diff --git a/src/mirage/factories.ts b/src/mirage/factories.ts
index be61e62817..91cacefc57 100644
--- a/src/mirage/factories.ts
+++ b/src/mirage/factories.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ export const targetFactory: FactoryDefinition<any> = Factory.extend({
   jvmId: '1234',
   annotations: {
     platform: { 'io.cryostat.demo': 'this-is-not-real' },
-    cryostat: { hello: 'world' },
+    cryostat: { hello: 'world', REALM: 'KubernetesApi' },
   },
 });
 
diff --git a/src/mirage/index.ts b/src/mirage/index.ts
index faad96aadc..58f8d56859 100644
--- a/src/mirage/index.ts
+++ b/src/mirage/index.ts
@@ -99,14 +99,16 @@ export const startMirage = ({ environment = 'development' } = {}) => {
         () => new Response(400, {}, 'Resource downloads are not supported in this demo')
       );
       this.post('api/v2/targets', (schema, request) => {
-        const attrs = JSON.parse(request.requestBody);
+        const attrs = request.requestBody as any;
         const target = schema.create(Resource.TARGET, {
-          jvmId: `${Math.floor(1000 * Math.random())}`,
+          jvmId: `${Date.now().toString(16)}`,
           alias: attrs.get('alias'),
           connectUrl: attrs.get('connectUrl'),
           annotations: {
             platform: {},
-            cryostat: {},
+            cryostat: {
+              REALM: 'Custom Targets',
+            },
           },
         });
         websocket.send(
@@ -126,31 +128,50 @@ export const startMirage = ({ environment = 'development' } = {}) => {
         };
       });
       this.get('api/v1/targets', (schema) => schema.all(Resource.TARGET).models);
-      this.get('api/v2.1/discovery', (schema) => ({
-        meta: {
-          status: 'OK',
-          type: 'application/json',
-        },
-        data: {
-          result: {
-            name: 'Universe',
-            nodeType: 'Universe',
-            labels: {},
-            children: [
-              {
-                name: 'KubernetesApi',
-                nodeType: 'Realm',
-                labels: {},
-                children: schema.all(Resource.TARGET).models.map((t) => ({
-                  name: t.alias,
-                  nodeType: 'JVM',
-                  target: t,
-                })),
-              },
-            ],
+      this.get('api/v2.1/discovery', (schema) => {
+        const models = schema.all(Resource.TARGET).models;
+        const ct = models.filter((t) => t.annotations.cryostat['REALM'] === 'Custom Targets');
+        const k8s = models.filter((t) => t.annotations.cryostat['REALM'] === 'KubernetesApi');
+        return {
+          meta: {
+            status: 'OK',
+            type: 'application/json',
           },
-        },
-      }));
+          data: {
+            result: {
+              name: 'Universe',
+              nodeType: 'Universe',
+              labels: {},
+              children: [
+                {
+                  name: 'KubernetesApi',
+                  nodeType: 'Realm',
+                  labels: {},
+                  id: 'KubernetesApi',
+                  children: k8s.map((t) => ({
+                    id: t.alias,
+                    name: t.alias,
+                    nodeType: 'JVM',
+                    target: t,
+                  })),
+                },
+                {
+                  name: 'Custom Targets',
+                  nodeType: 'Realm',
+                  labels: {},
+                  id: 'Custom Targets',
+                  children: ct.map((t) => ({
+                    id: t.alias,
+                    name: t.alias,
+                    nodeType: 'CustomTarget',
+                    target: t,
+                  })),
+                },
+              ],
+            },
+          },
+        };
+      });
       this.get('api/v1/recordings', (schema) => schema.all(Resource.ARCHIVE).models);
       this.get('api/beta/fs/recordings', (schema) => {
         const target = schema.first(Resource.TARGET);
@@ -186,7 +207,9 @@ export const startMirage = ({ environment = 'development' } = {}) => {
         return new Response(200);
       });
       this.post('api/v1/targets/:targetId/recordings', (schema, request) => {
-        const attrs = JSON.parse(request.requestBody);
+        // Note: MirageJS will fake serialize FormData (i.e. FormData object is returned when accessing request.requestBody)
+        const attrs = request.requestBody as any;
+
         const recording = schema.create(Resource.RECORDING, {
           // id will generated by Mirage (i.e. increment intergers)
           downloadUrl: '',