diff --git a/.changeset/chilled-pandas-leave.md b/.changeset/chilled-pandas-leave.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7ad5953f7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/chilled-pandas-leave.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/cli': patch
+---
+
+Fixed the `config:check` command that was incorrectly only validating frontend configuration. Also added a `--frontend` flag to the command which maintains that behavior.
diff --git a/docs/local-dev/cli-commands.md b/docs/local-dev/cli-commands.md
index 0397ffa09c..0b14a2e136 100644
--- a/docs/local-dev/cli-commands.md
+++ b/docs/local-dev/cli-commands.md
@@ -512,7 +512,8 @@ Usage: backstage-cli config:check [options]
 
 Options:
   --package <name>  Only load config schema that applies to the given package
-  --lax                   Do not require environment variables to be set
+  --lax             Do not require environment variables to be set
+  --frontend        Only validate the frontend configuration
   --config <path>   Config files to load instead of app-config.yaml (default: [])
   -h, --help        display help for command
 ```
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/config/print.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/config/print.ts
index 6bd575f9bf..b640ee4f37 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/config/print.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/config/print.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ export default async (cmd: Command) => {
     args: cmd.config,
     fromPackage: cmd.package,
     mockEnv: cmd.lax,
+    fullVisibility: !cmd.frontend,
   });
   const visibility = getVisibilityOption(cmd);
   const data = serializeConfigData(appConfigs, schema, visibility);
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/config/validate.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/config/validate.ts
index 9041272c5a..2d3ce60366 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/config/validate.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/config/validate.ts
@@ -22,5 +22,6 @@ export default async (cmd: Command) => {
     args: cmd.config,
     fromPackage: cmd.package,
     mockEnv: cmd.lax,
+    fullVisibility: !cmd.frontend,
   });
 };
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/index.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/index.ts
index 302f76cc5d..4e01a8ca9f 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/index.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/index.ts
@@ -172,6 +172,7 @@ export function registerCommands(program: CommanderStatic) {
       'Only load config schema that applies to the given package',
     )
     .option('--lax', 'Do not require environment variables to be set')
+    .option('--frontend', 'Only validate the frontend configuration')
     .option(...configOption)
     .description(
       'Validate that the given configuration loads and matches schema',
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/config.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/config.ts
index 80b374039f..6f93318ead 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/lib/config.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/config.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ type Options = {
   fromPackage?: string;
   mockEnv?: boolean;
   withFilteredKeys?: boolean;
+  fullVisibility?: boolean;
 };
 
 export async function loadCliConfig(options: Options) {
@@ -70,7 +71,9 @@ export async function loadCliConfig(options: Options) {
 
   try {
     const frontendAppConfigs = schema.process(appConfigs, {
-      visibility: ['frontend'],
+      visibility: options.fullVisibility
+        ? ['frontend', 'backend', 'secret']
+        : ['frontend'],
       withFilteredKeys: options.withFilteredKeys,
     });
     const frontendConfig = ConfigReader.fromConfigs(frontendAppConfigs);