diff --git a/authorizations/authorization-ranger/src/test/java/org/apache/gravitino/authorization/ranger/integration/test/RangerHiveE2EIT.java b/authorizations/authorization-ranger/src/test/java/org/apache/gravitino/authorization/ranger/integration/test/RangerHiveE2EIT.java
index 409ddf48e22..34e5cb4e2a6 100644
--- a/authorizations/authorization-ranger/src/test/java/org/apache/gravitino/authorization/ranger/integration/test/RangerHiveE2EIT.java
+++ b/authorizations/authorization-ranger/src/test/java/org/apache/gravitino/authorization/ranger/integration/test/RangerHiveE2EIT.java
@@ -39,9 +39,11 @@
 import java.util.Map;
 import org.apache.commons.io.FileUtils;
 import org.apache.gravitino.Catalog;
+import org.apache.gravitino.CatalogChange;
 import org.apache.gravitino.Configs;
 import org.apache.gravitino.MetadataObject;
 import org.apache.gravitino.MetadataObjects;
+import org.apache.gravitino.MetalakeChange;
 import org.apache.gravitino.NameIdentifier;
 import org.apache.gravitino.auth.AuthConstants;
 import org.apache.gravitino.auth.AuthenticatorType;
@@ -235,6 +237,20 @@ public void stop() {
     RangerITEnv.cleanup();
   }
 
+  // ISSUE-5947: can't rename a catalog or a metalake
+  @Test
+  void testRenameMetalakeOrCatalog() {
+    Assertions.assertDoesNotThrow(
+        () -> client.alterMetalake(metalakeName, MetalakeChange.rename("new_name")));
+    Assertions.assertDoesNotThrow(
+        () -> client.alterMetalake("new_name", MetalakeChange.rename(metalakeName)));
+
+    Assertions.assertDoesNotThrow(
+        () -> metalake.alterCatalog(catalogName, CatalogChange.rename("new_name")));
+    Assertions.assertDoesNotThrow(
+        () -> metalake.alterCatalog("new_name", CatalogChange.rename(catalogName)));
+  }
+
   @Test
   void testCreateSchema() throws InterruptedException {
     // First, fail to create the schema
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/gravitino/authorization/AuthorizationUtils.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/gravitino/authorization/AuthorizationUtils.java
index ca5866558b4..7c28cafb093 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/gravitino/authorization/AuthorizationUtils.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/gravitino/authorization/AuthorizationUtils.java
@@ -298,9 +298,14 @@ public static void authorizationPluginRenamePrivileges(
           NameIdentifierUtil.toMetadataObject(NameIdentifier.of(ident.namespace(), newName), type);
       MetadataObjectChange renameObject =
           MetadataObjectChange.rename(oldMetadataObject, newMetadataObject);
+
+      String metalake = type == Entity.EntityType.METALAKE ? newName : ident.namespace().level(0);
+
+      // For a renamed catalog, we should pass the new name catalog, otherwise we can't find the
+      // catalog in the entity store
       callAuthorizationPluginForMetadataObject(
-          ident.namespace().level(0),
-          oldMetadataObject,
+          metalake,
+          newMetadataObject,
           authorizationPlugin -> {
             authorizationPlugin.onMetadataUpdated(renameObject);
           });