diff --git a/examples/todo/src/models/_generated/index.ts b/examples/todo/src/models/_generated/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..34db877d1083
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/todo/src/models/_generated/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+// Copyright IBM Corp. 2017,2018. All Rights Reserved.
+// Node module: @loopback/example-todo
+// This file is licensed under the MIT License.
+// License text available at https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT
+
+export * from './todo.base.model';
diff --git a/examples/todo/src/models/_generated/todo.base.model.ts b/examples/todo/src/models/_generated/todo.base.model.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..bd01d205f947
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/todo/src/models/_generated/todo.base.model.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+// Copyright IBM Corp. 2017,2018. All Rights Reserved.
+// Node module: @loopback/example-todo
+// This file is licensed under the MIT License.
+// License text available at https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT
+
+import {Entity, ModelDefinition} from '@loopback/repository';
+const modelDef = require('../todo.model.json');
+
+export class TodoBase extends Entity {
+  static definition = new ModelDefinition(modelDef);
+
+  id?: number;
+  title: string;
+  desc?: string;
+  isComplete: boolean;
+  remindAtAddress?: string;
+  remindAtGeo?: string;
+}
diff --git a/examples/todo/src/models/todo.model.json b/examples/todo/src/models/todo.model.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..350063efa1f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/todo/src/models/todo.model.json
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+{
+  "name": "Todo",
+  "extends": "Entity",
+  "properties": {
+    "id": {
+      "type": "number",
+      "id": true,
+      "required": false
+    },
+    "title": {
+      "type": "string",
+      "required": true
+    },
+    "desc": {
+      "type": "string",
+      "required": false
+    },
+    "isComplete": {
+      "type": "boolean",
+      "required": true,
+      "defaultValue": "false"
+    },
+    "remindAtAddress": {
+      "type": "string",
+      "required": false
+    },
+    "remindAtGeo": {
+      "type": "string",
+      "required": false
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/examples/todo/src/models/todo.model.ts b/examples/todo/src/models/todo.model.ts
index 6f4c45de27f9..4c7cf8e7fa28 100644
--- a/examples/todo/src/models/todo.model.ts
+++ b/examples/todo/src/models/todo.model.ts
@@ -3,48 +3,6 @@
 // This file is licensed under the MIT License.
 // License text available at https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT
 
-import {Entity, property, model} from '@loopback/repository';
+import {TodoBase} from './_generated';
 
-@model()
-export class Todo extends Entity {
-  @property({
-    type: 'number',
-    id: true,
-  })
-  id?: number;
-
-  @property({
-    type: 'string',
-    required: true,
-  })
-  title: string;
-
-  @property({
-    type: 'string',
-  })
-  desc?: string;
-
-  @property({
-    type: 'boolean',
-  })
-  isComplete: boolean;
-
-  @property({
-    type: 'string',
-  })
-  remindAtAddress: string; // address,city,zipcode
-
-  // TODO(bajtos) Use LoopBack's GeoPoint type here
-  @property({
-    type: 'string',
-  })
-  remindAtGeo: string; // latitude,longitude
-
-  getId() {
-    return this.id;
-  }
-
-  constructor(data?: Partial<Todo>) {
-    super(data);
-  }
-}
+export class Todo extends TodoBase {}