diff --git a/.changeset/lucky-bulldogs-own.md b/.changeset/lucky-bulldogs-own.md
index d7b657fb83..4fb27d90b4 100644
--- a/.changeset/lucky-bulldogs-own.md
+++ b/.changeset/lucky-bulldogs-own.md
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 '@backstage/plugin-catalog-react': patch
 '@backstage/plugin-explore': patch
 '@backstage/plugin-fossa': patch
+'@backstage/plugin-scaffolder': patch
 '@backstage/plugin-todo-backend': patch
 ---
 
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/EntityTypePicker/EntityTypePicker.test.tsx b/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/EntityTypePicker/EntityTypePicker.test.tsx
index 9ed27bbef8..4623cf5d9e 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/EntityTypePicker/EntityTypePicker.test.tsx
+++ b/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/EntityTypePicker/EntityTypePicker.test.tsx
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import { EntityKindFilter, EntityTypeFilter } from '../../filters';
 import { alertApiRef } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
 import { ApiProvider } from '@backstage/core-app-api';
 import { renderWithEffects, TestApiRegistry } from '@backstage/test-utils';
+import { GetEntityFacetsResponse } from '@backstage/catalog-client';
 
 const entities: Entity[] = [
   {
@@ -64,7 +65,14 @@ const apis = TestApiRegistry.from(
   [
     catalogApiRef,
     {
-      getEntities: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({ items: entities }),
+      getEntityFacets: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({
+        facets: {
+          'spec.type': entities.map(e => ({
+            value: (e.spec as any).type,
+            count: 1,
+          })),
+        },
+      } as GetEntityFacetsResponse),
     },
   ],
   [
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-react/src/hooks/useEntityTypeFilter.tsx b/plugins/catalog-react/src/hooks/useEntityTypeFilter.tsx
index c4531d9117..00f3ecd675 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-react/src/hooks/useEntityTypeFilter.tsx
+++ b/plugins/catalog-react/src/hooks/useEntityTypeFilter.tsx
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 import { useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react';
 import useAsync from 'react-use/lib/useAsync';
 import isEqual from 'lodash/isEqual';
+import sortBy from 'lodash/sortBy';
 import { useApi } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
 import { catalogApiRef } from '../api';
 import { useEntityListProvider } from './useEntityListProvider';
@@ -67,51 +68,34 @@ export function useEntityTypeFilter(): EntityTypeReturn {
   const {
     error,
     loading,
-    value: entities,
+    value: facets,
   } = useAsync(async () => {
     if (kind) {
       const items = await catalogApi
-        .getEntities({
+        .getEntityFacets({
           filter: { kind },
-          fields: ['spec.type'],
+          facets: ['spec.type'],
         })
-        .then(response => response.items);
+        .then(response => response.facets['spec.type'] || []);
       return items;
     }
     return [];
   }, [kind, catalogApi]);
 
-  const entitiesRef = useRef(entities);
+  const facetsRef = useRef(facets);
   useEffect(() => {
-    const oldEntities = entitiesRef.current;
-    entitiesRef.current = entities;
-    // Delay processing hook until kind and entity load updates have settled to generate list of types;
-    // This prevents reseting the type filter due to saved type value from query params not matching the
+    const oldFacets = facetsRef.current;
+    facetsRef.current = facets;
+    // Delay processing hook until kind and facets load updates have settled to generate list of types;
+    // This prevents resetting the type filter due to saved type value from query params not matching the
     // empty set of type values while values are still being loaded; also only run this hook on changes
-    // to entities
-    if (loading || !kind || oldEntities === entities) {
+    // to facets
+    if (loading || !kind || oldFacets === facets || !facets) {
       return;
     }
 
