diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index d2d3be5b..25a8eaea 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 ### Added
 
 - add `enable_direct_response` settings to by-pass Pydantic validation and FastAPI serialization for responses
+- add `/_mgmt/health` endpoint (`readiness`) and `health_check: Callable[[], [Dict]` optional attribute in `StacApi` class
 
 ## [5.1.1] - 2025-03-17
 
diff --git a/stac_fastapi/api/stac_fastapi/api/app.py b/stac_fastapi/api/stac_fastapi/api/app.py
index c6874ce0..bd03b4fe 100644
--- a/stac_fastapi/api/stac_fastapi/api/app.py
+++ b/stac_fastapi/api/stac_fastapi/api/app.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 """Fastapi app creation."""
 
 
-from typing import Dict, List, Optional, Tuple, Type, Union
+from typing import Awaitable, Callable, Dict, List, Optional, Tuple, Type, Union
 
 import attr
 from brotli_asgi import BrotliMiddleware
@@ -67,6 +67,10 @@ class StacApi:
             specified routes. This is useful
             for applying custom auth requirements to routes defined elsewhere in
             the application.
+        health_check:
+            A Callable which return application's `health` information.
+            Defaults to `def health: return {"status": "UP"}`
+
     """
 
     settings: ApiSettings = attr.ib()
@@ -128,6 +132,9 @@ class StacApi:
         )
     )
     route_dependencies: List[Tuple[List[Scope], List[Depends]]] = attr.ib(default=[])
+    health_check: Union[Callable[[], Dict], Callable[[], Awaitable[Dict]]] = attr.ib(
+        default=lambda: {"status": "UP"}
+    )
 
     def get_extension(self, extension: Type[ApiExtension]) -> Optional[ApiExtension]:
         """Get an extension.
@@ -363,14 +370,44 @@ def register_core(self) -> None:
 
     def add_health_check(self) -> None:
         """Add a health check."""
-        mgmt_router = APIRouter(prefix=self.app.state.router_prefix)
 
-        @mgmt_router.get("/_mgmt/ping")
         async def ping():
-            """Liveliness/readiness probe."""
+            """Liveliness probe."""
             return {"message": "PONG"}
 
-        self.app.include_router(mgmt_router, tags=["Liveliness/Readiness"])
+        self.app.router.add_api_route(
+            name="Ping",
+            path="/_mgmt/ping",
+            response_model=Dict,
+            responses={
+                200: {
+                    "content": {
+                        MimeTypes.json.value: {},
+                    },
+                },
+            },
+            response_class=self.response_class,
+            methods=["GET"],
+            endpoint=ping,
+            tags=["Liveliness/Readiness"],
+        )
+
+        self.app.router.add_api_route(
+            name="Health",
+            path="/_mgmt/health",
+            response_model=Dict,
+            responses={
+                200: {
+                    "content": {
+                        MimeTypes.json.value: {},
+                    },
+                },
+            },
+            response_class=self.response_class,
+            methods=["GET"],
+            endpoint=self.health_check,
+            tags=["Liveliness/Readiness"],
+        )
 
     def add_route_dependencies(
         self, scopes: List[Scope], dependencies: List[Depends]
diff --git a/stac_fastapi/api/tests/test_app.py b/stac_fastapi/api/tests/test_app.py
index 44894c89..5500303e 100644
--- a/stac_fastapi/api/tests/test_app.py
+++ b/stac_fastapi/api/tests/test_app.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 from fastapi.testclient import TestClient
 from pydantic import ValidationError
 from stac_pydantic import api
+from starlette.requests import Request
 from typing_extensions import Annotated
 
 from stac_fastapi.api import app
@@ -529,3 +530,51 @@ def item_collection(
     assert post_search.json() == "2020-01-01T00:00:00.00001Z"
     assert post_search_zero.status_code == 200, post_search_zero.text
     assert post_search_zero.json() == "2020-01-01T00:00:00.0000Z"
+
+
+def test_mgmt_endpoints(AsyncTestCoreClient):
+    """Test ping/health endpoints."""
+
+    test_app = app.StacApi(
+        settings=ApiSettings(),
+        client=AsyncTestCoreClient(),
+    )
+
+    with TestClient(test_app.app) as client:
+        resp = client.get("/_mgmt/ping")
+        assert resp.status_code == 200
+        assert resp.json() == {"message": "PONG"}
+
+        resp = client.get("/_mgmt/health")
+        assert resp.status_code == 200
+        assert resp.json() == {"status": "UP"}
+
+    def health_check(request: Request):
+        return {
+            "status": "UP",
+            "database": {
+                "status": "UP",
+                "version": "0.1.0",
+            },
+        }
+
+    test_app = app.StacApi(
+        settings=ApiSettings(),
+        client=AsyncTestCoreClient(),
+        health_check=health_check,
+    )
+
+    with TestClient(test_app.app) as client:
+        resp = client.get("/_mgmt/ping")
+        assert resp.status_code == 200
+        assert resp.json() == {"message": "PONG"}
+
+        resp = client.get("/_mgmt/health")
+        assert resp.status_code == 200
+        assert resp.json() == {
+            "status": "UP",
+            "database": {
+                "status": "UP",
+                "version": "0.1.0",
+            },
+        }