diff --git a/metricflow/plan_conversion/dataflow_to_sql.py b/metricflow/plan_conversion/dataflow_to_sql.py
index ac2cb77c7..67d77d2ab 100644
--- a/metricflow/plan_conversion/dataflow_to_sql.py
+++ b/metricflow/plan_conversion/dataflow_to_sql.py
@@ -498,17 +498,15 @@ def visit_join_on_entities_node(self, node: JoinOnEntitiesNode) -> SqlDataSet:
             if join_on_entity:
                 # Remove any instances that already have the join_on_entity as the leading link. This will prevent a duplicate
                 # entity link when we add it in the next step.
-                right_instance_set_filtered = FilterLinkableInstancesWithLeadingLink(join_on_entity).transform(
-                    right_data_set.instance_set
-                )
+                right_instance_set_filtered = FilterLinkableInstancesWithLeadingLink(
+                    join_on_entity.reference
+                ).transform(right_data_set.instance_set)
 
                 # After the right data set is joined, update the entity links to indicate that joining on the entity was
                 # required to reach the spec. If the "country" dimension was joined and "user_id" is the join_on_entity,
                 # then the joined data set should have the "user__country" dimension.
                 new_instances: Tuple[MdoInstance, ...] = ()
                 for original_instance in right_instance_set_filtered.linkable_instances:
-                    if original_instance.spec == join_on_entity:
-                        continue
                     new_instance = original_instance.with_entity_prefix(
                         join_on_entity.reference, column_association_resolver=self._column_association_resolver
                     )
diff --git a/metricflow/plan_conversion/instance_converters.py b/metricflow/plan_conversion/instance_converters.py
index 0d230f3bc..c6e25835b 100644
--- a/metricflow/plan_conversion/instance_converters.py
+++ b/metricflow/plan_conversion/instance_converters.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 from itertools import chain
 from typing import Dict, List, Optional, Sequence, Tuple
 
-from dbt_semantic_interfaces.references import MetricReference, SemanticModelReference
+from dbt_semantic_interfaces.references import EntityReference, MetricReference, SemanticModelReference
 from dbt_semantic_interfaces.type_enums.aggregation_type import AggregationType
 from dbt_semantic_interfaces.type_enums.date_part import DatePart
 from dbt_semantic_interfaces.type_enums.time_granularity import TimeGranularity
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
 from metricflow_semantics.model.semantics.metric_lookup import MetricLookup
 from metricflow_semantics.model.semantics.semantic_model_lookup import SemanticModelLookup
 from metricflow_semantics.specs.column_assoc import ColumnAssociationResolver
-from metricflow_semantics.specs.entity_spec import LinklessEntitySpec
 from metricflow_semantics.specs.instance_spec import InstanceSpec, LinkableInstanceSpec
 from metricflow_semantics.specs.measure_spec import MeasureSpec, MetricInputMeasureSpec
 from metricflow_semantics.specs.spec_set import InstanceSpecSet
@@ -390,15 +389,14 @@ class FilterLinkableInstancesWithLeadingLink(InstanceSetTransform[InstanceSet]):
     e.g. Remove "listing__country" if the specified link is "listing".
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, entity_link: LinklessEntitySpec) -> None:
+    def __init__(self, entity_link: EntityReference) -> None:
         """Remove elements with this link as the first element in "entity_links"."""
         self._entity_link = entity_link
 
     def _should_pass(self, linkable_spec: LinkableInstanceSpec) -> bool:
-        return (
-            len(linkable_spec.entity_links) == 0
-            or LinklessEntitySpec.from_reference(linkable_spec.entity_links[0]) != self._entity_link
-        )
+        if len(linkable_spec.entity_links) == 0:
+            return not linkable_spec.reference == self._entity_link
+        return linkable_spec.entity_links[0] != self._entity_link
 
     def transform(self, instance_set: InstanceSet) -> InstanceSet:  # noqa: D102
         # Normal to not filter anything if the instance set has no instances with links.