diff --git a/.changeset/chilled-sloths-rest.md b/.changeset/chilled-sloths-rest.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1cad0be99f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/chilled-sloths-rest.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/frontend-app-api': patch
+---
+
+Filters for discovered packages are now also applied at runtime. This makes it possible to disable packages through the `app.experimental.packages` config at runtime.
diff --git a/packages/frontend-app-api/config.d.ts b/packages/frontend-app-api/config.d.ts
index 81c24d1185..5f5f877d3e 100644
--- a/packages/frontend-app-api/config.d.ts
+++ b/packages/frontend-app-api/config.d.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,14 @@
 
 export interface Config {
   app?: {
+    experimental?: {
+      /**
+       * @visibility frontend
+       * @deepVisibility frontend
+       */
+      packages?: 'all' | { include?: string[]; exclude?: string[] };
+    };
+
     /**
      * @deepVisibility frontend
      */
diff --git a/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/createApp.tsx b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/createApp.tsx
index f262ecde72..4b7e4985f3 100644
--- a/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/createApp.tsx
+++ b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/createApp.tsx
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ export interface ExtensionTree {
 export function createExtensionTree(options: {
   config: Config;
 }): ExtensionTree {
-  const features = getAvailableFeatures();
+  const features = getAvailableFeatures(options.config);
   const { instances } = createInstances({
     features,
     config: options.config,
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ export function createApp(options: {
         overrideBaseUrlConfigs(defaultConfigLoaderSync()),
       );
 
-    const discoveredFeatures = getAvailableFeatures();
+    const discoveredFeatures = getAvailableFeatures(config);
     const loadedFeatures = (await options.featureLoader?.({ config })) ?? [];
     const allFeatures = Array.from(
       new Set([
diff --git a/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/discovery.test.ts b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/discovery.test.ts
index 54294bbd45..6008ce6746 100644
--- a/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/discovery.test.ts
+++ b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/discovery.test.ts
@@ -16,24 +16,29 @@
 
 import { createPlugin } from '@backstage/frontend-plugin-api';
 import { getAvailableFeatures } from './discovery';
+import { ConfigReader } from '@backstage/config';
 
 const globalSpy = jest.fn();
 Object.defineProperty(global, '__@backstage/discovered__', {
   get: globalSpy,
 });
 
+const config = new ConfigReader({
+  app: { experimental: { packages: 'all' } },
+});
+
 describe('getAvailableFeatures', () => {
   afterEach(jest.resetAllMocks);
 
   it('should discover nothing with undefined global', () => {
-    expect(getAvailableFeatures()).toEqual([]);
+    expect(getAvailableFeatures(config)).toEqual([]);
   });
 
   it('should discover nothing with empty global', () => {
     globalSpy.mockReturnValue({
       modules: [],
     });
-    expect(getAvailableFeatures()).toEqual([]);
+    expect(getAvailableFeatures(config)).toEqual([]);
   });
 
   it('should discover a plugin', () => {
@@ -41,24 +46,24 @@ describe('getAvailableFeatures', () => {
     globalSpy.mockReturnValue({
       modules: [{ default: testPlugin }],
     });
-    expect(getAvailableFeatures()).toEqual([testPlugin]);
+    expect(getAvailableFeatures(config)).toEqual([testPlugin]);
   });
 
   it('should ignore garbage', () => {
     globalSpy.mockReturnValueOnce({ modules: [{ default: null }] });
-    expect(getAvailableFeatures()).toEqual([]);
+    expect(getAvailableFeatures(config)).toEqual([]);
     globalSpy.mockReturnValueOnce({ modules: [{ default: undefined }] });
-    expect(getAvailableFeatures()).toEqual([]);
+    expect(getAvailableFeatures(config)).toEqual([]);
     globalSpy.mockReturnValueOnce({ modules: [{ default: Symbol() }] });
-    expect(getAvailableFeatures()).toEqual([]);
+    expect(getAvailableFeatures(config)).toEqual([]);
     globalSpy.mockReturnValueOnce({ modules: [{ default: () => {} }] });
-    expect(getAvailableFeatures()).toEqual([]);
+    expect(getAvailableFeatures(config)).toEqual([]);
     globalSpy.mockReturnValueOnce({ modules: [{ default: 0 }] });
-    expect(getAvailableFeatures()).toEqual([]);
+    expect(getAvailableFeatures(config)).toEqual([]);
     globalSpy.mockReturnValueOnce({ modules: [{ default: false }] });
-    expect(getAvailableFeatures()).toEqual([]);
+    expect(getAvailableFeatures(config)).toEqual([]);
     globalSpy.mockReturnValueOnce({ modules: [{ default: true }] });
-    expect(getAvailableFeatures()).toEqual([]);
+    expect(getAvailableFeatures(config)).toEqual([]);
   });
 
   it('should discover multiple plugins', () => {
@@ -72,7 +77,7 @@ describe('getAvailableFeatures', () => {
         { default: test3Plugin },
       ],
     });
-    expect(getAvailableFeatures()).toEqual([
+    expect(getAvailableFeatures(config)).toEqual([
       test1Plugin,
       test2Plugin,
       test3Plugin,
diff --git a/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/discovery.ts b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/discovery.ts
index 14786c93d9..1181992d53 100644
--- a/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/discovery.ts
+++ b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/discovery.ts
@@ -14,28 +14,75 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
+import { Config, ConfigReader } from '@backstage/config';
 import {
   BackstagePlugin,
   ExtensionOverrides,
 } from '@backstage/frontend-plugin-api';
 
 interface DiscoveryGlobal {
-  modules: Array<{ name: string; default: unknown }>;
+  modules: Array<{ name: string; export?: string; default: unknown }>;
+}
+
+function readPackageDetectionConfig(config: Config) {
+  const packages = config.getOptional('app.experimental.packages');
+  if (packages === undefined || packages === null) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+
+  if (typeof packages === 'string') {
+    if (packages !== 'all') {
+      throw new Error(
+        `Invalid app.experimental.packages mode, got '${packages}', expected 'all'`,
+      );
+    }
+    return {};
+  }
+
+  if (typeof packages !== 'object' || Array.isArray(packages)) {
+    throw new Error(
+      "Invalid config at 'app.experimental.packages', expected object",
+    );
+  }
+  const packagesConfig = new ConfigReader(
+    packages,
+    'app.experimental.packages',
+  );
+
+  return {
+    include: packagesConfig.getOptionalStringArray('include'),
+    exclude: packagesConfig.getOptionalStringArray('exclude'),
+  };
 }
 
 /**
  * @public
  */
-export function getAvailableFeatures(): (
-  | BackstagePlugin
-  | ExtensionOverrides
-)[] {
+export function getAvailableFeatures(
+  config: Config,
+): (BackstagePlugin | ExtensionOverrides)[] {
   const discovered = (
     window as { '__@backstage/discovered__'?: DiscoveryGlobal }
   )['__@backstage/discovered__'];
 
+  const detection = readPackageDetectionConfig(config);
+  if (!detection) {
+    return [];
+  }
+
   return (
-    discovered?.modules.map(m => m.default).filter(isBackstageFeature) ?? []
+    discovered?.modules
+      .filter(({ name }) => {
+        if (detection.exclude?.includes(name)) {
+          return false;
+        }
+        if (detection.include && !detection.include.includes(name)) {
+          return false;
+        }
+        return true;
+      })
+      .map(m => m.default)
+      .filter(isBackstageFeature) ?? []
   );
 }