diff --git a/.changeset/blue-feet-poke.md b/.changeset/blue-feet-poke.md
index 3be886c687..1a9e32a11a 100644
--- a/.changeset/blue-feet-poke.md
+++ b/.changeset/blue-feet-poke.md
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-'@backstage/plugin-kubernetes-backend': minor
+'@backstage/plugin-kubernetes-backend': patch
 ---
 
 Support assume role on kubernetes api configuration for AWS.
diff --git a/plugins/kubernetes-backend/api-report.md b/plugins/kubernetes-backend/api-report.md
index 0de29bd2f5..9f35fda79f 100644
--- a/plugins/kubernetes-backend/api-report.md
+++ b/plugins/kubernetes-backend/api-report.md
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import { KubernetesFetchError } from '@backstage/plugin-kubernetes-common';
 import { KubernetesRequestBody } from '@backstage/plugin-kubernetes-common';
 import { Logger as Logger_2 } from 'winston';
 
-// Warning: (ae-missing-release-tag) "ClusterDetails" is exported by the package, but it is missing a release tag (@alpha, @beta, @public, or @internal)
+// Warning: (ae-missing-release-tag) "AWSClusterDetails" is exported by the package, but it is missing a release tag (@alpha, @beta, @public, or @internal)
 //
 // @public (undocumented)
 export interface AWSClusterDetails extends ClusterDetails {
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ export interface AWSClusterDetails extends ClusterDetails {
   assumeRole?: string;
 }
 
+// Warning: (ae-missing-release-tag) "ClusterDetails" is exported by the package, but it is missing a release tag (@alpha, @beta, @public, or @internal)
+//
 // @public (undocumented)
 export interface ClusterDetails {
   // (undocumented)
@@ -59,11 +61,13 @@ export interface FetchResponseWrapper {
   responses: FetchResponse[];
 }
 
-// Warning: (ae-missing-release-tag) "KubernetesClustersSupplier" is exported by the package, but it is missing a release tag (@alpha, @beta, @public, or @internal)
+// Warning: (ae-missing-release-tag) "GKEClusterDetails" is exported by the package, but it is missing a release tag (@alpha, @beta, @public, or @internal)
 //
 // @public (undocumented)
 export interface GKEClusterDetails extends ClusterDetails {}
 
+// Warning: (ae-missing-release-tag) "KubernetesClustersSupplier" is exported by the package, but it is missing a release tag (@alpha, @beta, @public, or @internal)
+//
 // @public (undocumented)
 export interface KubernetesClustersSupplier {
   // (undocumented)
@@ -142,11 +146,13 @@ export interface RouterOptions {
   logger: Logger_2;
 }
 
-// Warning: (ae-missing-release-tag) "ServiceLocatorMethod" is exported by the package, but it is missing a release tag (@alpha, @beta, @public, or @internal)
+// Warning: (ae-missing-release-tag) "ServiceAccountClusterDetails" is exported by the package, but it is missing a release tag (@alpha, @beta, @public, or @internal)
 //
 // @public (undocumented)
 export interface ServiceAccountClusterDetails extends ClusterDetails {}
 
+// Warning: (ae-missing-release-tag) "ServiceLocatorMethod" is exported by the package, but it is missing a release tag (@alpha, @beta, @public, or @internal)
+//
 // @public (undocumented)
 export type ServiceLocatorMethod = 'multiTenant' | 'http';
 
diff --git a/plugins/kubernetes-backend/src/kubernetes-auth-translator/AwsIamKubernetesAuthTranslator.test.ts b/plugins/kubernetes-backend/src/kubernetes-auth-translator/AwsIamKubernetesAuthTranslator.test.ts
index d5179fc07a..9060ce9239 100644
--- a/plugins/kubernetes-backend/src/kubernetes-auth-translator/AwsIamKubernetesAuthTranslator.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/kubernetes-backend/src/kubernetes-auth-translator/AwsIamKubernetesAuthTranslator.test.ts
@@ -19,16 +19,23 @@ import { AwsIamKubernetesAuthTranslator } from './AwsIamKubernetesAuthTranslator
 import { get, def } from 'bdd-lazy-var';
 
 describe('AwsIamKubernetesAuthTranslator tests', () => {
-  let valid: boolean = true;
   let role: any = undefined;
-  let response: any = {
+  const credentials: any = {
+    accessKeyId: 'bloop',
+    secretAccessKey: 'omg-so-secret',
+    sessionToken: 'token',
+  };
+
+  let assumeResponse: any = {
     Credentials: {
-      AccessKeyId: 'bloop',
-      SecretAccessKey: 'omg-so-secret',
-      SessionToken: 'token',
+      AccessKeyId: credentials.accessKeyId,
+      SecretAccessKey: credentials.secretAccessKey,
+      SessionToken: credentials.sessionToken,
     },
   };
 
