diff --git a/.changeset/chilled-terms-breathe.md b/.changeset/chilled-terms-breathe.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..654185492a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/chilled-terms-breathe.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/backend-common': patch
+---
+
+Allow a default cache TTL to be set through the app config
diff --git a/packages/backend-common/config.d.ts b/packages/backend-common/config.d.ts
index f6330d16bc..8bcc5465d5 100644
--- a/packages/backend-common/config.d.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-common/config.d.ts
@@ -149,6 +149,8 @@ export interface Config {
     cache?:
       | {
           store: 'memory';
+          /** An optional default TTL (in milliseconds). */
+          defaultTtl?: number;
         }
       | {
           store: 'redis';
@@ -157,6 +159,8 @@ export interface Config {
            * @visibility secret
            */
           connection: string;
+          /** An optional default TTL (in milliseconds). */
+          defaultTtl?: number;
         }
       | {
           store: 'memcache';
@@ -165,6 +169,8 @@ export interface Config {
            * @visibility secret
            */
           connection: string;
+          /** An optional default TTL (in milliseconds). */
+          defaultTtl?: number;
         };
 
     cors?: {
diff --git a/packages/backend-common/src/cache/CacheManager.test.ts b/packages/backend-common/src/cache/CacheManager.test.ts
index 13a4a0d599..4b7bb05efd 100644
--- a/packages/backend-common/src/cache/CacheManager.test.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-common/src/cache/CacheManager.test.ts
@@ -33,11 +33,13 @@ jest.mock('./CacheClient', () => {
   };
 });
 
+const globalDefaultTtl = 1234;
 describe('CacheManager', () => {
   const defaultConfigOptions = {
     backend: {
       cache: {
         store: 'memory',
+        defaultTtl: globalDefaultTtl,
       },
     },
   };
@@ -49,9 +51,11 @@ describe('CacheManager', () => {
     it('accesses the backend.cache key', () => {
       const getOptionalString = jest.fn();
       const getOptionalBoolean = jest.fn();
+      const getOptionalNumber = jest.fn();
       const config = defaultConfig();
       config.getOptionalString = getOptionalString;
       config.getOptionalBoolean = getOptionalBoolean;
+      config.getOptionalNumber = getOptionalNumber;
 
       CacheManager.fromConfig(config);
 
@@ -62,6 +66,9 @@ describe('CacheManager', () => {
       expect(getOptionalBoolean.mock.calls[0][0]).toEqual(
         'backend.cache.useRedisSets',
       );
+      expect(getOptionalNumber.mock.calls[0][0]).toEqual(
+        'backend.cache.defaultTtl',
+      );
     });
 
     it('does not require the backend.cache key', () => {
@@ -159,6 +166,20 @@ describe('CacheManager', () => {
       });
     });
 
+    it('returns memory client with a global defaultTtl when explicitly configured', () => {
+      const manager = CacheManager.fromConfig(defaultConfig());
+      const expectedNamespace = 'test-plugin';
+      manager.forPlugin(expectedNamespace).getClient();
+
+      const cache = Keyv as unknown as jest.Mock;
+      const mockCalls = cache.mock.calls.splice(-1);
+      const callArgs = mockCalls[0];
+      expect(callArgs[0]).toMatchObject({
+        ttl: globalDefaultTtl,
+        namespace: expectedNamespace,
+      });
+    });
+
     it('shares memory across multiple instances of the memory client', () => {
       const manager = CacheManager.fromConfig(defaultConfig());
       const plugin = 'test-plugin';
@@ -201,6 +222,32 @@ describe('CacheManager', () => {
       expect(mockMemcacheCalls[0][0]).toEqual(expectedHost);
     });
 
