diff --git a/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/UserListPicker/UserListPicker.test.tsx b/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/UserListPicker/UserListPicker.test.tsx
index d7572c2ac3..ad56681d6c 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/UserListPicker/UserListPicker.test.tsx
+++ b/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/UserListPicker/UserListPicker.test.tsx
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ describe('<UserListPicker />', () => {
   afterEach(() => {
     jest.resetAllMocks();
   });
+
   it('renders filter groups', async () => {
     render(
       <ApiProvider apis={apis}>
@@ -357,7 +358,7 @@ describe('<UserListPicker />', () => {
   });
 
   describe('filter resetting', () => {
-    let updateFilters: jest.Mock;
+    const updateFilters = jest.fn();
 
     const Picker = ({ ...props }: UserListPickerProps) => (
       <ApiProvider apis={apis}>
@@ -372,15 +373,9 @@ describe('<UserListPicker />', () => {
       </ApiProvider>
     );
 
-    beforeEach(() => {
-      updateFilters = jest.fn();
-    });
-
     describe(`when there are no owned entities matching the filter`, () => {
       it('does not reset the filter while entities are loading', async () => {
-        mockCatalogApi.queryEntities?.mockImplementation(
-          () => new Promise(() => {}),
-        );
+        mockCatalogApi.queryEntities?.mockReturnValue(new Promise(() => {}));
 
         render(<Picker initialFilter="owned" />);
 
@@ -388,7 +383,7 @@ describe('<UserListPicker />', () => {
           expect(mockCatalogApi.queryEntities).toHaveBeenCalled(),
         );
 
-        await expect(
+        await expect(() =>
           waitFor(() => expect(updateFilters).toHaveBeenCalled()),
         ).rejects.toThrow();
       });
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/UserListPicker/useAllEntitiesCount.test.tsx b/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/UserListPicker/useAllEntitiesCount.test.tsx
index fc2c0e65bd..dc3bc5d2bd 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/UserListPicker/useAllEntitiesCount.test.tsx
+++ b/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/UserListPicker/useAllEntitiesCount.test.tsx
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 import React, { PropsWithChildren } from 'react';
 import { CatalogApi } from '@backstage/catalog-client';
 import { useAllEntitiesCount } from './useAllEntitiesCount';
-import { renderHook } from '@testing-library/react-hooks';
+import { renderHook, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
 import { EntityListProvider, useEntityList } from '../../hooks';
 import { catalogApiRef } from '../../api';
 import { ApiRef } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ describe('useAllEntitiesCount', () => {
       return <>{props.children}</>;
     }
 
-    const { result, waitFor } = renderHook(() => useAllEntitiesCount(), {
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => useAllEntitiesCount(), {
       wrapper: ({ children }) => (
         <MemoryRouter>
           <EntityListProvider>
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ describe('useAllEntitiesCount', () => {
       pageInfo: {},
     });
 
-    const { result, waitFor } = renderHook(() => useAllEntitiesCount(), {
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => useAllEntitiesCount(), {
       wrapper: ({ children }) => (
         <MemoryRouter>
           <EntityListProvider>{children}</EntityListProvider>
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/UserListPicker/useOwnedEntitiesCount.test.tsx b/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/UserListPicker/useOwnedEntitiesCount.test.tsx
index 4ce3503394..1f6fbfd53d 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/UserListPicker/useOwnedEntitiesCount.test.tsx
+++ b/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/UserListPicker/useOwnedEntitiesCount.test.tsx
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
  */
 import React, { PropsWithChildren } from 'react';
 import { CatalogApi } from '@backstage/catalog-client';
-import { renderHook } from '@testing-library/react-hooks';
+import { renderHook, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
 import {
   DefaultEntityFilters,
   EntityListProvider,
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ describe('useOwnedEntitiesCount', () => {
       pageInfo: {},
     });
 
