diff --git a/.changeset/slow-pens-compare.md b/.changeset/slow-pens-compare.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..158cb6f760
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/slow-pens-compare.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-catalog-backend': patch
+---
+
+Fix a bug where the batch fetch by ref endpoint did not work in conjunction with filtering (e.g. if authorization was enabled).
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/catalog/types.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/catalog/types.ts
index 62c8fad605..404b816d4f 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/catalog/types.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/catalog/types.ts
@@ -98,7 +98,9 @@ export interface EntitiesBatchRequest {
    */
   entityRefs: string[];
   /**
-   * Any additional filters to apply in the selection of the entities.
+   * Any additional filters to apply in the selection of the entities. Entities
+   * that do not match the filter result in a null entry in the response, as if
+   * they did not exist.
    */
   filter?: EntityFilter;
   /**
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/DefaultEntitiesCatalog.test.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/DefaultEntitiesCatalog.test.ts
index 740f5b2558..275bd1c42c 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/DefaultEntitiesCatalog.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/DefaultEntitiesCatalog.test.ts
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@ describe('DefaultEntitiesCatalog', () => {
       });
     }
 
+    const search = await buildEntitySearch(id, entity);
+    await knex<DbSearchRow>('search').insert(search);
+
     return id;
   }
 
@@ -721,6 +724,51 @@ describe('DefaultEntitiesCatalog', () => {
       },
       60_000,
     );
+
+    it.each(databases.eachSupportedId())(
+      'queries for entities by ref, including filtering, %p',
+      async databaseId => {
+        await createDatabase(databaseId);
+
+        await addEntity(
+          {
+            apiVersion: 'a',
+            kind: 'k',
+            metadata: { name: 'one' },
+            spec: {},
+            relations: [],
+          },
+          [],
+        );
+        await addEntity(
+          {
+            apiVersion: 'a',
+            kind: 'k',
+            metadata: { name: 'two' },
+            spec: { owner: 'me' },
+            relations: [],
+          },
+          [],
+        );
+
+        const catalog = new DefaultEntitiesCatalog({
+          database: knex,
+          logger: getVoidLogger(),
+          stitcher,
+        });
+
+        const { items } = await catalog.entitiesBatch({
+          entityRefs: ['k:default/two', 'k:default/one'],
+          filter: { key: 'spec.owner', values: ['me'] },
+        });
+
+        expect(items.map(e => e && stringifyEntityRef(e))).toEqual([
+          'k:default/two',
+          null,
+        ]);
+      },
+      60_000,
+    );
   });
 
   describe('queryEntities', () => {
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/DefaultEntitiesCatalog.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/DefaultEntitiesCatalog.ts
index f983d7496b..4e6109423e 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/DefaultEntitiesCatalog.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/DefaultEntitiesCatalog.ts
@@ -309,17 +309,27 @@ export class DefaultEntitiesCatalog implements EntitiesCatalog {
 
     for (const chunk of lodashChunk(request.entityRefs, 200)) {
       let query = this.database<DbFinalEntitiesRow>('final_entities')
-        .innerJoin<DbRefreshStateRow>('refresh_state', {
-          'refresh_state.entity_id': 'final_entities.entity_id',
-        })
+        .innerJoin<DbRefreshStateRow>(
+          'refresh_state',
+          'refresh_state.entity_id',
+          'final_entities.entity_id',
+        )
         .select({
           entityRef: 'refresh_state.entity_ref',
           entity: 'final_entities.final_entity',
         })
         .whereIn('refresh_state.entity_ref', chunk);
+
       if (request?.filter) {
-        query = parseFilter(request.filter, query, this.database);
+        query = parseFilter(
+          request.filter,
+          query,
+          this.database,
+          false,
+          'refresh_state.entity_id',
+        );
       }
+
       for (const row of await query) {
         lookup.set(row.entityRef, row.entity ? JSON.parse(row.entity) : null);
       }