@backstage/core'}}",
+    "@backstage/core-components": "^{{version '@backstage/core-components'}}",
+    "@backstage/core-plugin-api": "^{{version '@backstage/core-plugin-api'}}",
     "@backstage/theme": "^{{version '@backstage/theme'}}",
     "@material-ui/core": "^4.11.0",
     "@material-ui/icons": "^4.9.1",
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@backstage/cli": "^{{version '@backstage/cli'}}",
+    "@backstage/core-app-api": "^{{version '@backstage/core-app-api'}}",
     "@backstage/dev-utils": "^{{version '@backstage/dev-utils'}}",
     "@backstage/test-utils": "^{{version '@backstage/test-utils'}}",
     "@testing-library/jest-dom": "^5.10.1",
diff --git a/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/components/ExampleComponent/ExampleComponent.tsx.hbs b/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/components/ExampleComponent/ExampleComponent.tsx.hbs
index dcecebdf46..1820671fa5 100644
--- a/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/components/ExampleComponent/ExampleComponent.tsx.hbs
+++ b/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/components/ExampleComponent/ExampleComponent.tsx.hbs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import {
   ContentHeader,
   HeaderLabel,
   SupportButton,
-} from '@backstage/core';
+} from '@backstage/core-components';
 import { ExampleFetchComponent } from '../ExampleFetchComponent';
 
 export const ExampleComponent = () => (
diff --git a/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/components/ExampleFetchComponent/ExampleFetchComponent.tsx.hbs b/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/components/ExampleFetchComponent/ExampleFetchComponent.tsx.hbs
index 20dd6d1f57..a7663567d9 100644
--- a/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/components/ExampleFetchComponent/ExampleFetchComponent.tsx.hbs
+++ b/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/components/ExampleFetchComponent/ExampleFetchComponent.tsx.hbs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import { makeStyles } from '@material-ui/core/styles';
-import { Table, TableColumn, Progress } from '@backstage/core';
+import { Table, TableColumn, Progress } from '@backstage/core-components';
 import Alert from '@material-ui/lab/Alert';
 import { useAsync } from 'react-use';
 
diff --git a/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/plugin.ts.hbs b/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/plugin.ts.hbs
index 0ae5356fd1..dcf35fc5d2 100644
--- a/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/plugin.ts.hbs
+++ b/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/plugin.ts.hbs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { createPlugin, createRoutableExtension } from '@backstage/core';
+import { createPlugin, createRoutableExtension } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
 
 import { rootRouteRef } from './routes';
 
diff --git a/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/routes.ts.hbs b/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/routes.ts.hbs
index b2afba074d..a5a278e8a7 100644
--- a/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/routes.ts.hbs
+++ b/packages/cli/templates/default-plugin/src/routes.ts.hbs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { createRouteRef } from '@backstage/core';
+import { createRouteRef } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
 
 export const rootRouteRef = createRouteRef({
   title: '{{ id }}',