diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/migrations/20220211013100_created_by.js b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/migrations/20220211013100_created_by.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 257cda21d2..0000000000
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/migrations/20220211013100_created_by.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,38 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright 2020 The Backstage Authors
- *
- * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
- * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
- * You may obtain a copy of the License at
- *
- *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- *
- * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
- * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
- * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
- * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
- * limitations under the License.
- */
-
-// @ts-check
-
-/**
- * @param {import('knex').Knex} knex
- */
-exports.up = async function up(knex) {
-  await knex.schema.alterTable('tasks', table => {
-    table
-      .text('created_by')
-      .nullable()
-      .comment('an entity ref of the user that created the task');
-  });
-};
-
-/**
- * @param {import('knex').Knex} knex
- */
-exports.down = async function down(knex) {
-  await knex.schema.alterTable('tasks', table => {
-    table.dropColumn('created_by');
-  });
-};
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/DatabaseTaskStore.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/DatabaseTaskStore.ts
index 1c4b9b5210..2ebe1e17a7 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/DatabaseTaskStore.ts
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/DatabaseTaskStore.ts
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ export class DatabaseTaskStore implements TaskStore {
       id: result.id,
       spec: JSON.parse(result.spec),
       status: result.status,
-      createdBy: result.created_by,
+      createdBy: result.created_by ?? undefined,
       lastHeartbeatAt:
         typeof result.last_heartbeat_at === 'string'
           ? DateTime.fromSQL(result.last_heartbeat_at, {
@@ -156,8 +156,6 @@ export class DatabaseTaskStore implements TaskStore {
       secrets: options.secrets ? JSON.stringify(options.secrets) : undefined,
       created_by: options.createdBy ?? null,
       status: 'open',
-      created_by:
-        ('createdBy' in options.spec && options.spec.createdBy) || null,
     });
     return { taskId };
   }
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/StorageTaskBroker.test.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/StorageTaskBroker.test.ts
index 7ed2eb620a..8558a371d5 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/StorageTaskBroker.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/StorageTaskBroker.test.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 
 import { getVoidLogger, DatabaseManager } from '@backstage/backend-common';
+import { UserEntity } from '@backstage/catalog-model';
 import { ConfigReader } from '@backstage/config';
 import { TaskSpec } from '@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-common';
 import { DatabaseTaskStore } from './DatabaseTaskStore';
@@ -220,7 +221,9 @@ describe('StorageTaskBroker', () => {
   it('should list only tasks createdBy a specific user', async () => {
     const broker = new StorageTaskBroker(storage, logger);
     const { taskId } = await broker.dispatch({
-      spec: { createdBy: 'user:default/foo' } as TaskSpec,
+      spec: {
+        user: { ref: 'user:default/foo', entity: {} as UserEntity },
+      } as TaskSpec,
     });
 
     const task = await storage.getTask(taskId);
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/types.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/types.ts
index 1fc7670e79..f3939a8668 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/types.ts
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/types.ts
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ export type SerializedTask = {
   lastHeartbeatAt?: string;
   createdBy?: string;
   secrets?: TaskSecrets;
-  createdBy: string | null;
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/service/router.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/service/router.ts
index 61fbe74b8b..c1a9b50e0d 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/service/router.ts
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/service/router.ts
@@ -129,19 +129,6 @@ export async function createRouter(
   actionsToRegister.forEach(action => actionRegistry.register(action));
   workers.forEach(worker => worker.start());
 
-  const getUserEntityRefFromToken = (backstageToken: string) => {
-    try {
-      const [_header, payload, _signature] = backstageToken.split('.');
-      const parsedToken = JSON.parse(Buffer.from(payload, 'base64').toString());
-
-      return parsedToken.sub;
-    } catch (e) {
-      logger.warn('Could not parse token from request to create template');
-      logger.debug(e);
-      return null;
-    }
-  };
-
   router
     .get(
       '/v2/templates/:namespace/:kind/:name/parameter-schema',
@@ -220,8 +207,6 @@ export async function createRouter(
 
       const baseUrl = getEntityBaseUrl(template);
 
-      const createdBy = token && getUserEntityRefFromToken(token);
-
       const taskSpec: TaskSpec = {
         apiVersion: template.apiVersion,
         steps: template.spec.steps.map((step, index) => ({
@@ -243,7 +228,6 @@ export async function createRouter(
           }),
           baseUrl,
         },
-        createdBy,
       };
 
       const result = await taskBroker.dispatch({
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder/src/components/ListTasksPage/ListTasksPage.tsx b/plugins/scaffolder/src/components/ListTasksPage/ListTasksPage.tsx
index d66355b0a5..7866375fb1 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder/src/components/ListTasksPage/ListTasksPage.tsx
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder/src/components/ListTasksPage/ListTasksPage.tsx
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ const ListTaskPageContent = (props: MyTaskPageProps) => {
               title: 'Owner',
               field: 'createdBy',
               render: row => (
-                <OwnerEntityColumn entityRef={row.spec?.createdBy} />
+                <OwnerEntityColumn entityRef={row.spec?.user?.ref} />
               ),
             },
             {
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder/src/components/ListTasksPage/columns/OwnerEntityColumn.tsx b/plugins/scaffolder/src/components/ListTasksPage/columns/OwnerEntityColumn.tsx
index e595c11199..49c00316c7 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder/src/components/ListTasksPage/columns/OwnerEntityColumn.tsx
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder/src/components/ListTasksPage/columns/OwnerEntityColumn.tsx
@@ -39,7 +39,10 @@ export const OwnerEntityColumn = ({ entityRef }: { entityRef?: string }) => {
   return (
     <Link to={catalogEntityRoute(parseEntityRef(entityRef || ''))}>
       <ListItemText
-        primary={(value as UserEntity)?.spec?.profile?.displayName}
+        primary={
+          (value as UserEntity)?.spec?.profile?.displayName ??
+          value?.metadata.name
+        }
       />
     </Link>
   );