diff --git a/polaris-core/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/core/entity/CatalogEntity.java b/polaris-core/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/core/entity/CatalogEntity.java
index 99d8557f0b4..53097a61169 100644
--- a/polaris-core/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/core/entity/CatalogEntity.java
+++ b/polaris-core/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/core/entity/CatalogEntity.java
@@ -106,25 +106,25 @@ public Catalog asCatalog() {
         CatalogProperties.builder(propertiesMap.get(DEFAULT_BASE_LOCATION_KEY))
             .putAll(propertiesMap)
             .build();
-    return catalogType == Catalog.TypeEnum.INTERNAL
-        ? PolarisCatalog.builder()
-            .setType(Catalog.TypeEnum.INTERNAL)
+    return catalogType == Catalog.TypeEnum.EXTERNAL
+        ? ExternalCatalog.builder()
+            .setType(Catalog.TypeEnum.EXTERNAL)
             .setName(getName())
             .setProperties(catalogProps)
             .setCreateTimestamp(getCreateTimestamp())
             .setLastUpdateTimestamp(getLastUpdateTimestamp())
             .setEntityVersion(getEntityVersion())
             .setStorageConfigInfo(getStorageInfo(internalProperties))
+            .setConnectionConfigInfo(getConnectionInfo(internalProperties))
             .build()
-        : ExternalCatalog.builder()
-            .setType(Catalog.TypeEnum.EXTERNAL)
+        : PolarisCatalog.builder()
+            .setType(Catalog.TypeEnum.INTERNAL)
             .setName(getName())
             .setProperties(catalogProps)
             .setCreateTimestamp(getCreateTimestamp())
             .setLastUpdateTimestamp(getLastUpdateTimestamp())
             .setEntityVersion(getEntityVersion())
             .setStorageConfigInfo(getStorageInfo(internalProperties))
-            .setConnectionConfigInfo(getConnectionInfo(internalProperties))
             .build();
   }
 
diff --git a/runtime/service/src/test/java/org/apache/polaris/service/quarkus/entity/CatalogEntityTest.java b/runtime/service/src/test/java/org/apache/polaris/service/quarkus/entity/CatalogEntityTest.java
index aa477d0ac25..8fb591369e8 100644
--- a/runtime/service/src/test/java/org/apache/polaris/service/quarkus/entity/CatalogEntityTest.java
+++ b/runtime/service/src/test/java/org/apache/polaris/service/quarkus/entity/CatalogEntityTest.java
@@ -266,4 +266,72 @@ public void testInvalidArn(String roleArn) {
         .isInstanceOf(IllegalArgumentException.class)
         .hasMessage(expectedMessage);
   }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testCatalogTypeDefaultsToInternal() {
+    String baseLocation = "s3://test-bucket/path";
+    AwsStorageConfigInfo storageConfigModel =
+        AwsStorageConfigInfo.builder()
+            .setRoleArn("arn:aws:iam::012345678901:role/test-role")
+            .setExternalId("externalId")
+            .setUserArn("aws::a:user:arn")
+            .setStorageType(StorageConfigInfo.StorageTypeEnum.S3)
+            .setAllowedLocations(List.of(baseLocation))
+            .build();
+    CatalogEntity catalogEntity =
+        new CatalogEntity.Builder()
+            .setName("test-catalog")
+            .setDefaultBaseLocation(baseLocation)
+            .setStorageConfigurationInfo(callContext, storageConfigModel, baseLocation)
+            .build();
+
+    Catalog catalog = catalogEntity.asCatalog();
+    Assertions.assertThat(catalog.getType()).isEqualTo(Catalog.TypeEnum.INTERNAL);
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testCatalogTypeExternalPreserved() {
+    String baseLocation = "s3://test-bucket/path";
+    AwsStorageConfigInfo storageConfigModel =
+        AwsStorageConfigInfo.builder()
+            .setRoleArn("arn:aws:iam::012345678901:role/test-role")
+            .setExternalId("externalId")
+            .setUserArn("aws::a:user:arn")
+            .setStorageType(StorageConfigInfo.StorageTypeEnum.S3)
+            .setAllowedLocations(List.of(baseLocation))
+            .build();
+    CatalogEntity catalogEntity =
+        new CatalogEntity.Builder()
+            .setName("test-external-catalog")
+            .setDefaultBaseLocation(baseLocation)
+            .setCatalogType(Catalog.TypeEnum.EXTERNAL.name())
+            .setStorageConfigurationInfo(callContext, storageConfigModel, baseLocation)
+            .build();
+
+    Catalog catalog = catalogEntity.asCatalog();
+    Assertions.assertThat(catalog.getType()).isEqualTo(Catalog.TypeEnum.EXTERNAL);
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testCatalogTypeInternalExplicitlySet() {
+    String baseLocation = "s3://test-bucket/path";
+    AwsStorageConfigInfo storageConfigModel =
+        AwsStorageConfigInfo.builder()
+            .setRoleArn("arn:aws:iam::012345678901:role/test-role")
+            .setExternalId("externalId")
+            .setUserArn("aws::a:user:arn")
+            .setStorageType(StorageConfigInfo.StorageTypeEnum.S3)
+            .setAllowedLocations(List.of(baseLocation))
+            .build();
+    CatalogEntity catalogEntity =
+        new CatalogEntity.Builder()
+            .setName("test-internal-catalog")
+            .setDefaultBaseLocation(baseLocation)
+            .setCatalogType(Catalog.TypeEnum.INTERNAL.name())
+            .setStorageConfigurationInfo(callContext, storageConfigModel, baseLocation)
+            .build();
+
+    Catalog catalog = catalogEntity.asCatalog();
+    Assertions.assertThat(catalog.getType()).isEqualTo(Catalog.TypeEnum.INTERNAL);
+  }
 }