diff --git a/.changeset/wicked-weeks-knock.md b/.changeset/wicked-weeks-knock.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..26fdcc0508
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/wicked-weeks-knock.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-catalog': patch
+---
+
+Allow entities from `file` locations to be manually refreshed through the UI
diff --git a/plugins/catalog/src/components/AboutCard/AboutCard.test.tsx b/plugins/catalog/src/components/AboutCard/AboutCard.test.tsx
index afbed3bdc7..4ef97b3d46 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog/src/components/AboutCard/AboutCard.test.tsx
+++ b/plugins/catalog/src/components/AboutCard/AboutCard.test.tsx
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ describe('<AboutCard />', () => {
     refreshEntity: jest.fn(),
   } as any;
 
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    jest.clearAllMocks();
+  });
+
   it('renders info', async () => {
     const entity = {
       apiVersion: 'v1',
@@ -248,14 +252,16 @@ describe('<AboutCard />', () => {
     expect(getByText('View Source').closest('a')).not.toHaveAttribute('href');
   });
 
-  it('triggers a refresh', async () => {
+  it.each([
+    'url:https://backstage.io/catalog-info.yaml',
+    'file:../../catalog-info.yaml',
+  ])('triggers a refresh for %s', async location => {
     const entity = {
       apiVersion: 'v1',
       kind: 'Component',
       metadata: {
         annotations: {
-          'backstage.io/managed-by-location':
-            'url:https://backstage.io/catalog-info.yaml',
+          'backstage.io/managed-by-location': location,
         },
         name: 'software',
       },
@@ -298,7 +304,7 @@ describe('<AboutCard />', () => {
     );
   });
 
-  it('should not render refresh button if the location is not an url', async () => {
+  it('should not render refresh button if the location is not an url or file', async () => {
     const entity = {
       apiVersion: 'v1',
       kind: 'Component',
diff --git a/plugins/catalog/src/components/AboutCard/AboutCard.tsx b/plugins/catalog/src/components/AboutCard/AboutCard.tsx
index 7e44ae4efb..a6c9635db2 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog/src/components/AboutCard/AboutCard.tsx
+++ b/plugins/catalog/src/components/AboutCard/AboutCard.tsx
@@ -127,8 +127,10 @@ export function AboutCard({ variant }: AboutCardProps) {
     cardContentClass = classes.fullHeightCardContent;
   }
 
-  const isUrl =
-    entity.metadata.annotations?.[LOCATION_ANNOTATION]?.startsWith('url:');
+  const entityLocation = entity.metadata.annotations?.[LOCATION_ANNOTATION];
+  // Limiting the ability to manually refresh to the less expensive locations
+  const allowRefresh =
+    entityLocation?.startsWith('url:') || entityLocation?.startsWith('file:');
   const refreshEntity = useCallback(async () => {
     await catalogApi.refreshEntity(stringifyEntityRef(entity));
     alertApi.post({ message: 'Refresh scheduled', severity: 'info' });
@@ -140,7 +142,7 @@ export function AboutCard({ variant }: AboutCardProps) {
         title="About"
         action={
           <>
-            {isUrl && (
+            {allowRefresh && (
               <IconButton
                 aria-label="Refresh"
                 title="Schedule entity refresh"