-    const { result, waitFor } = renderHook(() => useOwnedEntitiesCount(), {
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => useOwnedEntitiesCount(), {
       wrapper: createWrapperWithInitialFilters({}),
     });
 
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ describe('useOwnedEntitiesCount', () => {
       pageInfo: {},
     });
 
-    const { result, waitFor } = renderHook(() => useOwnedEntitiesCount(), {
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => useOwnedEntitiesCount(), {
       wrapper: createWrapperWithInitialFilters({
         namespace: new EntityNamespaceFilter(['a-namespace']),
       }),
@@ -139,14 +139,14 @@ describe('useOwnedEntitiesCount', () => {
     });
   });
 
-  it(`should return count 0 without invoking queryEntities if owners filter doesn't have claims on common with logged in user`, async () => {
+  it(`should return count 0 without invoking queryEntities if owners filter doesn't have claims in common with logged in user`, async () => {
     mockQueryEntities.mockResolvedValue({
       items: [],
       totalItems: 10,
       pageInfo: {},
     });
 
-    const { result, waitFor } = renderHook(() => useOwnedEntitiesCount(), {
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => useOwnedEntitiesCount(), {
       wrapper: createWrapperWithInitialFilters({
         namespace: new EntityNamespaceFilter(['a-namespace']),
         owners: new EntityOwnerFilter(['group:default/monsters']),
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ describe('useOwnedEntitiesCount', () => {
       pageInfo: {},
     });
 
-    const { result, waitFor } = renderHook(() => useOwnedEntitiesCount(), {
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => useOwnedEntitiesCount(), {
       wrapper: createWrapperWithInitialFilters({
         namespace: new EntityNamespaceFilter(['a-namespace']),
         owners: new EntityOwnerFilter([
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/UserListPicker/useOwnedEntitiesCount.ts b/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/UserListPicker/useOwnedEntitiesCount.ts
index d86610d9ae..1adab49361 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/UserListPicker/useOwnedEntitiesCount.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/UserListPicker/useOwnedEntitiesCount.ts
@@ -17,12 +17,13 @@
 import { QueryEntitiesInitialRequest } from '@backstage/catalog-client';
 import { identityApiRef, useApi } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
 import { compact, intersection, isEqual } from 'lodash';
-import { useMemo, useRef } from 'react';
+import { useEffect, useMemo, useRef } from 'react';
 import useAsync from 'react-use/lib/useAsync';
 import { catalogApiRef } from '../../api';
 import { EntityOwnerFilter, EntityUserFilter } from '../../filters';
 import { useEntityList } from '../../hooks';
 import { reduceCatalogFilters } from '../../utils';
+import useAsyncFn from 'react-use/lib/useAsyncFn';
 
 export function useOwnedEntitiesCount() {
   const identityApi = useApi(identityApiRef);
@@ -71,14 +72,33 @@ export function useOwnedEntitiesCount() {
     return newRequest;
   }, [filters, ownershipEntityRefs]);
 
-  const { value: count, loading: loadingEntityOwnership } =
-    useAsync(async () => {
-      if (!request) {
-        return 0;
+  const [{ value: count, loading: loadingEntityOwnership }, fetchEntities] =
+    useAsyncFn(
+      async (
+        req: QueryEntitiesInitialRequest | undefined,
+        ownershipEntityRefsParam: string[],
+      ) => {
+        if (ownershipEntityRefsParam && !req) {
+          // this implicitly means that there aren't claims in common with
+          // the logged in users, so avoid invoking the queryEntities endpoint
+          // which will implicitly returns 0
+          return 0;
+        }
+        const { totalItems } = await catalogApi.queryEntities(req);
+        return totalItems;
+      },
+      [],
+      { loading: true },
+    );
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (ownershipEntityRefs) {
+      if (request && Object.keys(request).length === 0) {
+        return;
       }
-      const { totalItems } = await catalogApi.queryEntities(request);
-      return totalItems;
-    }, [request]);
+      fetchEntities(request, ownershipEntityRefs);
+    }
+  }, [fetchEntities, request, ownershipEntityRefs]);
 
