diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/catalog/DatabaseEntitiesCatalog.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/catalog/DatabaseEntitiesCatalog.ts
index 2575411e7c..c43e1b2f05 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/catalog/DatabaseEntitiesCatalog.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/catalog/DatabaseEntitiesCatalog.ts
@@ -15,13 +15,12 @@
  */
 
 import { NotFoundError } from '@backstage/backend-common';
+import type { Entity } from '@backstage/catalog-model';
 import {
-  EntityName,
   generateUpdatedEntity,
   getEntityName,
   LOCATION_ANNOTATION,
 } from '@backstage/catalog-model';
-import type { Entity } from '@backstage/catalog-model';
 import type { Database, DbEntityResponse, EntityFilters } from '../database';
 import type { EntitiesCatalog } from './types';
 
@@ -35,20 +34,6 @@ export class DatabaseEntitiesCatalog implements EntitiesCatalog {
     return items.map(i => i.entity);
   }
 
-  async entityByUid(uid: string): Promise<Entity | undefined> {
-    const response = await this.database.transaction(tx =>
-      this.database.entityByUid(tx, uid),
-    );
-    return response?.entity;
-  }
-
-  async entityByName(name: EntityName): Promise<Entity | undefined> {
-    const response = await this.database.transaction(tx =>
-      this.database.entityByName(tx, name),
-    );
-    return response?.entity;
-  }
-
   async addOrUpdateEntity(
     entity: Entity,
     locationId?: string,
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/catalog/types.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/catalog/types.ts
index 5d84cbcebc..810d51a6c1 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/catalog/types.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/catalog/types.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import { Entity, EntityName, Location } from '@backstage/catalog-model';
+import { Entity, Location } from '@backstage/catalog-model';
 import type { EntityFilters } from '../database';
 
 //
@@ -23,8 +23,6 @@ import type { EntityFilters } from '../database';
 
 export type EntitiesCatalog = {
   entities(filters?: EntityFilters): Promise<Entity[]>;
-  entityByUid(uid: string): Promise<Entity | undefined>;
-  entityByName(name: EntityName): Promise<Entity | undefined>;
   addOrUpdateEntity(entity: Entity, locationId?: string): Promise<Entity>;
   addEntities(entities: Entity[], locationId?: string): Promise<void>;
   removeEntityByUid(uid: string): Promise<void>;
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/HigherOrderOperations.test.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/HigherOrderOperations.test.ts
index 15d9168732..81753fe6d1 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/HigherOrderOperations.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/HigherOrderOperations.test.ts
@@ -36,8 +36,6 @@ describe('HigherOrderOperations', () => {
   beforeAll(() => {
     entitiesCatalog = {
       entities: jest.fn(),
-      entityByUid: jest.fn(),
-      entityByName: jest.fn(),
       addOrUpdateEntity: jest.fn(),
       addEntities: jest.fn(),
       removeEntityByUid: jest.fn(),
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/router.test.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/router.test.ts
index ecf4b0e614..ec5c11be33 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/router.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/router.test.ts
@@ -32,8 +32,6 @@ describe('createRouter', () => {
   beforeAll(async () => {
     entitiesCatalog = {
       entities: jest.fn(),
-      entityByUid: jest.fn(),
-      entityByName: jest.fn(),
       addOrUpdateEntity: jest.fn(),
       addEntities: jest.fn(),
       removeEntityByUid: jest.fn(),
@@ -100,23 +98,27 @@ describe('createRouter', () => {
           name: 'c',
         },
       };
-      entitiesCatalog.entityByUid.mockResolvedValue(entity);
+      entitiesCatalog.entities.mockResolvedValue([entity]);
 
       const response = await request(app).get('/entities/by-uid/zzz');
 
-      expect(entitiesCatalog.entityByUid).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-      expect(entitiesCatalog.entityByUid).toHaveBeenCalledWith('zzz');
+      expect(entitiesCatalog.entities).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(entitiesCatalog.entities).toHaveBeenCalledWith([
+        { key: 'metadata.uid', values: ['zzz'] },
+      ]);
       expect(response.status).toEqual(200);
       expect(response.body).toEqual(expect.objectContaining(entity));
     });
 
     it('responds with a 404 for missing entities', async () => {
-      entitiesCatalog.entityByUid.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+      entitiesCatalog.entities.mockResolvedValue([]);
 
       const response = await request(app).get('/entities/by-uid/zzz');
 
