diff --git a/packages/backend-app-api/api-report.md b/packages/backend-app-api/api-report.md
index cde0ef64d2..5f452f9e03 100644
--- a/packages/backend-app-api/api-report.md
+++ b/packages/backend-app-api/api-report.md
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import { Handler } from 'express';
 import { HelmetOptions } from 'helmet';
 import * as http from 'http';
 import { HttpRouterService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
+import { HumanDuration } from '@backstage/types';
 import { IdentityService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { JsonObject } from '@backstage/types';
 import { LifecycleService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
@@ -179,8 +180,7 @@ export const identityServiceFactory: (
 export interface LifecycleMiddlewareOptions {
   // (undocumented)
   lifecycle: LifecycleService;
-  // (undocumented)
-  timeoutMs?: number;
+  startupRequestPauseTimeout?: HumanDuration;
 }
 
 // @public
diff --git a/packages/backend-app-api/src/services/implementations/httpRouter/createLifecycleMiddleware.test.ts b/packages/backend-app-api/src/services/implementations/httpRouter/createLifecycleMiddleware.test.ts
index e1091d247f..31eecf14bb 100644
--- a/packages/backend-app-api/src/services/implementations/httpRouter/createLifecycleMiddleware.test.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-app-api/src/services/implementations/httpRouter/createLifecycleMiddleware.test.ts
@@ -63,7 +63,10 @@ describe('createLifecycleMiddleware', () => {
 
   it('should throw ServiceUnavailableError after timeout', async () => {
     const lifecycle = new BackendLifecycleImpl(mockServices.rootLogger());
-    const middleware = createLifecycleMiddleware({ lifecycle, timeoutMs: 1 });
+    const middleware = createLifecycleMiddleware({
+      lifecycle,
+      startupRequestPauseTimeout: { milliseconds: 1 },
+    });
 
     const next = jest.fn();
     middleware({} as any, {} as any, next);
diff --git a/packages/backend-app-api/src/services/implementations/httpRouter/createLifecycleMiddleware.ts b/packages/backend-app-api/src/services/implementations/httpRouter/createLifecycleMiddleware.ts
index b2a41bbb2f..e5e829eebe 100644
--- a/packages/backend-app-api/src/services/implementations/httpRouter/createLifecycleMiddleware.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-app-api/src/services/implementations/httpRouter/createLifecycleMiddleware.ts
@@ -16,9 +16,31 @@
 
 import { LifecycleService } from '@backstage/backend-plugin-api';
 import { ServiceUnavailableError } from '@backstage/errors';
+import { HumanDuration } from '@backstage/types';
 import { RequestHandler } from 'express';
 
-export const DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS = 5000;
+export const DEFAULT_TIMEOUT = { seconds: 5 };
+
+function durationToMs(duration: HumanDuration): number {
+  const {
+    years = 0,
+    months = 0,
+    weeks = 0,
+    days = 0,
+    hours = 0,
+    minutes = 0,
+    seconds = 0,
+    milliseconds = 0,
+  } = duration;
+
+  const totalDays = years * 365 + months * 30 + weeks * 7 + days;
+  const totalHours = totalDays * 24 + hours;
+  const totalMinutes = totalHours * 60 + minutes;
+  const totalSeconds = totalMinutes * 60 + seconds;
+  const totalMilliseconds = totalSeconds * 1000 + milliseconds;
+
+  return totalMilliseconds;
+}
 
 /**
  * Options for {@link createLifecycleMiddleware}.
@@ -26,7 +48,10 @@ export const DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS = 5000;
  */
 export interface LifecycleMiddlewareOptions {
   lifecycle: LifecycleService;
-  timeoutMs?: number;
+  /**
+   * The maximum time that paused requests will wait for the service to start, before returning an error.
+   */
+  startupRequestPauseTimeout?: HumanDuration;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -46,7 +71,7 @@ export interface LifecycleMiddlewareOptions {
 export function createLifecycleMiddleware(
   options: LifecycleMiddlewareOptions,
 ): RequestHandler {
-  const { lifecycle, timeoutMs = DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS } = options;
+  const { lifecycle, startupRequestPauseTimeout = DEFAULT_TIMEOUT } = options;
 
   let state: 'init' | 'up' | 'down' = 'init';
   const waiting = new Set<{
@@ -75,6 +100,8 @@ export function createLifecycleMiddleware(
     waiting.clear();
   });
 
+  const timeoutMs = durationToMs(startupRequestPauseTimeout);
+
   return (_req, _res, next) => {
     if (state === 'up') {
       next();