diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/providers/DefaultLocationStore.test.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/providers/DefaultLocationStore.test.ts
index 2f68723f37..b11687e33f 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/providers/DefaultLocationStore.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/providers/DefaultLocationStore.test.ts
@@ -154,10 +154,8 @@ describe('DefaultLocationStore', () => {
                   type: 'url',
                 },
               }),
-              locationKey: computeLocationEntityRef(
-                'url',
-                'https://github.com/backstage/demo/blob/master/catalog-info.yml',
-              ),
+              locationKey:
+                'url:https://github.com/backstage/demo/blob/master/catalog-info.yml',
             },
           ]),
         });
@@ -265,10 +263,8 @@ describe('DefaultLocationStore', () => {
                   type: 'url',
                 },
               }),
-              locationKey: computeLocationEntityRef(
-                'url',
-                'https://github.com/backstage/demo/blob/master/catalog-info.yml',
-              ),
+              locationKey:
+                'url:https://github.com/backstage/demo/blob/master/catalog-info.yml',
             },
           ],
         });
@@ -345,9 +341,7 @@ describe('DefaultLocationStore', () => {
               entity: expect.objectContaining({
                 spec: { type: 'url', target: 'https://example.com/new' },
               }),
-              // locationKey is the stable entityRef from when the location was
-              // originally created, not derived from the new type:target
-              locationKey: created.entityRef,
+              locationKey: 'url:https://example.com/new',
             },
           ],
         });
@@ -473,7 +467,7 @@ describe('DefaultLocationStore', () => {
                     type: 'url',
                   },
                 }),
-                locationKey: computeLocationEntityRef('url', matchTarget),
+                locationKey: `url:${matchTarget}`,
               },
             ],
             removed: [],
@@ -488,7 +482,7 @@ describe('DefaultLocationStore', () => {
                     type: 'url',
                   },
                 }),
-                locationKey: computeLocationEntityRef('url', otherTarget),
+                locationKey: `url:${otherTarget}`,
               },
             ],
             removed: [],
@@ -590,7 +584,7 @@ describe('DefaultLocationStore', () => {
                     type: 'url',
                   },
                 }),
-                locationKey: computeLocationEntityRef('url', matchTarget),
+                locationKey: `url:${matchTarget}`,
               },
             ],
             removed: [],
@@ -605,7 +599,7 @@ describe('DefaultLocationStore', () => {
                     type: 'url',
                   },
                 }),
-                locationKey: computeLocationEntityRef('url', otherTarget),
+                locationKey: `url:${otherTarget}`,
               },
             ],
             removed: [],
@@ -657,10 +651,7 @@ describe('DefaultLocationStore', () => {
                     type: 'url',
                   },
                 }),
-                locationKey: computeLocationEntityRef(
-                  'url',
-                  'https://github.com/backstage/freben/blob/master/catalog-info.yaml',
-                ),
+                locationKey: `url:https://github.com/backstage/freben/blob/master/catalog-info.yaml`,
               },
             ],
             removed: [],
@@ -732,7 +723,7 @@ describe('DefaultLocationStore', () => {
                     type: 'url',
                   },
                 }),
-                locationKey: computeLocationEntityRef('url', matchTarget),
+                locationKey: `url:${matchTarget}`,
               },
             ],
             removed: [],
@@ -747,7 +738,7 @@ describe('DefaultLocationStore', () => {
                     type: 'url',
                   },
                 }),
-                locationKey: computeLocationEntityRef('url', otherTarget),
+                locationKey: `url:${otherTarget}`,
               },
             ],
             removed: [],
@@ -849,7 +840,7 @@ describe('DefaultLocationStore', () => {
                     type: 'url',
                   },
                 }),
-                locationKey: computeLocationEntityRef('url', matchTarget),
+                locationKey: `url:${matchTarget}`,
               },
             ],
             removed: [],
@@ -864,7 +855,7 @@ describe('DefaultLocationStore', () => {
                     type: 'url',
                   },
                 }),
-                locationKey: computeLocationEntityRef('url', otherTarget),
+                locationKey: `url:${otherTarget}`,
               },
             ],
             removed: [],
@@ -915,10 +906,7 @@ describe('DefaultLocationStore', () => {
                     type: 'url',
                   },
                 }),
-                locationKey: computeLocationEntityRef(
-                  'url',
-                  'https://github.com/freben/demo-renamed/blob/master/folder/catalog-info.yaml',
-                ),
+                locationKey: `url:https://github.com/freben/demo-renamed/blob/master/folder/catalog-info.yaml`,
               },
             ],
             removed: [],
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/providers/DefaultLocationStore.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/providers/DefaultLocationStore.ts
index 9e8d0341d1..519835439f 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/providers/DefaultLocationStore.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/providers/DefaultLocationStore.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import {
   DbRefreshStateRow,
   DbSearchRow,
 } from '../database/tables';
+import { getEntityLocationRef } from '../processing/util';
 import {
   EntityProvider,
   EntityProviderConnection,
@@ -116,7 +117,7 @@ export class DefaultLocationStore implements LocationStore, EntityProvider {
     });
     await this.connection.applyMutation({
       type: 'delta',
-      added: [{ entity, locationKey: location.location_entity_ref }],
+      added: [{ entity, locationKey: getEntityLocationRef(entity) }],
       removed: [],
     });
 
@@ -266,7 +267,7 @@ export class DefaultLocationStore implements LocationStore, EntityProvider {
 
     await this.connection.applyMutation({
       type: 'delta',
-      added: [{ entity, locationKey: row.location_entity_ref }],
+      added: [{ entity, locationKey: getEntityLocationRef(entity) }],
       removed: [],
     });
 
@@ -302,7 +303,7 @@ export class DefaultLocationStore implements LocationStore, EntityProvider {
     await this.connection.applyMutation({
       type: 'delta',
       added: [],
-      removed: [{ entity, locationKey: deleted.location_entity_ref }],
+      removed: [{ entity, locationKey: getEntityLocationRef(entity) }],
     });
   }
 
@@ -368,7 +369,7 @@ export class DefaultLocationStore implements LocationStore, EntityProvider {
         location,
         locationEntityRef: location.location_entity_ref,
       });
-      return { entity, locationKey: location.location_entity_ref };
+      return { entity, locationKey: getEntityLocationRef(entity) };
     });
 
     await this.connection.applyMutation({
@@ -499,7 +500,7 @@ export class DefaultLocationStore implements LocationStore, EntityProvider {
               location,
               locationEntityRef: location.location_entity_ref,
             });
-            return { entity, locationKey: location.location_entity_ref };
+            return { entity, locationKey: getEntityLocationRef(entity) };
           }),
           removed: [],
         });