+  let credentialsResponse: any = new AWS.Credentials(credentials);
+
   AWSMock.setSDKInstance(AWS);
 
   beforeEach(() => {
@@ -41,13 +48,15 @@ describe('AwsIamKubernetesAuthTranslator tests', () => {
 
   def('subject', () => {
     AWSMock.mock('STS', 'assumeRole', (_params: any, callback: Function) => {
-      callback(null, response);
+      callback(null, assumeResponse);
     });
 
     const authTranslator = new AwsIamKubernetesAuthTranslator();
+
     jest
-      .spyOn(authTranslator, 'validCredentials')
-      .mockImplementation(() => valid);
+      .spyOn(authTranslator, 'awsGetCredentials')
+      .mockImplementation(async () => credentialsResponse);
+
     return authTranslator.decorateClusterDetailsWithAuth({
       assumeRole: role,
       name: 'test-cluster',
@@ -86,16 +95,25 @@ describe('AwsIamKubernetesAuthTranslator tests', () => {
 
     describe('When the role is invalid', () => {
       it('returns the original AWS credentials', async () => {
-        response = undefined;
-
+        assumeResponse = undefined;
         await expect(get('subject')).rejects.toThrow(/Unable to assume role:/);
       });
     });
   });
 
-  it('throws when unable to get aws credentials', async () => {
-    valid = false;
-    AWS.config.credentials = undefined;
-    await expect(get('subject')).rejects.toThrow('No AWS credentials found');
+  describe('When no creds are returned from AWS', () => {
+    it('throws unable to get aws credentials', async () => {
+      credentialsResponse = new Error();
+      await expect(get('subject')).rejects.toThrow('No AWS credentials found.');
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('When invalid creds are returned from AWS', () => {
+    it('throws credentials are invalid to get aws credentials', async () => {
+      credentialsResponse = new AWS.Credentials(credentialsResponse);
+      await expect(get('subject')).rejects.toThrow(
+        'Invalid AWS credentials found.',
+      );
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/plugins/kubernetes-backend/src/kubernetes-auth-translator/AwsIamKubernetesAuthTranslator.ts b/plugins/kubernetes-backend/src/kubernetes-auth-translator/AwsIamKubernetesAuthTranslator.ts
index e9004818a2..c15022d504 100644
--- a/plugins/kubernetes-backend/src/kubernetes-auth-translator/AwsIamKubernetesAuthTranslator.ts
+++ b/plugins/kubernetes-backend/src/kubernetes-auth-translator/AwsIamKubernetesAuthTranslator.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
  * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
  * limitations under the License.
  */
-import AWS from 'aws-sdk';
+import AWS, { Credentials } from 'aws-sdk';
 import { sign } from 'aws4';
 import { AWSClusterDetails } from '../types/types';
 import { KubernetesAuthTranslator } from './types';
@@ -38,29 +38,43 @@ type SigningCreds = {
 export class AwsIamKubernetesAuthTranslator
   implements KubernetesAuthTranslator {
   validCredentials(creds: SigningCreds): boolean {
-    if (!creds.accessKeyId || !creds.secretAccessKey || !creds.sessionToken) {
+    if (
+      !creds?.accessKeyId ||
+      !creds?.secretAccessKey ||
+      !creds?.sessionToken
+    ) {
       return false;
     }
     return true;
   }
 
+  awsGetCredentials = async (): Promise<Credentials> => {
+    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+      AWS.config.getCredentials(err => {
+        if (err) {
+          return reject(err);
+        }
+
+        return resolve(AWS.config.credentials as Credentials);
+      });
+    });
+  };
+
   async getCredentials(assumeRole: string | undefined): Promise<SigningCreds> {
     return new Promise<SigningCreds>(async (resolve, reject) => {
-      await AWS.config.getCredentials(err => {
-        if (err) {
-          console.error('Unable to load aws config.');
-          reject(err);
-        }
-      });
+      const awsCreds = await this.awsGetCredentials();
+
+      if (!(awsCreds instanceof Credentials))
+        return reject(Error('No AWS credentials found.'));
 
       let creds: SigningCreds = {
-        accessKeyId: AWS.config.credentials?.accessKeyId,
-        secretAccessKey: AWS.config.credentials?.secretAccessKey,
-        sessionToken: AWS.config.credentials?.sessionToken,
+        accessKeyId: awsCreds.accessKeyId,
+        secretAccessKey: awsCreds.secretAccessKey,
+        sessionToken: awsCreds.sessionToken,
       };
 
       if (!this.validCredentials(creds))
-        return reject(Error('No AWS credentials found.'));
+        return reject(Error('Invalid AWS credentials found.'));
       if (!assumeRole) return resolve(creds);
 
       try {