-      expect(entitiesCatalog.entityByUid).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-      expect(entitiesCatalog.entityByUid).toHaveBeenCalledWith('zzz');
+      expect(entitiesCatalog.entities).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(entitiesCatalog.entities).toHaveBeenCalledWith([
+        { key: 'metadata.uid', values: ['zzz'] },
+      ]);
       expect(response.status).toEqual(404);
       expect(response.text).toMatch(/uid/);
     });
@@ -132,31 +134,31 @@ describe('createRouter', () => {
           namespace: 'ns',
         },
       };
-      entitiesCatalog.entityByName.mockResolvedValue(entity);
+      entitiesCatalog.entities.mockResolvedValue([entity]);
 
       const response = await request(app).get('/entities/by-name/k/ns/n');
 
-      expect(entitiesCatalog.entityByName).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-      expect(entitiesCatalog.entityByName).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
-        kind: 'k',
-        namespace: 'ns',
-        name: 'n',
-      });
+      expect(entitiesCatalog.entities).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(entitiesCatalog.entities).toHaveBeenCalledWith([
+        { key: 'kind', values: ['k'] },
+        { key: 'metadata.namespace', values: ['ns'] },
+        { key: 'metadata.name', values: ['n'] },
+      ]);
       expect(response.status).toEqual(200);
       expect(response.body).toEqual(expect.objectContaining(entity));
     });
 
     it('responds with a 404 for missing entities', async () => {
-      entitiesCatalog.entityByName.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+      entitiesCatalog.entities.mockResolvedValue([]);
 
       const response = await request(app).get('/entities/by-name/b/d/c');
 
-      expect(entitiesCatalog.entityByName).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-      expect(entitiesCatalog.entityByName).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
-        kind: 'b',
-        namespace: 'd',
-        name: 'c',
-      });
+      expect(entitiesCatalog.entities).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(entitiesCatalog.entities).toHaveBeenCalledWith([
+        { key: 'kind', values: ['b'] },
+        { key: 'metadata.namespace', values: ['d'] },
+        { key: 'metadata.name', values: ['c'] },
+      ]);
       expect(response.status).toEqual(404);
       expect(response.text).toMatch(/name/);
     });
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/router.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/router.ts
index 8da589c721..06a7ea43d3 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/router.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/router.ts
@@ -54,11 +54,13 @@ export async function createRouter(
       })
       .get('/entities/by-uid/:uid', async (req, res) => {
         const { uid } = req.params;
-        const entity = await entitiesCatalog.entityByUid(uid);
-        if (!entity) {
+        const entities = await entitiesCatalog.entities([
+          { key: 'metadata.uid', values: [uid] },
+        ]);
+        if (!entities.length) {
           res.status(404).send(`No entity with uid ${uid}`);
         }
-        res.status(200).send(entity);
+        res.status(200).send(entities[0]);
       })
       .delete('/entities/by-uid/:uid', async (req, res) => {
         const { uid } = req.params;
@@ -67,19 +69,19 @@ export async function createRouter(
       })
       .get('/entities/by-name/:kind/:namespace/:name', async (req, res) => {
         const { kind, namespace, name } = req.params;
-        const entity = await entitiesCatalog.entityByName({
-          kind,
-          namespace,
-          name,
-        });
-        if (!entity) {
+        const entities = await entitiesCatalog.entities([
+          { key: 'kind', values: [kind] },
+          { key: 'metadata.namespace', values: [namespace] },
+          { key: 'metadata.name', values: [name] },
+        ]);
+        if (!entities.length) {
           res
             .status(404)
             .send(
               `No entity with kind ${kind} namespace ${namespace} name ${name}`,
             );
         }
-        res.status(200).send(entity);
+        res.status(200).send(entities[0]);
       });
   }