+    it('returns a memcache client with a global defaultTtl when configured', () => {
+      const expectedHost = '127.0.0.1:11211';
+      const manager = CacheManager.fromConfig(
+        new ConfigReader({
+          backend: {
+            cache: {
+              store: 'memcache',
+              connection: expectedHost,
+              defaultTtl: globalDefaultTtl,
+            },
+          },
+        }),
+      );
+      manager.forPlugin('test').getClient();
+
+      const cache = Keyv as unknown as jest.Mock;
+      const mockCacheCalls = cache.mock.calls.splice(-1);
+      expect(mockCacheCalls[0][0]).toMatchObject({
+        ttl: globalDefaultTtl,
+      });
+      expect(mockCacheCalls[0][0].store).toBeInstanceOf(KeyvMemcache);
+      const memcache = KeyvMemcache as unknown as jest.Mock;
+      const mockMemcacheCalls = memcache.mock.calls.splice(-1);
+      expect(mockMemcacheCalls[0][0]).toEqual(expectedHost);
+    });
+
     it('returns a Redis client when configured', () => {
       const redisConnection = 'redis://127.0.0.1:6379';
       const manager = CacheManager.fromConfig(
@@ -227,6 +274,32 @@ describe('CacheManager', () => {
       expect(mockRedisCalls[0][0]).toEqual(redisConnection);
     });
 
+    it('returns a Redis client with a global defaultTtl when configured', () => {
+      const redisConnection = 'redis://127.0.0.1:6379';
+      const manager = CacheManager.fromConfig(
+        new ConfigReader({
+          backend: {
+            cache: {
+              store: 'redis',
+              connection: redisConnection,
+              defaultTtl: globalDefaultTtl,
+            },
+          },
+        }),
+      );
+      manager.forPlugin('test').getClient();
+
+      const cache = Keyv as unknown as jest.Mock;
+      const mockCacheCalls = cache.mock.calls.splice(-1);
+      expect(mockCacheCalls[0][0]).toMatchObject({
+        ttl: globalDefaultTtl,
+      });
+      expect(mockCacheCalls[0][0].store).toBeInstanceOf(KeyvRedis);
+      const redis = KeyvRedis as unknown as jest.Mock;
+      const mockRedisCalls = redis.mock.calls.splice(-1);
+      expect(mockRedisCalls[0][0]).toEqual(redisConnection);
+    });
+
     it('returns a Redis client when configured with useRedisSets flag', () => {
       const redisConnection = 'redis://127.0.0.1:6379';
       const useRedisSets = false;
diff --git a/packages/backend-common/src/cache/CacheManager.ts b/packages/backend-common/src/cache/CacheManager.ts
index efaaf04e3a..c7298ab3e9 100644
--- a/packages/backend-common/src/cache/CacheManager.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-common/src/cache/CacheManager.ts
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ export class CacheManager {
   private readonly connection: string;
   private readonly useRedisSets: boolean;
   private readonly errorHandler: CacheManagerOptions['onError'];
+  private readonly defaultTtl?: number;
 
   /**
    * Creates a new {@link CacheManager} instance by reading from the `backend`
@@ -71,6 +72,7 @@ export class CacheManager {
     // If no `backend.cache` config is provided, instantiate the CacheManager
     // with an in-memory cache client.
     const store = config.getOptionalString('backend.cache.store') || 'memory';
+    const defaultTtl = config.getOptionalNumber('backend.cache.defaultTtl');
     const connectionString =
       config.getOptionalString('backend.cache.connection') || '';
     const useRedisSets =
@@ -84,6 +86,7 @@ export class CacheManager {
       useRedisSets,
       logger,
       options.onError,
+      defaultTtl,
     );
   }
 
@@ -93,6 +96,7 @@ export class CacheManager {
     useRedisSets: boolean,
     logger: LoggerService,
     errorHandler: CacheManagerOptions['onError'],
+    defaultTtl?: number,
   ) {
     if (!this.storeFactories.hasOwnProperty(store)) {
       throw new Error(`Unknown cache store: ${store}`);
@@ -102,6 +106,7 @@ export class CacheManager {
     this.connection = connectionString;
     this.useRedisSets = useRedisSets;
     this.errorHandler = errorHandler;
+    this.defaultTtl = defaultTtl;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -116,7 +121,7 @@ export class CacheManager {
         const clientFactory = (options: CacheServiceOptions) => {
           const concreteClient = this.getClientWithTtl(
             pluginId,
-            options.defaultTtl,
+            options.defaultTtl ?? this.defaultTtl,
           );
 
           // Always provide an error handler to avoid stopping the process.