   const loading = loadingEntityRefs || loadingEntityOwnership;
   const filter = useMemo(
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/UserListPicker/useStarredEntitiesCount.test.tsx b/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/UserListPicker/useStarredEntitiesCount.test.tsx
index 1a02f3996b..5fe648e1bc 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/UserListPicker/useStarredEntitiesCount.test.tsx
+++ b/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/UserListPicker/useStarredEntitiesCount.test.tsx
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import { catalogApiRef } from '../../api';
 import { ApiRef } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
 import { MemoryRouter } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { useStarredEntitiesCount } from './useStarredEntitiesCount';
-import { renderHook } from '@testing-library/react-hooks';
+import { renderHook, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
 
 const mockQueryEntities: jest.MockedFn<CatalogApi['queryEntities']> = jest.fn();
 const mockCatalogApi: jest.Mocked<Partial<CatalogApi>> = {
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ describe('useStarredEntitiesCount', () => {
       pageInfo: {},
     });
 
-    const { result, waitFor } = renderHook(() => useStarredEntitiesCount(), {
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => useStarredEntitiesCount(), {
       wrapper: ({ children }) => (
         <MemoryRouter>
           <EntityListProvider>{children}</EntityListProvider>
@@ -83,28 +83,31 @@ describe('useStarredEntitiesCount', () => {
       ),
     });
 
-    await waitFor(() =>
+    await waitFor(() => {
       expect(mockQueryEntities).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
         filter: {
           'metadata.name': ['favourite1', 'favourite2'],
         },
         limit: 1000,
-      }),
-    );
-    expect(result.current).toEqual({
-      count: 2,
-      loading: false,
-      filter: {
-        refs: ['component:default/favourite1', 'component:default/favourite2'],
-        value: 'starred',
-      },
+      });
+      expect(result.current).toEqual({
+        count: 2,
+        loading: false,
+        filter: {
+          refs: [
+            'component:default/favourite1',
+            'component:default/favourite2',
+          ],
+          value: 'starred',
+        },
+      });
     });
   });
 
   it(`shouldn't invoke the endpoint if there are no starred entities`, async () => {
     mockStarredEntities.mockReturnValue(new Set());
 
-    const { result, waitFor } = renderHook(() => useStarredEntitiesCount(), {
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => useStarredEntitiesCount(), {
       wrapper: ({ children }) => (
         <MemoryRouter>
           <EntityListProvider>{children}</EntityListProvider>
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-react/src/hooks/useStarredEntities.test.tsx b/plugins/catalog-react/src/hooks/useStarredEntities.test.tsx
index e3010a0f4a..07738fd3d9 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-react/src/hooks/useStarredEntities.test.tsx
+++ b/plugins/catalog-react/src/hooks/useStarredEntities.test.tsx
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@
 
 import { Entity } from '@backstage/catalog-model';
 import { TestApiProvider } from '@backstage/test-utils';
-import { act, renderHook, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { act, renderHook } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
 import React, { PropsWithChildren } from 'react';
 import {
   starredEntitiesApiRef,
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-react/src/hooks/useStarredEntity.test.tsx b/plugins/catalog-react/src/hooks/useStarredEntity.test.tsx
index e64a9bbdf8..44a4c7aaa3 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-react/src/hooks/useStarredEntity.test.tsx
+++ b/plugins/catalog-react/src/hooks/useStarredEntity.test.tsx
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@
 
 import { Entity, CompoundEntityRef } from '@backstage/catalog-model';
 import { TestApiProvider } from '@backstage/test-utils';
-import { renderHook, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { renderHook } from '@testing-library/react';
 import React, { PropsWithChildren } from 'react';
 import Observable from 'zen-observable';
 import { StarredEntitiesApi, starredEntitiesApiRef } from '../apis';