diff --git a/.changeset/silent-gifts-retire.md b/.changeset/silent-gifts-retire.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3a2744cbb6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/silent-gifts-retire.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-catalog-backend': major
+---
+
+**BREAKING**: The default `catalog.orphanProviderStrategy` has been switched to `'delete'`.
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/config.d.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/config.d.ts
index 2d302b5b33..b60273af03 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/config.d.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/config.d.ts
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ export interface Config {
     /**
      * 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".
+     * "delete".
      */
     orphanProviderStrategy?: 'keep' | 'delete';
 
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/CatalogBuilder.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/CatalogBuilder.ts
index 0521f3b497..93a6a96eb0 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/CatalogBuilder.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/CatalogBuilder.ts
@@ -622,9 +622,7 @@ export class CatalogBuilder {
       enableRelationsCompatibility,
     });
 
-    if (
-      config.getOptionalString('catalog.orphanProviderStrategy') === 'delete'
-    ) {
+    if (config.getOptionalString('catalog.orphanProviderStrategy') !== 'keep') {
       await evictEntitiesFromOrphanedProviders({
         db: providerDatabase,
         providers: entityProviders,