diff --git a/plugins/catalog/src/components/CatalogPage/CatalogPage.tsx b/plugins/catalog/src/components/CatalogPage/CatalogPage.tsx
index 2c59b3f319..426b3f8470 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog/src/components/CatalogPage/CatalogPage.tsx
+++ b/plugins/catalog/src/components/CatalogPage/CatalogPage.tsx
@@ -64,7 +64,11 @@ const useStyles = makeStyles(theme => ({
 
 const CatalogPage: FC<{}> = () => {
   const catalogApi = useApi(catalogApiRef);
-  const { starredEntities, toggleStarredEntity } = useStarredEntities();
+  const {
+    starredEntities,
+    toggleStarredEntity,
+    isStarredEntity,
+  } = useStarredEntities();
   const [selectedFilter, setSelectedFilter] = useState<CatalogFilterItem>(
     defaultFilter,
   );
@@ -118,12 +122,11 @@ const CatalogPage: FC<{}> = () => {
       };
     },
     (rowData: Component) => {
+      const isStarred = isStarredEntity(rowData);
       return {
-        icon: starredEntities.has(rowData.metadata.name) ? Star : StarOutline,
-        toolTip: `${
-          starredEntities.has(rowData.metadata.name) ? 'Unstar' : 'Star'
-        } ${rowData.metadata.name}`,
-        onClick: () => toggleStarredEntity(rowData.metadata.name),
+        icon: isStarred ? Star : StarOutline,
+        tooltip: isStarred ? 'Remove from favorites' : 'Add to favorites',
+        onClick: () => toggleStarredEntity(rowData),
       };
     },
   ];
diff --git a/plugins/catalog/src/hooks/useStarredEntites.ts b/plugins/catalog/src/hooks/useStarredEntites.ts
index 3d1f902583..4c8751d142 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog/src/hooks/useStarredEntites.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog/src/hooks/useStarredEntites.ts
@@ -16,14 +16,21 @@
 import { useState, useEffect, useCallback } from 'react';
 import { useApi, storageApiRef } from '@backstage/core';
 import { useObservable } from 'react-use';
+import { Component } from '../data/component';
+
+const buildEntityKey = (component: Component) =>
+  `entity:${component.kind}:${component.metadata.namespace ?? 'default'}:${
+    component.metadata.name
+  }`;
 
 export const useStarredEntities = () => {
   const storageApi = useApi(storageApiRef);
   const settingsStore = storageApi.forBucket('settings');
-  const rawStarredItems = settingsStore.get<string[]>('starredEntities') ?? [];
+  const rawStarredEntityKeys =
+    settingsStore.get<string[]>('starredEntities') ?? [];
 
   const [starredEntities, setStarredEntities] = useState(
-    new Set(rawStarredItems),
+    new Set(rawStarredEntityKeys),
   );
 
   const observedItems = useObservable(
@@ -38,19 +45,30 @@ export const useStarredEntities = () => {
   }, [observedItems?.newValue]);
 
   const toggleStarredEntity = useCallback(
-    (entity: string) => {
-      if (starredEntities.has(entity)) {
-        starredEntities.delete(entity);
+    (entity: Component) => {
+      const entityKey = buildEntityKey(entity);
+      if (starredEntities.has(entityKey)) {
+        starredEntities.delete(entityKey);
       } else {
-        starredEntities.add(entity);
+        starredEntities.add(entityKey);
       }
 
       settingsStore.set('starredEntities', Array.from(starredEntities));
     },
     [starredEntities, settingsStore],
   );
+
+  const isStarredEntity = useCallback(
+    (entity: Component) => {
+      const entityKey = buildEntityKey(entity);
+      return starredEntities.has(entityKey);
+    },
+    [starredEntities],
+  );
+
   return {
     starredEntities,
     toggleStarredEntity,
+    isStarredEntity,
   };
 };
diff --git a/plugins/catalog/src/hooks/useStarredEntities.test.tsx b/plugins/catalog/src/hooks/useStarredEntities.test.tsx
index 8127d71d50..607318b45c 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog/src/hooks/useStarredEntities.test.tsx
+++ b/plugins/catalog/src/hooks/useStarredEntities.test.tsx
@@ -24,9 +24,18 @@ import {
   StorageApi,
 } from '@backstage/core';
 import { MockErrorApi } from '@backstage/test-utils';
+import { Component } from '../data/component';
 
 describe('useStarredEntities', () => {
   let mockStorage: StorageApi | undefined;
+  const mockEntity: Component = {
+    description: 'some mock description',
+    kind: 'Component',
+    name: 'mock',
+    metadata: {
+      name: 'mock',
+    },
+  };
 
   const wrapper: React.FC<{}> = ({ children }) => {
     return (