diff --git a/packages/core/docs.json b/packages/core/docs.json
index 01c4befdb150..f4634ab5e5c0 100644
--- a/packages/core/docs.json
+++ b/packages/core/docs.json
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
   "content": [
     "index.ts",
     "src/application.ts",
-    "src/booter.ts",
     "src/component.ts",
     "src/index.ts",
     "src/keys.ts",
diff --git a/packages/core/src/application.ts b/packages/core/src/application.ts
index a4aa77f4cd3f..9c437d45f57f 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/application.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/application.ts
@@ -28,10 +28,10 @@ export class Application extends Context {
   /**
    * Register a controller class with this application.
    *
-   * @param {Function} controllerCtor The controller class
-   * (constructor function)
+   * @param controllerCtor {Function} The controller class
+   * (constructor function).
    * @param {string=} name Optional controller name, default to the class name
-   * @returns {Binding} The newly created binding, you can use the reference to
+   * @return {Binding} The newly created binding, you can use the reference to
    * further modify the binding, e.g. lock the value to prevent further
    * modifications.
    *
@@ -43,9 +43,9 @@ export class Application extends Context {
    */
   controller(controllerCtor: ControllerClass, name?: string): Binding {
     name = name || controllerCtor.name;
-    return this.bind(`${CoreBindings.CONTROLLERS_PREFIX}.${name}`)
+    return this.bind(`controllers.${name}`)
       .toClass(controllerCtor)
-      .tag(CoreBindings.CONTROLLERS_TAG);
+      .tag('controller');
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/packages/core/src/keys.ts b/packages/core/src/keys.ts
index 81089f81d562..cdf5d9339d93 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/keys.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/keys.ts
@@ -23,10 +23,6 @@ export namespace CoreBindings {
    */
   export const SERVERS = 'servers';
 
-  // Binding Constant prefixes / tags
-  export const CONTROLLERS_PREFIX = 'controllers';
-  export const CONTROLLERS_TAG = 'controller';
-
   // controller
   /**
    * Binding key for the controller class resolved in the current request
diff --git a/packages/core/test/unit/application.test.ts b/packages/core/test/unit/application.test.ts
index edef7f14e873..5fd3ece0ccc3 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/unit/application.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/unit/application.test.ts
@@ -4,17 +4,16 @@
 // License text available at https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT
 
 import {expect} from '@loopback/testlab';
-import {Application, Server, Component} from '../..';
+import {Application, Server, Component} from '../../index';
 import {Context, Constructor} from '@loopback/context';
 
 describe('Application', () => {
-  let app: Application;
-
-  beforeEach(givenApp);
-
   describe('controller binding', () => {
+    let app: Application;
     class MyController {}
 
+    beforeEach(givenApp);
+
     it('binds a controller', () => {
       const binding = app.controller(MyController);
       expect(Array.from(binding.tags)).to.containEql('controller');
@@ -28,14 +27,21 @@ describe('Application', () => {
       expect(binding.key).to.equal('controllers.my-controller');
       expect(findKeysByTag(app, 'controller')).to.containEql(binding.key);
     });
+
+    function givenApp() {
+      app = new Application();
+    }
   });
 
   describe('component binding', () => {
+    let app: Application;
     class MyController {}
     class MyComponent implements Component {
       controllers = [MyController];
     }
 
+    beforeEach(givenApp);
+
     it('binds a component', () => {
       app.component(MyComponent);
       expect(findKeysByTag(app, 'component')).to.containEql(
@@ -49,10 +55,15 @@ describe('Application', () => {
         'components.my-component',
       );
     });
+
+    function givenApp() {
+      app = new Application();
+    }
   });
 
   describe('server binding', () => {
     it('defaults to constructor name', async () => {
+      const app = new Application();
       const binding = app.server(FakeServer);
       expect(Array.from(binding.tags)).to.containEql('server');
       const result = await app.getServer(FakeServer.name);
@@ -60,6 +71,7 @@ describe('Application', () => {
     });
 
     it('allows custom name', async () => {
+      const app = new Application();
       const name = 'customName';
       app.server(FakeServer, name);
       const result = await app.getServer(name);
@@ -67,6 +79,7 @@ describe('Application', () => {
     });
 
     it('allows binding of multiple servers as an array', async () => {
+      const app = new Application();
       const bindings = app.servers([FakeServer, AnotherServer]);
       expect(Array.from(bindings[0].tags)).to.containEql('server');
       expect(Array.from(bindings[1].tags)).to.containEql('server');
@@ -79,6 +92,7 @@ describe('Application', () => {
 
   describe('start', () => {
     it('starts all injected servers', async () => {
+      const app = new Application();
       app.component(FakeComponent);
 
       await app.start();
@@ -89,6 +103,7 @@ describe('Application', () => {
     });
 
     it('does not attempt to start poorly named bindings', async () => {
+      const app = new Application();
       app.component(FakeComponent);
 
       // The app.start should not attempt to start this binding.
@@ -98,10 +113,6 @@ describe('Application', () => {
     });
   });
 
-  function givenApp() {
-    app = new Application();
-  }
-
   function findKeysByTag(ctx: Context, tag: string | RegExp) {
     return ctx.findByTag(tag).map(binding => binding.key);
   }