diff --git a/docs/features/software-catalog/well-known-annotations.md b/docs/features/software-catalog/well-known-annotations.md
index 0a4f5ee400..651520cd28 100644
--- a/docs/features/software-catalog/well-known-annotations.md
+++ b/docs/features/software-catalog/well-known-annotations.md
@@ -100,6 +100,21 @@ alongside the entity's source code, the value of this annotation can point to an
 absolute URL, matching the location reference string format outlined above, for
 example: `url:https://github.com/backstage/backstage/tree/master`
 
+### backstage.io/techdocs-ref
+
+```yaml
+# Example:
+metadata:
+  annotations:
+    backstage.io/techdocs-external-ref: component:default/example
+```
+
+The value of this annotation informs of an external entity that owns the TechDocs.
+This allows you to reference TechDocs from a single source without either duplicating
+the TechDocs in the TechDocs page or needing multiple builds of the same docs.
+
+This is for situations where you have complex systems where they share a single repo, and likely a single TechDoc location.
+
 ### backstage.io/view-url, backstage.io/edit-url
 
 ```yaml
diff --git a/plugins/catalog/src/components/AboutCard/AboutCard.tsx b/plugins/catalog/src/components/AboutCard/AboutCard.tsx
index 06cc020e51..6c28660144 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog/src/components/AboutCard/AboutCard.tsx
+++ b/plugins/catalog/src/components/AboutCard/AboutCard.tsx
@@ -16,32 +16,10 @@
 import {
   ANNOTATION_EDIT_URL,
   ANNOTATION_LOCATION,
+  CompoundEntityRef,
   DEFAULT_NAMESPACE,
   stringifyEntityRef,
 } from '@backstage/catalog-model';
-import {
-  HeaderIconLinkRow,
-  IconLinkVerticalProps,
-  InfoCardVariants,
-  Link,
-} from '@backstage/core-components';
-import {
-  alertApiRef,
-  errorApiRef,
-  useApi,
-  useApp,
-  useRouteRef,
-} from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
-import {
-  ScmIntegrationIcon,
-  scmIntegrationsApiRef,
-} from '@backstage/integration-react';
-import {
-  catalogApiRef,
-  getEntitySourceLocation,
-  useEntity,
-} from '@backstage/plugin-catalog-react';
-import { isTemplateEntityV1beta3 } from '@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-common';
 import {
   Card,
   CardContent,
@@ -50,14 +28,38 @@ import {
   IconButton,
   makeStyles,
 } from '@material-ui/core';
-import CreateComponentIcon from '@material-ui/icons/AddCircleOutline';
+import {
+  HeaderIconLinkRow,
+  IconLinkVerticalProps,
+  InfoCardVariants,
+  Link,
+} from '@backstage/core-components';
+import React, { useCallback } from 'react';
+import {
+  ScmIntegrationIcon,
+  scmIntegrationsApiRef,
+} from '@backstage/integration-react';
+import {
+  alertApiRef,
+  errorApiRef,
+  useApi,
+  useApp,
+  useRouteRef,
+} from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
+import {
+  catalogApiRef,
+  getEntitySourceLocation,
+  useEntity,
+} from '@backstage/plugin-catalog-react';
+import { createFromTemplateRouteRef, viewTechDocRouteRef } from '../../routes';
+
+import { AboutContent } from './AboutContent';
 import CachedIcon from '@material-ui/icons/Cached';
+import CreateComponentIcon from '@material-ui/icons/AddCircleOutline';
 import DocsIcon from '@material-ui/icons/Description';
 import EditIcon from '@material-ui/icons/Edit';
-import React, { useCallback } from 'react';
-
-import { createFromTemplateRouteRef, viewTechDocRouteRef } from '../../routes';
-import { AboutContent } from './AboutContent';
+import { isTemplateEntityV1beta3 } from '@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-common';
+import { parseEntityRef } from '@backstage/catalog-model';
 
 const useStyles = makeStyles({
   gridItemCard: {
@@ -110,6 +112,19 @@ export function AboutCard(props: AboutCardProps) {
   const entityMetadataEditUrl =
     entity.metadata.annotations?.[ANNOTATION_EDIT_URL];
 
+  let techdocsRef: CompoundEntityRef | undefined;
+
+  if (entity.metadata.annotations?.['backstage.io/techdocs-external-ref']) {
+    try {
+      techdocsRef = parseEntityRef(
+        entity.metadata.annotations?.['backstage.io/techdocs-external-ref'],
+      );
+      // not a fan of this but we don't care if the parseEntityRef fails
+    } catch {
+      techdocsRef = undefined;
+    }
+  }
+
   const viewInSource: IconLinkVerticalProps = {
     label: 'View Source',
     disabled: !entitySourceLocation,
@@ -119,16 +134,24 @@ export function AboutCard(props: AboutCardProps) {
   const viewInTechDocs: IconLinkVerticalProps = {
     label: 'View TechDocs',
