diff --git a/docs/features/software-catalog/configuration.md b/docs/features/software-catalog/configuration.md
index df252808eb..f8de3034fd 100644
--- a/docs/features/software-catalog/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/features/software-catalog/configuration.md
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ To remove these entities automatically, you can use the following configuration.
 
 ```yaml
 catalog:
-  evictOrphanedEntityProviders: true
+  orphanProviderStrategy: delete
 ```
 
 ## Processing Interval
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/config.d.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/config.d.ts
index 057d581e80..d7816fa856 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/config.d.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/config.d.ts
@@ -155,6 +155,13 @@ export interface Config {
      */
     orphanStrategy?: 'keep' | 'delete';
 
+    /**
+     * The strategy to use for entities that are referenced by providers that are orphaned,
+     * i.e. entities with no providers currently configured in the catalog. The default value is
+     * "keep".
+     */
+    orphanProviderStrategy?: 'keep' | 'delete';
+
     /**
      * The strategy to use when stitching together the final entities.
      */
@@ -216,10 +223,5 @@ export interface Config {
      * This flag is temporary and will be enabled by default in future releases.
      */
     useUrlReadersSearch?: boolean;
-
-    /**
-     * Evicts entities from the catalog when their related entity provider no longer exists.
-     */
-    evictOrphanedEntityProviders?: boolean;
   };
 }
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/processing/evictOrphanedEntityProviders.test.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/processing/evictEntitiesFromOrphanedProviders.test.ts
similarity index 88%
rename from plugins/catalog-backend/src/processing/evictOrphanedEntityProviders.test.ts
rename to plugins/catalog-backend/src/processing/evictEntitiesFromOrphanedProviders.test.ts
index ba618feaba..1580194639 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/processing/evictOrphanedEntityProviders.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/processing/evictEntitiesFromOrphanedProviders.test.ts
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@
 import { EntityProvider } from '@backstage/plugin-catalog-node';
 import { mockServices } from '@backstage/backend-test-utils';
 import { DefaultProviderDatabase } from '../database/DefaultProviderDatabase';
-import { evictOrphanedEntityProviders } from './evictOrphanedEntityProviders';
+import { evictEntitiesFromOrphanedProviders } from './evictEntitiesFromOrphanedProviders';
 
-describe('evictOrphanedEntityProviders', () => {
+describe('evictEntitiesFromOrphanedProviders', () => {
   const db = {
     transaction: jest.fn().mockImplementation(cb => cb((() => {}) as any)),
     replaceUnprocessedEntities: jest.fn(),
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ describe('evictOrphanedEntityProviders', () => {
   it('replaces unprocessed entities for orphaned providers with empty items', async () => {
     db.listReferenceSourceKeys.mockResolvedValue(['foo', 'bar']);
 
-    await evictOrphanedEntityProviders({ db, providers, logger });
+    await evictEntitiesFromOrphanedProviders({ db, providers, logger });
 
     expect(db.replaceUnprocessedEntities).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
     expect(db.replaceUnprocessedEntities).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ describe('evictOrphanedEntityProviders', () => {
   it('does not replace unprocessed entities for providers that are not orphaned', async () => {
     db.listReferenceSourceKeys.mockResolvedValue(['foo', 'provider1']);
 
-    await evictOrphanedEntityProviders({ db, providers, logger });
+    await evictEntitiesFromOrphanedProviders({ db, providers, logger });
 
     expect(db.replaceUnprocessedEntities).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith(
       expect.anything(),
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/processing/evictOrphanedEntityProviders.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/processing/evictEntitiesFromOrphanedProviders.ts
similarity index 96%
rename from plugins/catalog-backend/src/processing/evictOrphanedEntityProviders.ts
rename to plugins/catalog-backend/src/processing/evictEntitiesFromOrphanedProviders.ts
index f1d99e83d7..a6bda5e8c5 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/processing/evictOrphanedEntityProviders.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/processing/evictEntitiesFromOrphanedProviders.ts
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ async function removeEntitiesForProvider({
   }
 }
 
-export async function evictOrphanedEntityProviders(options: {
+export async function evictEntitiesFromOrphanedProviders(options: {
   db: ProviderDatabase;
   providers: EntityProvider[];
   logger: LoggerService;
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/CatalogBuilder.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/CatalogBuilder.ts
index dd77d70efd..0965ba63e3 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/CatalogBuilder.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/CatalogBuilder.ts
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ import {
   ProcessingIntervalFunction,
 } from '../processing';
 import { connectEntityProviders } from '../processing/connectEntityProviders';
-import { evictOrphanedEntityProviders } from '../processing/evictOrphanedEntityProviders';
+import { evictEntitiesFromOrphanedProviders } from '../processing/evictEntitiesFromOrphanedProviders';
 import { DefaultCatalogProcessingEngine } from '../processing/DefaultCatalogProcessingEngine';
 import { DefaultCatalogProcessingOrchestrator } from '../processing/DefaultCatalogProcessingOrchestrator';
 import {
@@ -646,8 +646,10 @@ export class CatalogBuilder {
 
     await connectEntityProviders(providerDatabase, entityProviders);
 
-    if (config.getOptionalBoolean('catalog.evictOrphanedEntityProviders')) {
-      await evictOrphanedEntityProviders({
+    if (
+      config.getOptionalString('catalog.orphanProviderStrategy') === 'delete'
+    ) {
+      await evictEntitiesFromOrphanedProviders({
         db: providerDatabase,
         providers: entityProviders,
         logger,