diff --git a/.changeset/fifty-humans-repair.md b/.changeset/fifty-humans-repair.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..28db460d63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/fifty-humans-repair.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-catalog-backend': minor
+---
+
+Added support for emitting entities with an explicit location key during processing.
diff --git a/.changeset/nine-ears-destroy.md b/.changeset/nine-ears-destroy.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c987fd80ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/nine-ears-destroy.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-catalog-node': minor
+---
+
+Added the `locationKey` option to `processingResult.entity(...)`.
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/processing/ProcessorOutputCollector.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/processing/ProcessorOutputCollector.ts
index 0de6b12b90..ee488fc1d5 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/processing/ProcessorOutputCollector.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/processing/ProcessorOutputCollector.ts
@@ -137,7 +137,9 @@ export class ProcessorOutputCollector {
         },
       };
 
-      this.deferredEntities.push({ entity, locationKey: location });
+      const locationKey =
+        i.locationKey === undefined ? location : i.locationKey ?? undefined;
+      this.deferredEntities.push({ entity, locationKey });
     } else if (i.type === 'location') {
       const entity = locationSpecToLocationEntity({
         location: i.location,
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/tests/integration.test.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/tests/integration.test.ts
index 1c134d4c60..92d1b1c143 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/tests/integration.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/tests/integration.test.ts
@@ -1166,4 +1166,61 @@ describe('Catalog Backend Integration', () => {
       'component:default/b': withOutputFields(entityB),
     });
   });
+
+  it('should be able to emit entities during processing with custom location keys', async () => {
+    const baseEntity = {
+      apiVersion: 'backstage.io/v1alpha1',
+      kind: 'Component',
+      metadata: {
+        annotations: {
+          'backstage.io/managed-by-location': 'url:.',
+          'backstage.io/managed-by-origin-location': 'url:.',
+        },
+      },
+    };
+    const entityA = merge({ metadata: { name: 'a' } }, baseEntity);
+    const entityB = merge({ metadata: { name: 'b' } }, baseEntity);
+    const entityBOverride = merge({ metadata: { override: true } }, entityB);
+
+    const processEntity = jest.fn(
+      async (
+        entity: Entity,
+        _location: LocationSpec,
+        _emit: CatalogProcessorEmit,
+      ) => entity,
+    );
+    const harness = await TestHarness.create({ processEntity });
+
+    processEntity.mockImplementation(async (entity, location, emit) => {
+      if (entity.metadata.name === entityA.metadata.name) {
+        emit(
+          processingResult.entity(location, entityB, {
+            locationKey: null,
+          }),
+        );
+      }
+      return entity;
+    });
+
+    // Start with just A, which outputs B via processing
+    await harness.setInputEntities([entityA]);
+    await expect(harness.process()).resolves.toEqual({});
+
+    await expect(harness.getOutputEntities()).resolves.toEqual({
+      'component:default/a': withOutputFields(entityA),
+      'component:default/b': withOutputFields(entityB),
+    });
+
+    // Now apply A and B', which should override B since it has a null location key
+    await harness.setInputEntities([
+      entityA,
+      { ...entityBOverride, locationKey: 'test' },
+    ]);
+    await expect(harness.process()).resolves.toEqual({});
+
+    await expect(harness.getOutputEntities()).resolves.toEqual({
+      'component:default/a': withOutputFields(entityA),
+      'component:default/b': withOutputFields(entityBOverride),
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-node/src/api/processingResult.ts b/plugins/catalog-node/src/api/processingResult.ts
index 0d4341fcb7..021160d347 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-node/src/api/processingResult.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-node/src/api/processingResult.ts
@@ -76,8 +76,24 @@ export const processingResult = Object.freeze({
   /**
    * Emits a child of the current entity, associated with a certain location.
    */
-  entity(atLocation: LocationSpec, newEntity: Entity): CatalogProcessorResult {
-    return { type: 'entity', location: atLocation, entity: newEntity };
+  entity(
+    atLocation: LocationSpec,
+    newEntity: Entity,
+    options?: {
+      /**
+       * Sets the location key of the emitted entity, overriding the default one derived from the location.
+       *
+       * To set a `null` location key the value `null` must be used.
+       */
+      locationKey?: string | null;
+    },
+  ): CatalogProcessorResult {
+    return {
+      type: 'entity',
+      location: atLocation,
+      entity: newEntity,
+      locationKey: options?.locationKey,
+    };
   },
 
   /**
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-node/src/api/processor.ts b/plugins/catalog-node/src/api/processor.ts
index 3ad080f014..e43fdef071 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-node/src/api/processor.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-node/src/api/processor.ts
@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@ export type CatalogProcessorEntityResult = {
   type: 'entity';
   entity: Entity;
   location: LocationSpec;
+  locationKey?: string | null;
 };
 
 /** @public */