diff --git a/.changeset/sour-papayas-wink.md b/.changeset/sour-papayas-wink.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..30d5110fff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/sour-papayas-wink.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/catalog-model': minor
+---
+
+Deprecate target field and make targetRef required in common.schema.json
diff --git a/.github/vale/Vocab/Backstage/accept.txt b/.github/vale/Vocab/Backstage/accept.txt
index 68fbdabb00..e9fc74b874 100644
--- a/.github/vale/Vocab/Backstage/accept.txt
+++ b/.github/vale/Vocab/Backstage/accept.txt
@@ -364,6 +364,7 @@ SVGs
 talkdesk
 Talkdesk
 Tanzu
+targetRef
 tasklist
 techdocs
 Telenor
diff --git a/packages/catalog-model/src/schema/shared/common.schema.json b/packages/catalog-model/src/schema/shared/common.schema.json
index 5a5eb97bb7..7468bd9d70 100644
--- a/packages/catalog-model/src/schema/shared/common.schema.json
+++ b/packages/catalog-model/src/schema/shared/common.schema.json
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
       "$id": "#relation",
       "type": "object",
       "description": "A directed relation from one entity to another.",
-      "required": ["type", "target"],
+      "required": ["type", "target", "targetRef"],
       "additionalProperties": false,
       "properties": {
         "type": {
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@
           "description": "The type of relation."
         },
         "target": {
-          "$ref": "#reference"
+          "$ref": "#reference",
+          "deprecated": true
         },
         "targetRef": {
           "type": "string",
diff --git a/packages/catalog-model/src/validation/entityKindSchemaValidator.test.ts b/packages/catalog-model/src/validation/entityKindSchemaValidator.test.ts
index ee8f39b140..14cfcbe50a 100644
--- a/packages/catalog-model/src/validation/entityKindSchemaValidator.test.ts
+++ b/packages/catalog-model/src/validation/entityKindSchemaValidator.test.ts
@@ -51,7 +51,11 @@ describe('entityKindSchemaValidator', () => {
         owner: 'me',
       },
       relations: [
-        { type: 't', target: { kind: 'k', namespace: 'ns', name: 'n' } },
+        {
+          type: 't',
+          targetRef: 'someTargetRef',
+          target: { kind: 'k', namespace: 'ns', name: 'n' },
+        },
       ],
       status: {
         items: [
diff --git a/packages/catalog-model/src/validation/entitySchemaValidator.test.ts b/packages/catalog-model/src/validation/entitySchemaValidator.test.ts
index 12f890d9db..bc31c5d800 100644
--- a/packages/catalog-model/src/validation/entitySchemaValidator.test.ts
+++ b/packages/catalog-model/src/validation/entitySchemaValidator.test.ts
@@ -52,7 +52,11 @@ describe('entitySchemaValidator', () => {
         owner: 'me',
       },
       relations: [
-        { type: 't', target: { kind: 'k', namespace: 'ns', name: 'n' } },
+        {
+          type: 't',
+          targetRef: 'someTargetRef',
+          target: { kind: 'k', namespace: 'ns', name: 'n' },
+        },
       ],
       status: {
         items: [
@@ -361,11 +365,16 @@ describe('entitySchemaValidator', () => {
     expect(() => validator(entity)).toThrow(/relations/);
   });
 
-  it('rejects missing relations.target', () => {
+  it('does reject missing relations.target', () => {
     delete entity.relations[0].target;
     expect(() => validator(entity)).toThrow(/relations/);
   });
 
+  it('does reject missing relations.targetRef', () => {
+    delete entity.relations[0].targetRef;
+    expect(() => validator(entity)).toThrow(/relations/);
+  });
+
   it('rejects empty relations.target', () => {
     entity.relations[0].target = '';
     expect(() => validator(entity)).toThrow(/relations/);