diff --git a/packages/addon-shim/src/index.ts b/packages/addon-shim/src/index.ts
index 97d9b772b..340e4814a 100644
--- a/packages/addon-shim/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/addon-shim/src/index.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,16 @@ import { satisfies } from 'semver';
 
 export interface ShimOptions {
   disabled?: (options: any) => boolean;
+
+  // this part only applies when running under ember-auto-import. It's intended
+  // to let a V2 addon tweak how it's interpreted by ember-auto-import inside
+  // the classic build in order to achieve backward compatibility with how it
+  // behaved as a V1 addon.
+  autoImportCompat?: {
+    // can modify the `ember-addon` metadata that ember-auto-import is using to
+    // do resolution. Right now that means the `renamed-modules`.
+    customizeMeta?: (meta: AddonMeta) => AddonMeta;
+  };
 }
 
 function addonMeta(pkgJSON: PackageInfo): AddonMeta {
@@ -22,6 +32,16 @@ function addonMeta(pkgJSON: PackageInfo): AddonMeta {
   return meta as AddonMeta;
 }
 
+type OwnType = AddonInstance & {
+  _eaiAssertions(): void;
+  _internalRegisterV2Addon(
+    name: string,
+    root: string,
+    autoImportCompat?: ShimOptions['autoImportCompat']
+  ): void;
+  _parentName(): string;
+};
+
 export function addonV1Shim(directory: string, options: ShimOptions = {}) {
   let pkg: PackageInfo = JSON.parse(
     readFileSync(resolve(directory, './package.json'), 'utf8')
@@ -73,12 +93,7 @@ export function addonV1Shim(directory: string, options: ShimOptions = {}) {
 
   return {
     name: pkg.name,
-    included(
-      this: AddonInstance & {
-        registerV2Addon(name: string, dir: string): void;
-      },
-      ...args: unknown[]
-    ) {
+    included(this: OwnType, ...args: unknown[]) {
       let parentOptions;
       if (isDeepAddonInstance(this)) {
         parentOptions = this.parent.options;
@@ -86,7 +101,12 @@ export function addonV1Shim(directory: string, options: ShimOptions = {}) {
         parentOptions = this.app.options;
       }
 
-      this.registerV2Addon(this.name, directory);
+      this._eaiAssertions();
+      this._internalRegisterV2Addon(
+        this.name,
+        directory,
+        options.autoImportCompat
+      );
 
       if (options.disabled) {
         disabled = options.disabled(parentOptions);
@@ -139,38 +159,94 @@ export function addonV1Shim(directory: string, options: ShimOptions = {}) {
       return isInside(directory, appInstance.project.root);
     },
 
-    registerV2Addon(this: AddonInstance, name: string, root: string): void {
-      let parentName: string;
-      if (isDeepAddonInstance(this)) {
-        parentName = this.parent.name;
-      } else {
-        parentName = this.parent.name();
-      }
-
+    _eaiAssertions(this: OwnType) {
       // if we're being used by a v1 package, that package needs ember-auto-import 2
       if ((this.parent.pkg['ember-addon']?.version ?? 1) < 2) {
+        // important: here we're talking about the version of ember-auto-import
+        // declared by the package that is trying to use our V2 addon. Which is
+        // distinct from the version that may be installed in the top-level app,
+        // and which is also distinct from the elected ember-auto-import leader.
         let autoImport = locateAutoImport(this.parent.addons);
         if (!autoImport.present) {
           throw new Error(
-            `${parentName} needs to depend on ember-auto-import in order to use ${this.name}`
+            `${this._parentName()} needs to depend on ember-auto-import in order to use ${
+              this.name
+            }`
           );
         }
-
         if (!autoImport.satisfiesV2) {
           throw new Error(
-            `${parentName} has ember-auto-import ${autoImport.version} which is not new enough to use ${this.name}. It needs to upgrade to >=2.0`
+            `${this._parentName()} has ember-auto-import ${
+              autoImport.version
+            } which is not new enough to use ${
+              this.name
+            }. It needs to upgrade to >=2.0`
           );
         }
-        autoImport.instance.registerV2Addon(name, root);
+      }
+    },
+
+    _internalRegisterV2Addon(
+      this: OwnType,
+      name: string,
+      root: string,
+      options?: ShimOptions['autoImportCompat']
+    ) {
+      // this is searching the top-level app for ember-auto-import, which is
+      // different from how we searched above in _eaiAssertions. We're going
+      // straight to the top because we definitely want to locate EAI if it's
+      // present, but our addon's immediate parent won't necessarily have EAI if
+      // that parent is itself a V2 addon.
+      let autoImport = locateAutoImport(this.project.addons);
+      if (!autoImport.present || !autoImport.satisfiesV2) {
+        // We don't assert here because it's not our responsibility. In
+        // _eaiAssertions we check the condition of our immediate parent, which
+        // makes the error messages more actionable. If our parent has EAI>=2,
+        // its copy of EAI will in turn assert that the app has one as well.
+        //
+        // This case is actually fine for a v2 app under Embroider, where EAI is
+        // not needed.
+        return;
+      }
+
+      // we're not using autoImport.instance.registerV2Addon because not all 2.x
+      // versions will forward the third argument to the current leader. Whereas
+      // we can confidently ensure that the leader itself supports the third
+      // argument by adding it as a dependency of our V2 addon, since the newest
+      // copy that satisfies the app's requested semver range will win the
+      // election.
+
+      let leader: ReturnType<NonNullable<EAI2Instance['leader']>>;
+      if (autoImport.instance.leader) {
+        // sufficiently new EAI lets us directly ask for the leader
+        leader = autoImport.instance.leader();
       } else {
-        // This should only be done if we're being consumed by an addon
-        if (this.parent.pkg['ember-addon'].type === 'addon') {
-          // if we're being used by a v2 addon, it also has this shim and will
-          // forward our registration onward to ember-auto-import
-          (this.parent as EAI2Instance).registerV2Addon(name, root);
-        }
+        // otherwise we need to reach inside
+        // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-require-imports
+        let AutoImport = require(join(
+          autoImport.instance.root,
+          'auto-import.js'
+        )).default;
+        leader = AutoImport.lookup(autoImport.instance);
+      }
+
+      leader.registerV2Addon(name, root, options);
+    },
+
+    _parentName(this: OwnType): string {
+      if (isDeepAddonInstance(this)) {
+        return this.parent.name;
+      } else {
+        return this.parent.name();
       }
     },
+
+    // This continues to exist because there are earlier versions of addon-shim
+    // that forward v2 addon registration through their parent V2 addon, thus
+    // calling this method.
+    registerV2Addon(this: OwnType, name: string, root: string): void {
+      this._internalRegisterV2Addon(name, root);
+    },
   };
 }
 
@@ -180,7 +256,20 @@ function isInside(parentDir: string, otherDir: string): boolean {
 }
 
 type EAI2Instance = AddonInstance & {
+  // all 2.x versions of EAI have this method
   registerV2Addon(name: string, root: string): void;
+
+  // EAI >= 2.10.0 offers this API, which is intended to be more extensible
+  // since it lets you talk directly to the current leader. That's better
+  // because the newest version of EAI present becomes the leader, so you can
+  // guarantee a minimum leader version by making it your own dependency.
+  leader?: () => {
+    registerV2Addon(
+      name: string,
+      root: string,
+      options?: ShimOptions['autoImportCompat']
+    ): void;
+  };
 };
 
 function locateAutoImport(addons: AddonInstance[]):