diff --git a/packages/catalog-model/report-alpha.api.md b/packages/catalog-model/report-alpha.api.md
index c00f6ac675..5b45d80adb 100644
--- a/packages/catalog-model/report-alpha.api.md
+++ b/packages/catalog-model/report-alpha.api.md
@@ -39,6 +39,24 @@ export interface AlphaEntity extends Entity_2 {
   status?: EntityStatus;
 }
 
+// @public
+interface ApiEntityV1alpha1 extends Entity {
+  // (undocumented)
+  apiVersion: 'backstage.io/v1alpha1' | 'backstage.io/v1beta1';
+  // (undocumented)
+  kind: 'API';
+  // (undocumented)
+  spec: {
+    type: string;
+    lifecycle: string;
+    owner: string;
+    definition: string;
+    system?: string;
+  };
+}
+export { ApiEntityV1alpha1 as ApiEntity };
+export { ApiEntityV1alpha1 };
+
 // @alpha
 export type AsyncCatalogModelSourceGenerator = AsyncGenerator<
   {
@@ -493,7 +511,7 @@ export const isAiResourceEntity: (
 
 // @alpha
 export function isMcpServerApiEntity(
-  entity: Entity,
+  entity: ApiEntityV1alpha1 | McpServerApiEntity,
 ): entity is McpServerApiEntity;
 
 // @alpha
@@ -507,11 +525,7 @@ export type KindValidator = {
 };
 
 // @alpha
-export interface McpServerApiEntity extends Entity {
-  // (undocumented)
-  apiVersion: 'backstage.io/v1alpha1' | 'backstage.io/v1beta1';
-  // (undocumented)
-  kind: 'API';
+export interface McpServerApiEntity extends Omit<ApiEntityV1alpha1, 'spec'> {
   // (undocumented)
   spec: {
     type: 'mcp-server';
diff --git a/packages/catalog-model/src/kinds/McpServerApiEntity.test.ts b/packages/catalog-model/src/kinds/McpServerApiEntity.test.ts
index 60498b1c3d..a203a462da 100644
--- a/packages/catalog-model/src/kinds/McpServerApiEntity.test.ts
+++ b/packages/catalog-model/src/kinds/McpServerApiEntity.test.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
+import type { ApiEntityV1alpha1 } from './ApiEntityV1alpha1';
 import {
   McpServerApiEntity,
   mcpServerApiEntityValidator,
@@ -104,29 +105,17 @@ describe('isMcpServerApiEntity', () => {
   });
 
   it('returns false for a non-mcp-server API entity', () => {
-    expect(
-      isMcpServerApiEntity({
-        apiVersion: 'backstage.io/v1alpha1',
-        kind: 'API',
-        metadata: { name: 'a' },
-        spec: {
-          type: 'openapi',
-          lifecycle: 'production',
-          owner: 'me',
-          definition: 'x',
-        },
-      }),
-    ).toBe(false);
-  });
-
-  it('returns false for a non-API entity', () => {
-    expect(
-      isMcpServerApiEntity({
-        apiVersion: 'backstage.io/v1alpha1',
-        kind: 'Component',
-        metadata: { name: 'c' },
-        spec: { type: 'service', lifecycle: 'production', owner: 'me' },
-      }),
-    ).toBe(false);
+    const entity: ApiEntityV1alpha1 = {
+      apiVersion: 'backstage.io/v1alpha1',
+      kind: 'API',
+      metadata: { name: 'a' },
+      spec: {
+        type: 'openapi',
+        lifecycle: 'production',
+        owner: 'me',
+        definition: 'x',
+      },
+    };
+    expect(isMcpServerApiEntity(entity)).toBe(false);
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/catalog-model/src/kinds/McpServerApiEntity.ts b/packages/catalog-model/src/kinds/McpServerApiEntity.ts
index a81de0cc41..8ddfad472e 100644
--- a/packages/catalog-model/src/kinds/McpServerApiEntity.ts
+++ b/packages/catalog-model/src/kinds/McpServerApiEntity.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
  */
 
 import { createCatalogModelLayer } from '../model/createCatalogModelLayer';
-import type { Entity } from '../entity/Entity';
+import type { ApiEntityV1alpha1 } from './ApiEntityV1alpha1';
 import mcpServerSchema from '../schema/kinds/API.v1alpha1.mcp-server.schema.json';
 import { ajvCompiledJsonSchemaValidator } from './util';
 
@@ -25,9 +25,7 @@ import { ajvCompiledJsonSchemaValidator } from './util';
  *
  * @alpha
  */
-export interface McpServerApiEntity extends Entity {
-  apiVersion: 'backstage.io/v1alpha1' | 'backstage.io/v1beta1';
-  kind: 'API';
+export interface McpServerApiEntity extends Omit<ApiEntityV1alpha1, 'spec'> {
   spec: {
     type: 'mcp-server';
     lifecycle: string;
@@ -61,12 +59,9 @@ export const mcpServerApiEntityValidator =
  * @alpha
  */
 export function isMcpServerApiEntity(
-  entity: Entity,
+  entity: ApiEntityV1alpha1 | McpServerApiEntity,
 ): entity is McpServerApiEntity {
-  return (
-    entity.kind === 'API' &&
-    (entity as McpServerApiEntity).spec?.type === 'mcp-server'
-  );
+  return entity.spec.type === 'mcp-server';
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/catalog-model/src/kinds/apiEntityModel.test.ts b/packages/catalog-model/src/kinds/apiEntityModel.test.ts
index 09373490fd..fbea61ebb5 100644
--- a/packages/catalog-model/src/kinds/apiEntityModel.test.ts
+++ b/packages/catalog-model/src/kinds/apiEntityModel.test.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
+import lodash from 'lodash';
 import { compileCatalogModel } from '../model/compileCatalogModel';
 import { defaultCatalogEntityModel } from '../model/defaultCatalogEntityModel';
 import { mcpServerApiEntityModel } from './McpServerApiEntity';
@@ -40,10 +41,14 @@ describe('apiEntityModel mcp-server dispatch', () => {
     expect(openapi).toBeDefined();
     expect(mcp!.description).not.toBe(openapi!.description);
 
-    const mcpSpecRequired = (mcp!.jsonSchema.properties as any).spec
-      .required as string[];
-    const openapiSpecRequired = (openapi!.jsonSchema.properties as any).spec
-      .required as string[];
+    const mcpSpecRequired = lodash.get(
+      mcp,
+      'jsonSchema.properties.spec.required',
+    );
+    const openapiSpecRequired = lodash.get(
+      openapi,
+      'jsonSchema.properties.spec.required',
+    );
 
     expect(mcpSpecRequired).toContain('remotes');
     expect(mcpSpecRequired).not.toContain('definition');
@@ -58,8 +63,7 @@ describe('apiEntityModel mcp-server dispatch', () => {
       spec: { type: 'mcp-server' },
     });
     expect(mcp).toBeDefined();
-    const required = (mcp!.jsonSchema.properties as any).spec
-      .required as string[];
+    const required = lodash.get(mcp, 'jsonSchema.properties.spec.required');
     expect(required).toContain('remotes');
   });
 });