diff --git a/.changeset/old-dingos-shave.md b/.changeset/old-dingos-shave.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3263a89c0d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/old-dingos-shave.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-catalog-backend': patch
+---
+
+Honor database migration configuration
diff --git a/.changeset/seven-rabbits-shave.md b/.changeset/seven-rabbits-shave.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9e14cde2e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/seven-rabbits-shave.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/backend-common': patch
+---
+
+Add options argument to support additional database migrations configuration
diff --git a/packages/backend-common/api-report.md b/packages/backend-common/api-report.md
index 9c66c0573e..e623f656ab 100644
--- a/packages/backend-common/api-report.md
+++ b/packages/backend-common/api-report.md
@@ -175,9 +175,17 @@ export function createStatusCheckRouter(options: {
 // @public (undocumented)
 export class DatabaseManager {
   forPlugin(pluginId: string): PluginDatabaseManager;
-  static fromConfig(config: Config): DatabaseManager;
+  static fromConfig(
+    config: Config,
+    options?: DatabaseManagerOptions,
+  ): DatabaseManager;
 }
 
+// @public
+export type DatabaseManagerOptions = {
+  migrations?: PluginDatabaseManager['migrations'];
+};
+
 // @public (undocumented)
 export class DockerContainerRunner implements ContainerRunner {
   constructor({ dockerClient }: { dockerClient: Docker });
@@ -395,6 +403,9 @@ export type PluginCacheManager = {
 // @public
 export interface PluginDatabaseManager {
   getClient(): Promise<Knex>;
+  migrations?: {
+    skip?: boolean;
+  };
 }
 
 // @public
@@ -642,4 +653,8 @@ export function useHotCleanup(
 
 // @public
 export function useHotMemoize<T>(_module: NodeModule, valueFactory: () => T): T;
+
+// Warnings were encountered during analysis:
+//
+// src/database/types.d.ts:23:12 - (tsdoc-undefined-tag) The TSDoc tag "@default" is not defined in this configuration
 ```
diff --git a/packages/backend-common/src/database/DatabaseManager.test.ts b/packages/backend-common/src/database/DatabaseManager.test.ts
index 1d2ff58b41..bd2e7b9f71 100644
--- a/packages/backend-common/src/database/DatabaseManager.test.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-common/src/database/DatabaseManager.test.ts
@@ -36,25 +36,45 @@ describe('DatabaseManager', () => {
   afterEach(() => jest.resetAllMocks());
 
   describe('DatabaseManager.fromConfig', () => {
-    it('accesses the backend.database key', () => {
-      const config = new ConfigReader({
-        backend: {
-          database: {
-            client: 'pg',
-            connection: {
-              host: 'localhost',
-              user: 'foo',
-              password: 'bar',
-              database: 'foodb',
-            },
+    const backendConfig = {
+      backend: {
+        database: {
+          client: 'pg',
+          connection: {
+            host: 'localhost',
+            user: 'foo',
+            password: 'bar',
+            database: 'foodb',
           },
         },
-      });
+      },
+    };
+
+    it('accesses the backend.database key', () => {
+      const config = new ConfigReader(backendConfig);
       const getConfigSpy = jest.spyOn(config, 'getConfig');
       DatabaseManager.fromConfig(config);
 
       expect(getConfigSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('backend.database');
     });
+
+    it('handles default options', () => {
+      const config = new ConfigReader(backendConfig);
+      const database = DatabaseManager.fromConfig(config);
+      const client = database.forPlugin('test');
+
+      expect(client.migrations?.skip).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it('handles migrations options', () => {
+      const config = new ConfigReader(backendConfig);
+      const database = DatabaseManager.fromConfig(config, {
+        migrations: { skip: true },
+      });
+      const client = database.forPlugin('test');
+
+      expect(client.migrations?.skip).toBe(true);
+    });
   });
 
   describe('DatabaseManager.forPlugin', () => {
diff --git a/packages/backend-common/src/database/DatabaseManager.ts b/packages/backend-common/src/database/DatabaseManager.ts
index a3f31e98f2..8e23a219ec 100644
--- a/packages/backend-common/src/database/DatabaseManager.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-common/src/database/DatabaseManager.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,15 @@ function pluginPath(pluginId: string): string {
   return `plugin.${pluginId}`;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Configuration options object.
+ *
+ * @public
+ */
+export type DatabaseManagerOptions = {
+  migrations?: PluginDatabaseManager['migrations'];
+};
+
 /** @public */
 export class DatabaseManager {
   /**
@@ -47,19 +56,25 @@ export class DatabaseManager {
    * names if config is not provided.
    *
    * @param config - The loaded application configuration.
+   * @param options - An optional configuration object.
    */
-  static fromConfig(config: Config): DatabaseManager {
+  static fromConfig(
+    config: Config,
+    options?: DatabaseManagerOptions,
+  ): DatabaseManager {
     const databaseConfig = config.getConfig('backend.database');
 
     return new DatabaseManager(
       databaseConfig,
       databaseConfig.getOptionalString('prefix'),
+      options,
     );
   }
 
   private constructor(
     private readonly config: Config,
     private readonly prefix: string = 'backstage_plugin_',
+    private readonly options?: DatabaseManagerOptions,
   ) {}
 
   /**
@@ -76,6 +91,10 @@ export class DatabaseManager {
       getClient(): Promise<Knex> {
         return _this.getDatabase(pluginId);
       },
+      migrations: {
+        skip: false,
+        ..._this.options?.migrations,
+      },
     };
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/backend-common/src/database/types.ts b/packages/backend-common/src/database/types.ts
index e96f86980b..344f1088b8 100644
--- a/packages/backend-common/src/database/types.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-common/src/database/types.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,18 @@ export interface PluginDatabaseManager {
    * stores so that plugins are discouraged from database integration.
    */
   getClient(): Promise<Knex>;
+
+  /**
+   * This property is used to control the behavior of database migrations.
+   */
+  migrations?: {
+    /**
+     * skip database migrations. Useful if connecting to a read-only database.
+     *
+     * @default false
+     */
+    skip?: boolean;
+  };
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/NextCatalogBuilder.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/NextCatalogBuilder.ts
index c9ebc8f723..1618ef8d7b 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/NextCatalogBuilder.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/service/NextCatalogBuilder.ts
@@ -336,7 +336,10 @@ export class NextCatalogBuilder {
     const parser = this.parser || defaultEntityDataParser;
 
     const dbClient = await database.getClient();
-    await applyDatabaseMigrations(dbClient);
+    if (!database.migrations?.skip) {
+      logger.info('Performing database migration');
+      await applyDatabaseMigrations(dbClient);
+    }
 
     const db = new CommonDatabase(dbClient, logger);