Even though enterprise architecture management (EAM) offers a wide range of methods and tools for aligning business with IT, an architect’s work is challenged by reality. The evolution of enterprise architecture (EA) and given constraints (e.g. legacy systems and processes) lead to debts which may complicate and hinder opportunities; however, the management of such debts has not been considered in EAM research. This paper presents a framework for strategically managing EA-debt-related issues and propose open questions as well as future research directions in this field.