diff --git a/.changeset/wild-buses-notice.md b/.changeset/wild-buses-notice.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3620786aa8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/wild-buses-notice.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/backend-defaults': patch
+---
+
+Added the option to skip database migrations by setting `skipMigrations: true` in config. This can be done globally in the database config or by plugin id.
diff --git a/packages/backend-defaults/config.d.ts b/packages/backend-defaults/config.d.ts
index fee8846c4b..97809da12c 100644
--- a/packages/backend-defaults/config.d.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-defaults/config.d.ts
@@ -453,6 +453,8 @@ export interface Config {
      * and asyncStackTraces booleans
      */
     knexConfig?: object;
+    /** Skip running database migrations. */
+    skipMigrations?: boolean;
     /** Plugin specific database configuration and client override */
     plugin?: {
       [pluginId: string]: {
@@ -485,6 +487,8 @@ export interface Config {
         knexConfig?: object;
         /** Configures the ownership of newly created schemas in pg databases. */
         role?: string;
+        /** Skip running database migrations. */
+        skipMigrations?: boolean;
       };
     };
   };
diff --git a/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/database/DatabaseManager.test.ts b/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/database/DatabaseManager.test.ts
index 347ec742c0..0d52ff16ff 100644
--- a/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/database/DatabaseManager.test.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/database/DatabaseManager.test.ts
@@ -96,27 +96,83 @@ describe('DatabaseManagerImpl', () => {
     expect(connector2.getClient).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith('plugin2', undefined);
   });
 
-  it('retains the migration skip info', async () => {
+  it('migration skip options take precedence over config', async () => {
     const connector = {
       getClient: jest.fn(),
       dropDatabase: jest.fn(),
     } satisfies Connector;
 
+    const impl = new DatabaseManagerImpl(
+      new ConfigReader({
+        client: 'pg',
+        backend: {
+          database: {
+            skipMigrations: true,
+            plugin: { plugin1: { skipMigrations: true } },
+          },
+        },
+      }),
+      {
+        pg: connector,
+      },
+      { migrations: { skip: false } },
+    );
+    expect((await impl.forPlugin('plugin1')).migrations).toEqual({
+      skip: false,
+    });
+
     const impl1 = new DatabaseManagerImpl(new ConfigReader({ client: 'pg' }), {
       pg: connector,
     });
 
-    const impl2 = new DatabaseManagerImpl(
-      new ConfigReader({ client: 'pg' }),
-      { pg: connector },
-      { migrations: { skip: true } },
-    );
-
     expect((await impl1.forPlugin('plugin1')).migrations).toEqual({
       skip: false,
     });
+  });
 
+  it('plugin can skip migrations using config', async () => {
+    const connector = {
+      getClient: jest.fn(),
+      dropDatabase: jest.fn(),
+    } satisfies Connector;
+
+    const impl = new DatabaseManagerImpl(
+      new ConfigReader({
+        client: 'pg',
+        backend: {
+          database: { plugin: { plugin1: { skipMigrations: true } } },
+        },
+      }),
+      {
+        pg: connector,
+      },
+    );
+
+    expect((await impl.forPlugin('plugin1')).migrations).toEqual({
+      skip: true,
+    });
+    expect((await impl.forPlugin('plugin2')).migrations).toEqual({
+      skip: false,
+    });
+
+    const impl2 = new DatabaseManagerImpl(
+      new ConfigReader({
+        client: 'pg',
+        backend: {
+          database: {
+            skipMigrations: true,
+            plugin: { plugin1: { skipMigrations: false } },
+          },
+        },
+      }),
+      {
+        pg: connector,
+      },
+    );
     expect((await impl2.forPlugin('plugin1')).migrations).toEqual({
+      skip: false,
+    });
+    expect((await impl2.forPlugin('plugin2')).migrations).toEqual({
       skip: true,
     });
   });
diff --git a/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/database/DatabaseManager.ts b/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/database/DatabaseManager.ts
index 7e3adf17df..b3e69f0ae2 100644
--- a/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/database/DatabaseManager.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/database/DatabaseManager.ts
@@ -86,8 +86,16 @@ export class DatabaseManagerImpl implements LegacyRootDatabaseService {
       );
     }
     const getClient = () => this.getDatabase(pluginId, connector, deps);
-    const migrations = { skip: false, ...this.options?.migrations };
-    return { getClient, migrations };
+
+    const skip =
+      this.options?.migrations?.skip ??
+      this.config.getOptionalBoolean(
+        `backend.database.plugin.${pluginId}.skipMigrations`,
+      ) ??
+      this.config.getOptionalBoolean('backend.database.skipMigrations') ??
+      false;
+
+    return { getClient, migrations: { skip } };
   }
 
   /**