-    // Resolve the unique set of types from returned entities; could be optimized by a new endpoint
-    // in the catalog-backend that does this, rather than loading entities with redundant types.
-    if (!entities) return;
-
-    // Sort by entity count descending, so the most common types appear on top
-    const countByType = entities.reduce((acc, entity) => {
-      if (typeof entity.spec?.type !== 'string') return acc;
-
-      const entityType = entity.spec.type.toLocaleLowerCase('en-US');
-      if (!acc[entityType]) {
-        acc[entityType] = 0;
-      }
-      acc[entityType] += 1;
-      return acc;
-    }, {} as Record<string, number>);
-
-    const newTypes = Object.entries(countByType)
-      .sort(([, count1], [, count2]) => count2 - count1)
-      .map(([type]) => type);
+    // Sort by facet count descending, so the most common types appear on top
+    const newTypes = sortBy(facets, f => -f.count).map(f => f.value);
     setAvailableTypes(newTypes);
 
     // Update type filter to only valid values when the list of available types has changed
@@ -121,7 +105,7 @@ export function useEntityTypeFilter(): EntityTypeReturn {
     if (!isEqual(selectedTypes, stillValidTypes)) {
       setSelectedTypes(stillValidTypes);
     }
-  }, [loading, kind, selectedTypes, setSelectedTypes, entities]);
+  }, [loading, kind, selectedTypes, setSelectedTypes, facets]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     updateFilters({
diff --git a/plugins/catalog/src/components/CatalogKindHeader/CatalogKindHeader.test.tsx b/plugins/catalog/src/components/CatalogKindHeader/CatalogKindHeader.test.tsx
index b320d6d220..795d57df47 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog/src/components/CatalogKindHeader/CatalogKindHeader.test.tsx
+++ b/plugins/catalog/src/components/CatalogKindHeader/CatalogKindHeader.test.tsx
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 import React from 'react';
 import { fireEvent } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { GetEntityFacetsResponse } from '@backstage/catalog-client';
 import { Entity } from '@backstage/catalog-model';
 import {
   catalogApiRef,
@@ -60,7 +61,15 @@ const entities: Entity[] = [
 const apis = TestApiRegistry.from([
   catalogApiRef,
   {
-    getEntities: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({ items: entities }),
+    getEntityFacets: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({
+      facets: {
+        kind: [
+          { value: 'Component', count: 2 },
+          { value: 'Template', count: 1 },
+          { value: 'System', count: 1 },
+        ],
+      },
+    } as GetEntityFacetsResponse),
   },
 ]);
 
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder/src/components/TemplateTypePicker/TemplateTypePicker.test.tsx b/plugins/scaffolder/src/components/TemplateTypePicker/TemplateTypePicker.test.tsx
index c70f251eac..aa6630d4aa 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder/src/components/TemplateTypePicker/TemplateTypePicker.test.tsx
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder/src/components/TemplateTypePicker/TemplateTypePicker.test.tsx
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import { fireEvent } from '@testing-library/react';
 import { capitalize } from 'lodash';
-import { CatalogApi } from '@backstage/catalog-client';
 import { Entity } from '@backstage/catalog-model';
 import { TemplateTypePicker } from './TemplateTypePicker';
 import {
@@ -28,6 +27,7 @@ import {
 import { AlertApi, alertApiRef } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
 import { ApiProvider } from '@backstage/core-app-api';
 import { renderWithEffects, TestApiRegistry } from '@backstage/test-utils';
+import { GetEntityFacetsResponse } from '@backstage/catalog-client';
 
 const entities: Entity[] = [
   {
@@ -66,10 +66,15 @@ const apis = TestApiRegistry.from(
   [
     catalogApiRef,
     {
-      getEntities: jest
-        .fn()
-        .mockImplementation(() => Promise.resolve({ items: entities })),
-    } as unknown as CatalogApi,
+      getEntityFacets: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({
+        facets: {
+          'spec.type': entities.map(e => ({
+            value: (e.spec as any).type,
+            count: 1,
+          })),
+        },
+      } as GetEntityFacetsResponse),
+    },
   ],
   [
     alertApiRef,