diff --git a/packages/frontend-test-utils/src/app/createExtensionTester.test.tsx b/packages/frontend-test-utils/src/app/createExtensionTester.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2c08b31837
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/frontend-test-utils/src/app/createExtensionTester.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2023 The Backstage Authors
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+import {
+  coreExtensionData,
+  createExtension,
+} from '@backstage/frontend-plugin-api';
+import { screen } from '@testing-library/react';
+import React from 'react';
+import { createExtensionTester } from './createExtensionTester';
+
+describe('createExtensionTester', () => {
+  it('should render a simple extension', async () => {
+    await createExtensionTester(
+      createExtension({
+        id: 'test',
+        attachTo: { id: 'ignored', input: 'ignored' },
+        output: { element: coreExtensionData.reactElement },
+        factory: () => ({ element: <div>test</div> }),
+      }),
+    ).render();
+
+    await expect(screen.findByText('test')).resolves.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it('should render an extension even if disabled by default', async () => {
+    await createExtensionTester(
+      createExtension({
+        id: 'test',
+        attachTo: { id: 'ignored', input: 'ignored' },
+        disabled: true,
+        output: { element: coreExtensionData.reactElement },
+        factory: () => ({ element: <div>test</div> }),
+      }),
+    ).render();
+
+    await expect(screen.findByText('test')).resolves.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it("should fail to render an extension that doesn't output a react element", async () => {
+    await expect(
+      createExtensionTester(
+        createExtension({
+          id: 'test',
+          attachTo: { id: 'ignored', input: 'ignored' },
+          disabled: true,
+          output: { path: coreExtensionData.routePath },
+          factory: () => ({ path: '/foo' }),
+        }),
+      ).render(),
+    ).rejects.toThrow(
+      "Failed to instantiate extension 'core', input 'root' did not receive required extension data 'core.reactElement' from extension 'test'",
+    );
+  });
+});