diff --git a/.changeset/ready-results-march.md b/.changeset/ready-results-march.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c28ade8de9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/ready-results-march.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-catalog': patch
+---
+
+Fixed `catalogAboutEntityCard` to filter icon links before calling useProps(), preventing side effects from hooks in filtered-out links
diff --git a/plugins/catalog/src/alpha/entityCards.tsx b/plugins/catalog/src/alpha/entityCards.tsx
index 6df50a5123..556a130dff 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog/src/alpha/entityCards.tsx
+++ b/plugins/catalog/src/alpha/entityCards.tsx
@@ -41,12 +41,14 @@ export const catalogAboutEntityCard = EntityCardBlueprint.makeWithOverrides({
       // The "useProps" functions may be calling other hooks, so we need to
       // call them in a component function to avoid breaking the rules of hooks.
       const links = inputs.iconLinks.reduce((rest, iconLink) => {
-        const props = iconLink.get(EntityIconLinkBlueprint.dataRefs.useProps)();
         const filter = buildFilterFn(
           iconLink.get(EntityIconLinkBlueprint.dataRefs.filterFunction),
           iconLink.get(EntityIconLinkBlueprint.dataRefs.filterExpression),
         );
         if (filter(entity)) {
+          const props = iconLink.get(
+            EntityIconLinkBlueprint.dataRefs.useProps,
+          )();
           return [...rest, props];
         }
         return rest;