diff --git a/.changeset/thick-readers-invite.md b/.changeset/thick-readers-invite.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..689ae7eb0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/thick-readers-invite.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend': minor
+---
+
+Updated `publish:gitlab:merge-request` action to allow commit updates and deletes
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/api-report.md b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/api-report.md
index 1b525cd2c6..c853ec262f 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/api-report.md
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/api-report.md
@@ -406,6 +406,7 @@ export const createPublishGitlabMergeRequestAction: (options: {
   branchName: string;
   targetPath: string;
   token?: string | undefined;
+  commitAction?: 'update' | 'create' | 'delete' | undefined;
   projectid?: string | undefined;
   removeSourceBranch?: boolean | undefined;
   assignee?: string | undefined;
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/gitlabMergeRequest.test.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/gitlabMergeRequest.test.ts
index 69adbcb968..76fe60a2b0 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/gitlabMergeRequest.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/gitlabMergeRequest.test.ts
@@ -377,4 +377,178 @@ describe('createGitLabMergeRequest', () => {
       );
     });
   });
+
+  describe('createGitLabMergeRequestWithoutCommitAction', () => {
+    it('default commitAction is create', async () => {
+      const input = {
+        repoUrl: 'gitlab.com?repo=repo&owner=owner',
+        title: 'Create my new MR',
+        branchName: 'new-mr',
+        description: 'This MR is really good',
+        draft: true,
+        targetPath: 'source',
+      };
+      mockFs({
+        [workspacePath]: {
+          source: { 'foo.txt': 'Hello there!' },
+          irrelevant: { 'bar.txt': 'Nothing to see here' },
+        },
+      });
+      const ctx = {
+        createTemporaryDirectory: jest.fn(),
+        output: jest.fn(),
+        logger: getRootLogger(),
+        logStream: new Writable(),
+        input,
+        workspacePath,
+      };
+      await instance.handler(ctx);
+
+      expect(mockGitlabClient.Commits.create).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        'owner/repo',
+        'new-mr',
+        'Create my new MR',
+        [
+          {
+            action: 'create',
+            filePath: 'source/foo.txt',
+            content: 'SGVsbG8gdGhlcmUh',
+            encoding: 'base64',
+            execute_filemode: false,
+          },
+        ],
+      );
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('createGitLabMergeRequestWithCommitAction', () => {
+    it('commitAction is create when create is passed in options', async () => {
+      const input = {
+        repoUrl: 'gitlab.com?repo=repo&owner=owner',
+        title: 'Create my new MR',
+        branchName: 'new-mr',
+        description: 'MR description',
+        commitAction: 'create',
+        draft: true,
+        targetPath: 'source',
+      };
+      mockFs({
+        [workspacePath]: {
+          source: { 'foo.txt': 'Hello there!' },
+          irrelevant: { 'bar.txt': 'Nothing to see here' },
+        },
+      });
+
+      const ctx = {
+        createTemporaryDirectory: jest.fn(),
+        output: jest.fn(),
+        logger: getRootLogger(),
+        logStream: new Writable(),
+        input,
+        workspacePath,
+      };
+      await instance.handler(ctx);
+
+      expect(mockGitlabClient.Commits.create).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        'owner/repo',
+        'new-mr',
+        'Create my new MR',
+        [
+          {
+            action: 'create',
+            filePath: 'source/foo.txt',
+            content: 'SGVsbG8gdGhlcmUh',
+            encoding: 'base64',
+            execute_filemode: false,
+          },
+        ],
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('commitAction is update when update is passed in options', async () => {
+      const input = {
+        repoUrl: 'gitlab.com?repo=repo&owner=owner',
+        title: 'Create my new MR',
+        branchName: 'new-mr',
+        description: 'MR description',
+        commitAction: 'update',
+        draft: true,
+        targetPath: 'source',
+      };
+      mockFs({
+        [workspacePath]: {
+          source: { 'foo.txt': 'Hello there!' },
+          irrelevant: { 'bar.txt': 'Nothing to see here' },
+        },
+      });
+
+      const ctx = {
+        createTemporaryDirectory: jest.fn(),
+        output: jest.fn(),
+        logger: getRootLogger(),
+        logStream: new Writable(),
+        input,
+        workspacePath,
+      };
+      await instance.handler(ctx);
+
+      expect(mockGitlabClient.Commits.create).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        'owner/repo',
+        'new-mr',
+        'Create my new MR',
+        [
+          {
+            action: 'update',
+            filePath: 'source/foo.txt',
+            content: 'SGVsbG8gdGhlcmUh',
+            encoding: 'base64',
+            execute_filemode: false,
+          },
+        ],
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('commitAction is delete when delete is passed in options', async () => {
+      const input = {
+        repoUrl: 'gitlab.com?repo=repo&owner=owner',
+        title: 'Create my new MR',
+        branchName: 'new-mr',
+        description: 'other MR description',
+        commitAction: 'delete',
+        draft: true,
+        targetPath: 'source',
+      };
+      mockFs({
+        [workspacePath]: {
+          source: { 'foo.txt': 'Hello there!' },
+          irrelevant: { 'bar.txt': 'Nothing to see here' },
+        },
+      });
+
+      const ctx = {
+        createTemporaryDirectory: jest.fn(),
+        output: jest.fn(),
+        logger: getRootLogger(),
+        logStream: new Writable(),
+        input,
+        workspacePath,
+      };
+      await instance.handler(ctx);
+
+      expect(mockGitlabClient.Commits.create).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        'owner/repo',
+        'new-mr',
+        'Create my new MR',
+        [
+          {
+            action: 'delete',
+            filePath: 'source/foo.txt',
+            content: 'SGVsbG8gdGhlcmUh',
+            encoding: 'base64',
+            execute_filemode: false,
+          },
+        ],
+      );
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/gitlabMergeRequest.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/gitlabMergeRequest.ts
index 8404f262cc..1410096a73 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/gitlabMergeRequest.ts
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/gitlabMergeRequest.ts
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ export const createPublishGitlabMergeRequestAction = (options: {
     branchName: string;
     targetPath: string;
     token?: string;
+    commitAction?: 'create' | 'delete' | 'update';
     /** @deprecated Use projectPath instead */
     projectid?: string;
     removeSourceBranch?: boolean;
@@ -87,6 +88,13 @@ export const createPublishGitlabMergeRequestAction = (options: {
             type: 'string',
             description: 'The token to use for authorization to GitLab',
           },
+          commitAction: {
+            title: 'Commit action',
+            type: 'string',
+            enum: ['create', 'update', 'delete'],
+            description:
+              'The action to be used for git commit. Defaults to create.',
+          },
           removeSourceBranch: {
             title: 'Delete source branch',
             type: 'boolean',
@@ -176,7 +184,7 @@ export const createPublishGitlabMergeRequestAction = (options: {
       });
 
       const actions: Types.CommitAction[] = fileContents.map(file => ({
-        action: 'create',
+        action: ctx.input.commitAction ?? 'create',
         filePath: path.posix.join(ctx.input.targetPath, file.path),
         encoding: 'base64',
         content: file.content.toString('base64'),