diff --git a/.changeset/four-tables-fix.md b/.changeset/four-tables-fix.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f17f57e253
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/four-tables-fix.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/backend-test-utils': patch
+---
+
+Added explicit return type signature for `mockServices.config()`.
diff --git a/.changeset/thin-donkeys-attack.md b/.changeset/thin-donkeys-attack.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2fd0aebb6a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/thin-donkeys-attack.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/backend-test-utils': patch
+---
+
+Removed the `ref` from all `mockServices`.
diff --git a/packages/backend-test-utils/api-report.md b/packages/backend-test-utils/api-report.md
index 232f7e8136..672c574cb2 100644
--- a/packages/backend-test-utils/api-report.md
+++ b/packages/backend-test-utils/api-report.md
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 import { Backend } from '@backstage/backend-app-api';
 import { BackendFeature } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { CacheService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
-import { ConfigReader } from '@backstage/config';
 import { ConfigService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { DatabaseService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { ExtendedHttpServer } from '@backstage/backend-app-api';
@@ -20,7 +19,6 @@ import { LifecycleService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { LoggerService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { PermissionsService } 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 { ServiceFactory } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { ServiceRef } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
@@ -34,35 +32,27 @@ export function isDockerDisabledForTests(): boolean;
 export namespace mockServices {
   // (undocumented)
   export namespace cache {
-    const // (undocumented)
-      ref: ServiceRef<CacheService, 'plugin'>;
     const // (undocumented)
       factory: () => ServiceFactory<CacheService>;
   }
   // (undocumented)
-  export function config(options?: config.Options): ConfigReader;
+  export function config(options?: config.Options): ConfigService;
   // (undocumented)
   export namespace config {
     // (undocumented)
     export type Options = {
       data?: JsonObject;
     };
-    const // (undocumented)
-      ref: ServiceRef<ConfigService, 'root'>;
     const // (undocumented)
       factory: (options?: Options | undefined) => ServiceFactory<ConfigService>;
   }
   // (undocumented)
   export namespace database {
-    const // (undocumented)
-      ref: ServiceRef<DatabaseService, 'plugin'>;
     const // (undocumented)
       factory: () => ServiceFactory<DatabaseService>;
   }
   // (undocumented)
   export namespace httpRouter {
-    const // (undocumented)
-      ref: ServiceRef<HttpRouterService, 'plugin'>;
     const // (undocumented)
       factory: (
         options?: HttpRouterFactoryOptions | undefined,
@@ -72,36 +62,26 @@ export namespace mockServices {
   export function identity(): IdentityService;
   // (undocumented)
   export namespace identity {
-    const // (undocumented)
-      ref: ServiceRef<IdentityService, 'plugin'>;
     const // (undocumented)
       factory: () => ServiceFactory<IdentityService>;
   }
   // (undocumented)
   export namespace lifecycle {
-    const // (undocumented)
-      ref: ServiceRef<LifecycleService, 'plugin'>;
     const // (undocumented)
       factory: () => ServiceFactory<LifecycleService>;
   }
   // (undocumented)
   export namespace logger {
-    const // (undocumented)
-      ref: ServiceRef<LoggerService, 'plugin'>;
     const // (undocumented)
       factory: () => ServiceFactory<LoggerService>;
   }
   // (undocumented)
   export namespace permissions {
-    const // (undocumented)
-      ref: ServiceRef<PermissionsService, 'plugin'>;
     const // (undocumented)
       factory: () => ServiceFactory<PermissionsService>;
   }
   // (undocumented)
   export namespace rootLifecycle {
-    const // (undocumented)
-      ref: ServiceRef<RootLifecycleService, 'root'>;
     const // (undocumented)
       factory: () => ServiceFactory<RootLifecycleService>;
   }
@@ -120,15 +100,11 @@ export namespace mockServices {
             debug: boolean;
           };
     };
-    const // (undocumented)
-      ref: ServiceRef<RootLoggerService, 'root'>;
     const // (undocumented)
       factory: (options?: Options | undefined) => ServiceFactory<LoggerService>;
   }
   // (undocumented)
   export namespace scheduler {
-    const // (undocumented)
-      ref: ServiceRef<SchedulerService, 'plugin'>;
     const // (undocumented)
       factory: () => ServiceFactory<SchedulerService>;
   }
@@ -136,15 +112,11 @@ export namespace mockServices {
   export function tokenManager(): TokenManagerService;
   // (undocumented)
   export namespace tokenManager {
-    const // (undocumented)
-      ref: ServiceRef<TokenManagerService, 'plugin'>;
     const // (undocumented)
       factory: () => ServiceFactory<TokenManagerService>;
   }
   // (undocumented)
   export namespace urlReader {
-    const // (undocumented)
-      ref: ServiceRef<UrlReaderService, 'plugin'>;
     const // (undocumented)
       factory: () => ServiceFactory<UrlReaderService>;
   }
diff --git a/packages/backend-test-utils/src/next/services/mockServices.ts b/packages/backend-test-utils/src/next/services/mockServices.ts
index f86d8bac55..5f771f13c5 100644
--- a/packages/backend-test-utils/src/next/services/mockServices.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-test-utils/src/next/services/mockServices.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 
 import {
+  ConfigService,
   coreServices,
   createServiceFactory,
   IdentityService,
@@ -56,14 +57,13 @@ function simpleFactory<TService, TOptions extends [options?: object] = []>(
  * @alpha
  */
 export namespace mockServices {
-  export function config(options?: config.Options) {
+  export function config(options?: config.Options): ConfigService {
     return new ConfigReader(options?.data, 'mock-config');
   }
   export namespace config {
     export type Options = { data?: JsonObject };
 
