diff --git a/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/auth/DefaultAuthService.ts b/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/auth/DefaultAuthService.ts
index 511c11ce40..189976ed7d 100644
--- a/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/auth/DefaultAuthService.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/auth/DefaultAuthService.ts
@@ -87,7 +87,6 @@ export class DefaultAuthService implements AuthService {
         userResult.userEntityRef,
         token,
         this.#getJwtExpiration(token),
-        this.pluginId,
       );
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/auth/helpers.ts b/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/auth/helpers.ts
index 2023cb9c2c..58e2bcff74 100644
--- a/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/auth/helpers.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/auth/helpers.ts
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ export function createCredentialsWithUserPrincipal(
   sub: string,
   token: string,
   expiresAt?: Date,
-  issuedBySubject?: string,
+  actor?: string,
 ): InternalBackstageCredentials<BackstageUserPrincipal> {
   return Object.defineProperty(
     {
@@ -61,8 +61,8 @@ export function createCredentialsWithUserPrincipal(
       principal: {
         type: 'user',
         userEntityRef: sub,
-        ...(issuedBySubject && {
-          issuedBy: { type: 'service', subject: issuedBySubject },
+        ...(actor && {
+          actor: { type: 'service', subject: actor },
         }),
       },
     },
diff --git a/packages/backend-plugin-api/src/services/definitions/AuthService.ts b/packages/backend-plugin-api/src/services/definitions/AuthService.ts
index 976e5ed1a5..c4e03bb4b7 100644
--- a/packages/backend-plugin-api/src/services/definitions/AuthService.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-plugin-api/src/services/definitions/AuthService.ts
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ export type BackstageUserPrincipal = {
    * of a user. It provides context about the intermediary service that
    * facilitated the authentication.
    */
-  issuedBy?: BackstageServicePrincipal;
+  actor?: BackstageServicePrincipal;
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/backend-test-utils/src/next/services/MockAuthService.ts b/packages/backend-test-utils/src/next/services/MockAuthService.ts
index b259f7d182..660ff61a57 100644
--- a/packages/backend-test-utils/src/next/services/MockAuthService.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-test-utils/src/next/services/MockAuthService.ts
@@ -73,11 +73,11 @@ export class MockAuthService implements AuthService {
     }
 
     if (token.startsWith(MOCK_USER_TOKEN_PREFIX)) {
-      const { sub: userEntityRef, issuedBy }: UserTokenPayload = JSON.parse(
+      const { sub: userEntityRef, actor }: UserTokenPayload = JSON.parse(
         token.slice(MOCK_USER_TOKEN_PREFIX.length),
       );
 
-      return mockCredentials.user(userEntityRef, { issuedBySubject: issuedBy });
+      return mockCredentials.user(userEntityRef, { actor });
     }
 
     if (token.startsWith(MOCK_USER_LIMITED_TOKEN_PREFIX)) {
diff --git a/packages/backend-test-utils/src/next/services/mockCredentials.ts b/packages/backend-test-utils/src/next/services/mockCredentials.ts
index 1f1c6263a9..99456e574b 100644
--- a/packages/backend-test-utils/src/next/services/mockCredentials.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-test-utils/src/next/services/mockCredentials.ts
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ function validateUserEntityRef(ref: string) {
  */
 export type UserTokenPayload = {
   sub?: string;
-  issuedBy?: string;
+  actor?: { subject: string };
 };
 
 /**
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ export namespace mockCredentials {
    */
   export function user(
     userEntityRef: string = DEFAULT_MOCK_USER_ENTITY_REF,
-    options?: { issuedBySubject?: string },
+    options?: { actor?: string },
   ): BackstageCredentials<BackstageUserPrincipal> {
     validateUserEntityRef(userEntityRef);
     return {
@@ -116,8 +116,8 @@ export namespace mockCredentials {
       principal: {
         type: 'user',
         userEntityRef,
-        ...(options?.issuedBySubject && {
-          issuedBy: { type: 'service', subject: options.issuedBySubject },
+        ...(options?.actor && {
+          actor: { type: 'service', subject: options.actor.subject },
         }),
       },
     };
@@ -134,14 +134,14 @@ export namespace mockCredentials {
      */
     export function token(
       userEntityRef?: string,
-      options?: { issuedBySubject?: string },
+      options?: { actor?: string },
     ): string {
       if (userEntityRef) {
         validateUserEntityRef(userEntityRef);
         return `${MOCK_USER_TOKEN_PREFIX}${JSON.stringify({
           sub: userEntityRef,
-          ...(options?.issuedBySubject && {
-            issuedBy: options.issuedBySubject,
+          ...(options?.actor && {
+            actor: options.actor,
           }),
         } satisfies UserTokenPayload)}`;
       }
diff --git a/plugins/permission-backend/src/service/router.test.ts b/plugins/permission-backend/src/service/router.test.ts
index 9d95193fed..264a19ccc3 100644
--- a/plugins/permission-backend/src/service/router.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/permission-backend/src/service/router.test.ts
@@ -596,7 +596,7 @@ describe('createRouter', () => {
         expect(mockApplyConditions).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
           'plugin-1',
           mockCredentials.user('user:default/spiderman', {
-            issuedBySubject: 'some-service',
+            actor: 'some-service',
           }),
           [
             expect.objectContaining({
@@ -611,7 +611,7 @@ describe('createRouter', () => {
         expect(mockApplyConditions).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
           'plugin-2',
           mockCredentials.user('user:default/spiderman', {
-            issuedBySubject: 'some-service',
+            actor: 'some-service',
           }),
           [
             expect.objectContaining({
@@ -729,7 +729,7 @@ describe('createRouter', () => {
 
       function userTokenIssuedByService() {
         return mockCredentials.user.token('user:default/spiderman', {
-          issuedBySubject: 'some-service',
+          actor: 'some-service',
         });
       }
     });