diff --git a/.changeset/silent-pigs-collect.md b/.changeset/silent-pigs-collect.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9010605ffb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/silent-pigs-collect.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-search-backend-node': patch
+---
+
+Removed unnecessary dependency on `@backstage/backend-defaults`.
diff --git a/plugins/search-backend-node/package.json b/plugins/search-backend-node/package.json
index cc2418009d..95fd535b0f 100644
--- a/plugins/search-backend-node/package.json
+++ b/plugins/search-backend-node/package.json
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@
     "test": "backstage-cli package test"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "@backstage/backend-defaults": "workspace:^",
     "@backstage/backend-plugin-api": "workspace:^",
     "@backstage/config": "workspace:^",
     "@backstage/errors": "workspace:^",
@@ -67,6 +66,7 @@
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@backstage/backend-common": "^0.25.0",
+    "@backstage/backend-defaults": "workspace:^",
     "@backstage/backend-test-utils": "workspace:^",
     "@backstage/cli": "workspace:^",
     "@types/ndjson": "^2.0.1"