diff --git a/packages/boot/src/__tests__/acceptance/crud-rest-builder.acceptance.ts b/packages/boot/src/__tests__/acceptance/crud-rest-builder.acceptance.ts
index 00ee00e7d572..f9ed3b0b3bdb 100644
--- a/packages/boot/src/__tests__/acceptance/crud-rest-builder.acceptance.ts
+++ b/packages/boot/src/__tests__/acceptance/crud-rest-builder.acceptance.ts
@@ -6,14 +6,10 @@
 import {ApplicationConfig} from '@loopback/core';
 import {juggler, RepositoryMixin} from '@loopback/repository';
 import {RestApplication} from '@loopback/rest';
-import {
-  CrudRestComponent,
-  defineCrudRepositoryClass,
-} from '@loopback/rest-crud';
+import {CrudRestComponent} from '@loopback/rest-crud';
 import {expect, givenHttpServerConfig, TestSandbox} from '@loopback/testlab';
 import {resolve} from 'path';
 import {BootMixin, ModelApiBooter} from '../..';
-import {Product} from '../fixtures/product.model';
 
 describe('CRUD rest builder acceptance tests', () => {
   let app: BooterApp;
@@ -57,42 +53,6 @@ module.exports = {
     );
   });
 
-  it('uses bound repository class if it exists', async () => {
-    await sandbox.copyFile(
-      resolve(__dirname, '../fixtures/product.model.js'),
-      'models/product.model.js',
-    );
-
-    await sandbox.writeTextFile(
-      'model-endpoints/product.rest-config.js',
-      `
-const {Product} = require('../models/product.model');
-module.exports = {
-  model: Product,
-  pattern: 'CrudRest',
-  dataSource: 'db',
-  basePath: '/products',
-};
-      `,
-    );
-
-    const ProductRepository = defineCrudRepositoryClass(Product);
-    app.repository(ProductRepository);
-
-    const binding = app.getBinding('repositories.ProductRepository');
-    expect(binding.key).to.eql('repositories.ProductRepository');
-
-    // Boot & start the application
-    await app.boot();
-    await app.start();
-
-    expect(app.getBinding('repositories.ProductRepository')).to.eql(binding);
-
-    expect(app.getBinding('controllers.ProductController').key).to.eql(
-      'controllers.ProductController',
-    );
-  });
-
   it('throws if there is no base path in the config', async () => {
     await sandbox.copyFile(
       resolve(__dirname, '../fixtures/product.model.js'),
@@ -138,7 +98,7 @@ module.exports = {
 
     // Boot the application
     await expect(app.boot()).to.be.rejectedWith(
-      /CrudRestController requires an Entity, Models are not supported/,
+      /CrudRestController requires a model that extends 'Entity'./,
     );
   });
 
diff --git a/packages/rest-crud/README.md b/packages/rest-crud/README.md
index f05849a39777..769b1a9e21df 100644
--- a/packages/rest-crud/README.md
+++ b/packages/rest-crud/README.md
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@ export class TryApplication extends BootMixin(
 ```
 
 Create a new file for the configuration, e.g.
-`src/model-endpoints/product.rest-config.ts`:
+`src/model-endpoints/product.rest-config.ts` that defines the `model`,
+`pattern`, `dataSource`, and `basePath` properties:
 
 ```ts
 import {ModelCrudRestApiConfig} from '@loopback/rest-crud';
diff --git a/packages/rest-crud/src/crud-rest-builder.plugin.ts b/packages/rest-crud/src/crud-rest-builder.plugin.ts
index 79bd45eaaa2d..06bfb942491b 100644
--- a/packages/rest-crud/src/crud-rest-builder.plugin.ts
+++ b/packages/rest-crud/src/crud-rest-builder.plugin.ts
@@ -45,21 +45,20 @@ export class CrudRestApiBuilder implements ModelApiBuilder {
 
     if (!(modelClass.prototype instanceof Entity)) {
       throw new Error(
-        `CrudRestController requires an Entity, Models are not supported. (Model name: ${modelName})`,
+        `CrudRestController requires a model that extends 'Entity'. (Model name ${modelName} does not extend 'Entity')`,
       );
     }
     const entityClass = modelClass as typeof Entity & {prototype: Entity};
 
     let repoClassName = entityClass.name + 'Repository';
 
-    try {
-      application.getBinding('repositories.' + repoClassName);
+    if (application.isBound('repositories.' + repoClassName)) {
       debug(
         'Using repository class',
         repoClassName,
         ', as it is already bound to application',
       );
-    } catch {
+    } else {
       // repository class does not exist
       const repositoryClass = setupCrudRepository(entityClass, config);
       application.repository(repositoryClass);
@@ -79,19 +78,15 @@ export class CrudRestApiBuilder implements ModelApiBuilder {
  * Set up a CRUD Repository class for the given Entity class.
  *
  * @param entityClass - the Entity class the repository is built for
- * @param modelConfig - configuration of the Entity class
+ * @param config - configuration of the Entity class
  */
 function setupCrudRepository(
   entityClass: typeof Entity & {prototype: Entity},
-  modelConfig: ModelCrudRestApiConfig,
+  config: ModelCrudRestApiConfig,
 ): Class<EntityCrudRepository<Entity, unknown>> {
   const repositoryClass = defineCrudRepositoryClass(entityClass);
 
-  inject(`datasources.${modelConfig.dataSource}`)(
-    repositoryClass,
-    undefined,
-    0,
-  );
+  inject(`datasources.${config.dataSource}`)(repositoryClass, undefined, 99);
 
   return repositoryClass;
 }
@@ -100,17 +95,17 @@ function setupCrudRepository(
  * Set up a CRUD Controller class for the given Entity class.
  *
  * @param entityClass - the Entity class the controller is built for
- * @param modelConfig - configuration of the Entity class
+ * @param config - configuration of the Entity class
  */
 function setupCrudRestController(
   entityClass: typeof Entity & {prototype: Entity},
-  modelConfig: ModelCrudRestApiConfig,
+  config: ModelCrudRestApiConfig,
 ): ControllerClass {
   const controllerClass = defineCrudRestController(
     entityClass,
     // important - forward the entire config object to allow controller
     // factories to accept additional (custom) config options
-    modelConfig,
+    config,
   );
 
   inject(`repositories.${entityClass.name}Repository`)(