diff --git a/.changeset/khaki-fireants-march.md b/.changeset/khaki-fireants-march.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..600f8eba9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/khaki-fireants-march.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/cli': patch
+---
+
+add --alwaysPack as a replacement for the now-hidden --alwaysYarnPack
diff --git a/packages/cli/cli-report.md b/packages/cli/cli-report.md
index f164e5e1fc..e17af5a312 100644
--- a/packages/cli/cli-report.md
+++ b/packages/cli/cli-report.md
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ Commands:
 Usage: backstage-cli build-workspace [options] <workspace-dir> [packages...]
 
 Options:
-  --alwaysYarnPack
+  --alwaysPack
   -h, --help
 ```
 
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/buildWorkspace.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/buildWorkspace.ts
index a20663fc32..159c347eb8 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/buildWorkspace.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/buildWorkspace.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import fs from 'fs-extra';
 import { createDistWorkspace } from '../lib/packager';
 
 type Options = {
-  alwaysYarnPack?: boolean;
+  alwaysPack?: boolean;
 };
 
 export default async (dir: string, packages: string[], options: Options) => {
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ export default async (dir: string, packages: string[], options: Options) => {
 
   await createDistWorkspace(packages, {
     targetDir: dir,
-    alwaysYarnPack: options.alwaysYarnPack,
+    alwaysPack: options.alwaysPack,
     enableFeatureDetection: true,
   });
 };
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/index.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/index.ts
index a3060f2d67..369138cb1a 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/index.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/index.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import { Command } from 'commander';
+import { Command, Option } from 'commander';
 import { assertError } from '@backstage/errors';
 import { exitWithError } from '../lib/errors';
 
@@ -375,8 +375,16 @@ export function registerCommands(program: Command) {
 
   program
     .command('build-workspace <workspace-dir> [packages...]')
+    .addOption(
+      new Option(
+        '--alwaysYarnPack',
+        'Alias for --alwaysPack for backwards compatibility.',
+      )
+        .implies({ alwaysPack: true })
+        .hideHelp(true),
+    )
     .option(
-      '--alwaysYarnPack',
+      '--alwaysPack',
       'Force workspace output to be a result of running `yarn pack` on each package (warning: very slow)',
     )
     .description('Builds a temporary dist workspace from the provided packages')
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/packager/createDistWorkspace.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/packager/createDistWorkspace.ts
index 2363023ddd..ea1682bc4f 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/lib/packager/createDistWorkspace.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/packager/createDistWorkspace.ts
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ type Options = {
    * workspace. This ensures correct workspace output at significant cost to
    * command performance.
    */
-  alwaysYarnPack?: boolean;
+  alwaysPack?: boolean;
 
   /**
    * If set to true, the TypeScript feature detection will be enabled, which
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ export async function createDistWorkspace(
   await moveToDistWorkspace(
     targetDir,
     targets,
-    Boolean(options.alwaysYarnPack),
+    Boolean(options.alwaysPack),
     Boolean(options.enableFeatureDetection),
   );
 
@@ -286,13 +286,13 @@ const FAST_PACK_SCRIPTS = [
 async function moveToDistWorkspace(
   workspaceDir: string,
   localPackages: PackageGraphNode[],
-  alwaysYarnPack: boolean,
+  alwaysPack: boolean,
   enableFeatureDetection: boolean,
 ): Promise<void> {
   const [fastPackPackages, slowPackPackages] = partition(
     localPackages,
     pkg =>
-      !alwaysYarnPack &&
+      !alwaysPack &&
       FAST_PACK_SCRIPTS.includes(pkg.packageJson.scripts?.prepack),
   );