-    export const ref = coreServices.config;
-    export const factory = simpleFactory(ref, config);
+    export const factory = simpleFactory(coreServices.config, config);
   }
 
   export function rootLogger(options?: rootLogger.Options): LoggerService {
@@ -76,8 +76,7 @@ export namespace mockServices {
         | { error: boolean; warn: boolean; info: boolean; debug: boolean };
     };
 
-    export const ref = coreServices.rootLogger;
-    export const factory = simpleFactory(ref, rootLogger);
+    export const factory = simpleFactory(coreServices.rootLogger, rootLogger);
   }
 
   export function tokenManager(): TokenManagerService {
@@ -93,55 +92,47 @@ export namespace mockServices {
     };
   }
   export namespace tokenManager {
-    export const ref = coreServices.tokenManager;
-    export const factory = simpleFactory(ref, tokenManager);
+    export const factory = simpleFactory(
+      coreServices.tokenManager,
+      tokenManager,
+    );
   }
 
   export function identity(): IdentityService {
     return new MockIdentityService();
   }
   export namespace identity {
-    export const ref = coreServices.identity;
-    export const factory = simpleFactory(ref, identity);
+    export const factory = simpleFactory(coreServices.identity, identity);
   }
 
   // TODO(Rugvip): Not all core services have implementations available here yet.
   //               some may need a bit more refactoring for it to be simpler to
   //               re-implement functioning mock versions here.
   export namespace cache {
-    export const ref = coreServices.cache;
     export const factory = cacheFactory;
   }
   export namespace database {
-    export const ref = coreServices.database;
     export const factory = databaseFactory;
   }
   export namespace httpRouter {
-    export const ref = coreServices.httpRouter;
     export const factory = httpRouterFactory;
   }
   export namespace lifecycle {
-    export const ref = coreServices.lifecycle;
     export const factory = lifecycleFactory;
   }
   export namespace logger {
-    export const ref = coreServices.logger;
     export const factory = loggerFactory;
   }
   export namespace permissions {
-    export const ref = coreServices.permissions;
     export const factory = permissionsFactory;
   }
   export namespace rootLifecycle {
-    export const ref = coreServices.rootLifecycle;
     export const factory = rootLifecycleFactory;
   }
   export namespace scheduler {
-    export const ref = coreServices.scheduler;
     export const factory = schedulerFactory;
   }
   export namespace urlReader {
-    export const ref = coreServices.urlReader;
     export const factory = urlReaderFactory;
   }
 }