diff --git a/.changeset/tricky-buses-lead.md b/.changeset/tricky-buses-lead.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f2bc8ec5dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/tricky-buses-lead.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-catalog': patch
+---
+
+Auto-focus the first menu item in `EntityContextMenu`, and do not render a divider if an empty array is passed to `UNSTABLE_extraContextMenuItems`.
diff --git a/plugins/catalog/src/components/EntityContextMenu/EntityContextMenu.tsx b/plugins/catalog/src/components/EntityContextMenu/EntityContextMenu.tsx
index 640bb75e49..2d9c392322 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog/src/components/EntityContextMenu/EntityContextMenu.tsx
+++ b/plugins/catalog/src/components/EntityContextMenu/EntityContextMenu.tsx
@@ -103,22 +103,58 @@ export function EntityContextMenu(props: EntityContextMenuProps) {
     }
   }, [copyState, alertApi, t]);
 
-  const extraItems = UNSTABLE_extraContextMenuItems && [
-    ...UNSTABLE_extraContextMenuItems.map(item => (
-      <MenuItem
-        key={item.title}
-        onClick={() => {
-          onClose();
-          item.onClick();
-        }}
-      >
-        <ListItemIcon>
-          <item.Icon fontSize="small" />
-        </ListItemIcon>
-        <ListItemText primary={item.title} />
-      </MenuItem>
-    )),
-    <Divider key="the divider is here!" />,
+  const extraItems = UNSTABLE_extraContextMenuItems?.length
+    ? [
+        ...UNSTABLE_extraContextMenuItems.map(item => (
+          <MenuItem
+            key={item.title}
+            onClick={() => {
+              onClose();
+              item.onClick();
+            }}
+          >
+            <ListItemIcon>
+              <item.Icon fontSize="small" />
+            </ListItemIcon>
+            <ListItemText primary={item.title} />
+          </MenuItem>
+        )),
+        <Divider key="the divider is here!" />,
+      ]
+    : null;
+
+  const defaultMenuItems = [
+    <UnregisterEntity
+      unregisterEntityOptions={UNSTABLE_contextMenuOptions}
+      isUnregisterAllowed={isAllowed}
+      onUnregisterEntity={onUnregisterEntity}
+      onClose={onClose}
+      key="unregister-entity"
+    />,
+    <MenuItem
+      onClick={() => {
+        onClose();
+        onInspectEntity();
+      }}
+      key="inspect-entity"
+    >
+      <ListItemIcon>
+        <BugReportIcon fontSize="small" />
+      </ListItemIcon>
+      <ListItemText primary={t('entityContextMenu.inspectMenuTitle')} />
+    </MenuItem>,
+    <MenuItem
+      onClick={() => {
+        onClose();
+        copyToClipboard(window.location.toString());
+      }}
+      key="copy-url"
+    >
+      <ListItemIcon>
+        <FileCopyTwoToneIcon fontSize="small" />
+      </ListItemIcon>
+      <ListItemText primary={t('entityContextMenu.copyURLMenuTitle')} />
+    </MenuItem>,
   ];
 
   return (
@@ -152,40 +188,7 @@ export function EntityContextMenu(props: EntityContextMenuProps) {
         <MenuList autoFocusItem={Boolean(anchorEl)}>
           {extraItems}
           {contextMenuItems === undefined ? (
-            <>
-              <UnregisterEntity
-                unregisterEntityOptions={UNSTABLE_contextMenuOptions}
-                isUnregisterAllowed={isAllowed}
-                onUnregisterEntity={onUnregisterEntity}
-                onClose={onClose}
-              />
-              <MenuItem
-                onClick={() => {
-                  onClose();
-                  onInspectEntity();
-                }}
-              >
-                <ListItemIcon>
-                  <BugReportIcon fontSize="small" />
-                </ListItemIcon>
-                <ListItemText
-                  primary={t('entityContextMenu.inspectMenuTitle')}
-                />
-              </MenuItem>
-              <MenuItem
-                onClick={() => {
-                  onClose();
-                  copyToClipboard(window.location.toString());
-                }}
-              >
-                <ListItemIcon>
-                  <FileCopyTwoToneIcon fontSize="small" />
-                </ListItemIcon>
-                <ListItemText
-                  primary={t('entityContextMenu.copyURLMenuTitle')}
-                />
-              </MenuItem>
-            </>
+            defaultMenuItems
           ) : (
             <EntityContextMenuProvider onMenuClose={onClose}>
               {contextMenuItems}
diff --git a/plugins/catalog/src/components/EntityContextMenu/UnregisterEntity.tsx b/plugins/catalog/src/components/EntityContextMenu/UnregisterEntity.tsx
index dd41d9272d..cdf974a75b 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog/src/components/EntityContextMenu/UnregisterEntity.tsx
+++ b/plugins/catalog/src/components/EntityContextMenu/UnregisterEntity.tsx
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import MenuItem from '@material-ui/core/MenuItem';
 import CancelIcon from '@material-ui/icons/Cancel';
 import { catalogTranslationRef } from '../../alpha/translation';
 import { useTranslationRef } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api/alpha';
+import { forwardRef } from 'react';
 
 type VisibleType = 'visible' | 'hidden' | 'disable';
 
@@ -34,7 +35,11 @@ interface UnregisterEntityProps {
   onClose: () => void;
 }
 
-export function UnregisterEntity(props: UnregisterEntityProps) {
+// TODO: When Backstage supports only React 19+, remove the forwardRef
+export const UnregisterEntity = forwardRef<
+  HTMLLIElement,
+  UnregisterEntityProps
+>((props, ref) => {
   const {
     unregisterEntityOptions,
     isUnregisterAllowed,
@@ -53,16 +58,16 @@ export function UnregisterEntity(props: UnregisterEntityProps) {
         : unregisterEntityOptions?.disableUnregister === 'disable')) ??
     false;
 
-  let unregisterButton = <></>;
-
   if (unregisterEntityOptions?.disableUnregister !== 'hidden') {
-    unregisterButton = (
+    return (
       <MenuItem
+        ref={ref}
         onClick={() => {
           onClose();
           onUnregisterEntity();
         }}
         disabled={isDisabled}
+        {...props}
       >
         <ListItemIcon>
           <CancelIcon fontSize="small" />
@@ -72,5 +77,5 @@ export function UnregisterEntity(props: UnregisterEntityProps) {
     );
   }
 
-  return <>{unregisterButton}</>;
-}
+  return null;
+});