diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/api-report.md b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/api-report.md
index d2967bf88a..9694cdffa7 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/api-report.md
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/api-report.md
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ import { SpawnOptionsWithoutStdio } from 'child_process';
 import { TaskSpec } from '@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-common';
 import { TaskSpecV1beta2 } from '@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-common';
 import { TaskSpecV1beta3 } from '@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-common';
-import { TemplateEntityV1beta2 } from '@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-common';
 import { TemplateMetadata } from '@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-common';
 import { UrlReader } from '@backstage/backend-common';
 import { Writable } from 'stream';
@@ -50,19 +49,6 @@ export type ActionContext<Input extends JsonObject> = {
   metadata?: TemplateMetadata;
 };
 
-// Warning: (ae-missing-release-tag) "CatalogEntityClient" is exported by the package, but it is missing a release tag (@alpha, @beta, @public, or @internal)
-//
-// @public
-export class CatalogEntityClient {
-  constructor(catalogClient: CatalogApi);
-  findTemplate(
-    templateName: string,
-    options?: {
-      token?: string;
-    },
-  ): Promise<TemplateEntityV1beta2>;
-}
-
 // @public
 export type CompletedTaskState = 'failed' | 'completed';
 
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/service/helpers.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/service/helpers.ts
index 314823d67f..5cfc58d586 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/service/helpers.ts
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/service/helpers.ts
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ export function getEntityBaseUrl(entity: Entity): string | undefined {
 
 /**
  * Will use the provided CatalogApi to go find the template entity ref that is provided with and additional token
- * Returns the first matching template
+ * Returns the first matching template, throws a NotFoundError or ConflictError if 0 or multiple templates are found.
  */
 export async function findTemplate({
   entityRef,
@@ -99,7 +99,10 @@ export async function findTemplate({
   token?: string;
   catalogApi: CatalogApi;
 }): Promise<TemplateEntityV1beta3 | TemplateEntityV1beta2> {
-  const parsedEntityRef = parseEntityRef(entityRef);
+  const parsedEntityRef = parseEntityRef(entityRef, {
+    defaultKind: 'template',
+    defaultNamespace: 'default',
+  });
   const { items } = await catalogApi.getEntities(
     {
       filter: {
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/service/router.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/service/router.ts
index 894a2da000..b2978441bd 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/service/router.ts
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/service/router.ts
@@ -191,8 +191,6 @@ export async function createRouter(
       const template = await findTemplate({
         catalogApi: catalogClient,
         entityRef: {
-          kind: 'template',
-          namespace: 'default',
           name: templateName,
         },
         token: getBearerToken(req.headers.authorization),