     disabled:
-      !entity.metadata.annotations?.['backstage.io/techdocs-ref'] ||
-      !viewTechdocLink,
+      !(
+        entity.metadata.annotations?.['backstage.io/techdocs-ref'] ||
+        entity.metadata.annotations?.['backstage.io/techdocs-external-ref']
+      ) || !viewTechdocLink,
     icon: <DocsIcon />,
     href:
       viewTechdocLink &&
-      viewTechdocLink({
-        namespace: entity.metadata.namespace || DEFAULT_NAMESPACE,
-        kind: entity.kind,
-        name: entity.metadata.name,
-      }),
+      (techdocsRef
+        ? viewTechdocLink({
+            namespace: techdocsRef.namespace || DEFAULT_NAMESPACE,
+            kind: techdocsRef.kind,
+            name: techdocsRef.name,
+          })
+        : viewTechdocLink({
+            namespace: entity.metadata.namespace || DEFAULT_NAMESPACE,
+            kind: entity.kind,
+            name: entity.metadata.name,
+          })),
   };
 
   const subHeaderLinks = [viewInSource, viewInTechDocs];
diff --git a/plugins/techdocs/src/EntityPageDocs.tsx b/plugins/techdocs/src/EntityPageDocs.tsx
index b0e529f9a5..56c1341aa2 100644
--- a/plugins/techdocs/src/EntityPageDocs.tsx
+++ b/plugins/techdocs/src/EntityPageDocs.tsx
@@ -14,18 +14,31 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
+import {
+  Entity,
+  getCompoundEntityRef,
+  parseEntityRef,
+} from '@backstage/catalog-model';
+
 import React from 'react';
-
-import { Entity, getCompoundEntityRef } from '@backstage/catalog-model';
-
 import { TechDocsReaderPage } from './plugin';
-import { TechDocsReaderPageSubheader } from './reader/components/TechDocsReaderPageSubheader';
 import { TechDocsReaderPageContent } from './reader/components/TechDocsReaderPageContent';
+import { TechDocsReaderPageSubheader } from './reader/components/TechDocsReaderPageSubheader';
 
 type EntityPageDocsProps = { entity: Entity };
 
 export const EntityPageDocs = ({ entity }: EntityPageDocsProps) => {
-  const entityRef = getCompoundEntityRef(entity);
+  let entityRef = getCompoundEntityRef(entity);
+
+  if (entity.metadata.annotations?.['backstage.io/techdocs-external-ref']) {
+    try {
+      entityRef = parseEntityRef(
+        entity.metadata.annotations?.['backstage.io/techdocs-external-ref'],
+      );
+    } catch {
+      // not a fan of this but we don't care if the parseEntityRef fails
+    }
+  }
 
   return (
     <TechDocsReaderPage entityRef={entityRef}>
diff --git a/plugins/techdocs/src/Router.tsx b/plugins/techdocs/src/Router.tsx
index f821da2a9f..5c967a54e8 100644
--- a/plugins/techdocs/src/Router.tsx
+++ b/plugins/techdocs/src/Router.tsx
@@ -18,22 +18,24 @@ import React, { PropsWithChildren } from 'react';
 import { Route, Routes, useRoutes } from 'react-router-dom';
 
 import { Entity } from '@backstage/catalog-model';
-import { useEntity } from '@backstage/plugin-catalog-react';
-import { MissingAnnotationEmptyState } from '@backstage/core-components';
-
 import { EntityPageDocs } from './EntityPageDocs';
+import { MissingAnnotationEmptyState } from '@backstage/core-components';
 import { TechDocsIndexPage } from './home/components/TechDocsIndexPage';
 import { TechDocsReaderPage } from './reader/components/TechDocsReaderPage';
+import { useEntity } from '@backstage/plugin-catalog-react';
 
 const TECHDOCS_ANNOTATION = 'backstage.io/techdocs-ref';
 
+const TECHDOCS_EXTERNAL_ANNOTATION = 'backstage.io/techdocs-external-ref';
+
 /**
  * Helper that takes in entity and returns true/false if TechDocs is available for the entity
  *
  * @public
  */
 export const isTechDocsAvailable = (entity: Entity) =>
-  Boolean(entity?.metadata?.annotations?.[TECHDOCS_ANNOTATION]);
+  Boolean(entity?.metadata?.annotations?.[TECHDOCS_ANNOTATION]) ||
+  Boolean(entity?.metadata?.annotations?.[TECHDOCS_EXTERNAL_ANNOTATION]);
 
 /**
  * Responsible for registering routes for TechDocs, TechDocs Homepage and separate TechDocs page
@@ -75,10 +77,16 @@ export const EmbeddedDocsRouter = (props: PropsWithChildren<{}>) => {
     },
   ]);
 
-  const projectId = entity.metadata.annotations?.[TECHDOCS_ANNOTATION];
+  const projectId =
+    entity.metadata.annotations?.[TECHDOCS_ANNOTATION] ||
+    entity.metadata.annotations?.[TECHDOCS_EXTERNAL_ANNOTATION];
 
   if (!projectId) {
-    return <MissingAnnotationEmptyState annotation={TECHDOCS_ANNOTATION} />;
+    return (
+      <MissingAnnotationEmptyState
+        annotation={[TECHDOCS_ANNOTATION, TECHDOCS_EXTERNAL_ANNOTATION]}
+      />
+    );
   }
 
   return element;