diff --git a/plugins/graphql-backend/package.json b/plugins/graphql-backend/package.json
index c0ef3f399c..f63cccd5d2 100644
--- a/plugins/graphql-backend/package.json
+++ b/plugins/graphql-backend/package.json
@@ -34,13 +34,13 @@
     "@backstage/backend-common": "^0.10.0",
     "@backstage/config": "^0.1.8",
     "@backstage/plugin-catalog-graphql": "^0.2.14",
-    "@graphql-modules/core": "^0.7.17",
+    "graphql-modules": "^1.0.0",
     "@types/express": "^4.17.6",
-    "apollo-server": "^2.16.1",
-    "apollo-server-express": "^2.16.1",
+    "apollo-server": "^3.0.0",
+    "apollo-server-express": "^3.0.0",
     "express": "^4.17.1",
     "express-promise-router": "^4.1.0",
-    "graphql": "^15.3.0",
+    "graphql": "^16.0.0",
     "helmet": "^4.0.0",
     "reflect-metadata": "^0.1.13",
     "winston": "^3.2.1",
diff --git a/plugins/graphql-backend/src/service/router.ts b/plugins/graphql-backend/src/service/router.ts
index 2bc436d93f..581a007360 100644
--- a/plugins/graphql-backend/src/service/router.ts
+++ b/plugins/graphql-backend/src/service/router.ts
@@ -14,22 +14,16 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import { errorHandler, resolvePackagePath } from '@backstage/backend-common';
+import { errorHandler } from '@backstage/backend-common';
 import express from 'express';
 import Router from 'express-promise-router';
 import { Logger } from 'winston';
-import fs from 'fs';
-import { GraphQLModule } from '@graphql-modules/core';
+import { createApplication } from 'graphql-modules';
 import { ApolloServer } from 'apollo-server-express';
 import { createModule as createCatalogModule } from '@backstage/plugin-catalog-graphql';
 import { Config } from '@backstage/config';
 import helmet from 'helmet';
 
-const schemaPath = resolvePackagePath(
-  '@backstage/plugin-graphql-backend',
-  'schema.gql',
-);
-
 export interface RouterOptions {
   logger: Logger;
   config: Config;
@@ -38,22 +32,19 @@ export interface RouterOptions {
 export async function createRouter(
   options: RouterOptions,
 ): Promise<express.Router> {
-  const typeDefs = await fs.promises.readFile(schemaPath, 'utf-8');
-
   const catalogModule = await createCatalogModule(options);
 
-  const { schema } = new GraphQLModule({
-    imports: [catalogModule],
-    typeDefs,
+  const { createSchemaForApollo } = createApplication({
+    modules: [catalogModule],
   });
 
   const server = new ApolloServer({
-    schema,
+    schema: createSchemaForApollo(),
     logger: options.logger,
     introspection: true,
-    playground: process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development',
   });
 
+  await server.start();
   const router = Router();
 
   router.get('/health', (_, response) => {