diff --git a/.changeset/modern-buses-protect.md b/.changeset/modern-buses-protect.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d943d6c06a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/modern-buses-protect.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-catalog-react': patch
+---
+
+when a user doesn't own any entity, the user won't get the option to select on owned
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/UserListPicker/UserListPicker.tsx b/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/UserListPicker/UserListPicker.tsx
index f861355762..e5658feec9 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/UserListPicker/UserListPicker.tsx
+++ b/plugins/catalog-react/src/components/UserListPicker/UserListPicker.tsx
@@ -176,12 +176,14 @@ export const UserListPicker = ({
     setEntitiesWithoutUserFilter(backendEntities.filter(filterFn));
   }, [filters, backendEntities]);
 
+  const totalOwnedUserEntities = entitiesWithoutUserFilter.filter(entity =>
+    ownedFilter.filterEntity(entity),
+  ).length;
+
   function getFilterCount(id: UserListFilterKind) {
     switch (id) {
       case 'owned':
-        return entitiesWithoutUserFilter.filter(entity =>
-          ownedFilter.filterEntity(entity),
-        ).length;
+        return totalOwnedUserEntities;
       case 'starred':
         return entitiesWithoutUserFilter.filter(entity =>
           starredFilter.filterEntity(entity),
@@ -191,6 +193,20 @@ export const UserListPicker = ({
     }
   }
 
+  function removeListItem(
+    arr: ButtonGroup[],
+    itemID: 'all' | 'owned' | 'starred',
+  ): ButtonGroup[] {
+    const index = arr[0].items.map(item => item.id).indexOf(itemID);
+    arr[0].items.splice(index, 1);
+    return arr;
+  }
+
+  // should we do the same for starred?
+  if (totalOwnedUserEntities < 1) {
+    removeListItem(filterGroups, 'owned');
+  }
+
   return (
     <Card className={classes.root}>
       {filterGroups.map(group => (