diff --git a/.changeset/rich-mayflies-do.md b/.changeset/rich-mayflies-do.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d68e00c0aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/rich-mayflies-do.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-kubernetes-backend': patch
+---
+
+Fixes bug reading ExternalId from k8s backend config
diff --git a/plugins/kubernetes-backend/src/cluster-locator/ConfigClusterLocator.ts b/plugins/kubernetes-backend/src/cluster-locator/ConfigClusterLocator.ts
index 2899445b2a..8352db6754 100644
--- a/plugins/kubernetes-backend/src/cluster-locator/ConfigClusterLocator.ts
+++ b/plugins/kubernetes-backend/src/cluster-locator/ConfigClusterLocator.ts
@@ -44,7 +44,9 @@ export class ConfigClusterLocator implements KubernetesClustersSupplier {
           }
           case 'aws': {
             const assumeRole = c.getOptionalString('assumeRole');
-            return { assumeRole, ...clusterDetails };
+            const externalId = c.getOptionalString('externalId');
+
+            return { assumeRole, externalId, ...clusterDetails };
           }
           case 'serviceAccount': {
             return clusterDetails;