diff --git a/.changeset/slick-camels-act.md b/.changeset/slick-camels-act.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5ad1fbc164a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/slick-camels-act.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+'@sap-ux/backend-proxy-middleware': patch
+'@sap-ux/ui5-proxy-middleware': patch
+'@sap-ux/reload-middleware': patch
+---
+
+add 'express' as peerDependency
diff --git a/packages/backend-proxy-middleware/package.json b/packages/backend-proxy-middleware/package.json
index d0f372fc151..f1e278be297 100644
--- a/packages/backend-proxy-middleware/package.json
+++ b/packages/backend-proxy-middleware/package.json
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@
         "!dist/*.map",
         "!dist/**/*.map"
     ],
+    "peerDependencies": {
+      "express": "4"
+    },
     "dependencies": {
         "@sap-ux/axios-extension": "workspace:*",
         "@sap-ux/btp-utils": "workspace:*",
@@ -36,7 +39,6 @@
         "@sap-ux/store": "workspace:*",
         "chalk": "4.1.2",
         "dotenv": "16.3.1",
-        "express": "4.21.2",
         "http-proxy-middleware": "3.0.5",
         "https-proxy-agent": "5.0.1",
         "i18next": "25.3.0",
@@ -50,6 +52,7 @@
         "@types/prompts": "2.4.4",
         "@types/proxy-from-env": "1.0.1",
         "@types/supertest": "2.0.12",
+        "express": "4.21.2",
         "connect": "^3.7.0",
         "nock": "13.4.0",
         "supertest": "7.1.4",
diff --git a/packages/reload-middleware/package.json b/packages/reload-middleware/package.json
index e50ee7afe81..a95c6869a23 100644
--- a/packages/reload-middleware/package.json
+++ b/packages/reload-middleware/package.json
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@
         "!dist/*.map",
         "!dist/**/*.map"
     ],
+    "peerDependencies": {
+        "express": "4"
+    },
     "dependencies": {
         "@sap-ux/btp-utils": "workspace:*",
         "@sap-ux/logger": "workspace:*",
diff --git a/packages/ui5-proxy-middleware/package.json b/packages/ui5-proxy-middleware/package.json
index 38847add8b1..cde22bccd6a 100644
--- a/packages/ui5-proxy-middleware/package.json
+++ b/packages/ui5-proxy-middleware/package.json
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@
         "!dist/*.map",
         "!dist/**/*.map"
     ],
+    "peerDependencies": {
+        "express": "4"
+    },
     "dependencies": {
         "@sap-ux/logger": "workspace:*",
         "@sap-ux/ui5-config": "workspace:*",
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index 142665988dd..39468f0edbf 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -902,9 +902,6 @@ importers:
       dotenv:
         specifier: 16.3.1
         version: 16.3.1
-      express:
-        specifier: 4.21.2
-        version: 4.21.2
       http-proxy-middleware:
         specifier: 3.0.5
         version: 3.0.5
@@ -942,6 +939,9 @@ importers:
       connect:
         specifier: ^3.7.0
         version: 3.7.0
+      express:
+        specifier: 4.21.2
+        version: 4.21.2
       nock:
         specifier: 13.4.0
         version: 13.4.0