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 5a530272dce6..00ee00e7d572 100644
--- a/packages/boot/src/__tests__/acceptance/crud-rest-builder.acceptance.ts
+++ b/packages/boot/src/__tests__/acceptance/crud-rest-builder.acceptance.ts
@@ -6,10 +6,14 @@
 import {ApplicationConfig} from '@loopback/core';
 import {juggler, RepositoryMixin} from '@loopback/repository';
 import {RestApplication} from '@loopback/rest';
-import {CrudRestComponent} from '@loopback/rest-crud';
+import {
+  CrudRestComponent,
+  defineCrudRepositoryClass,
+} 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;
@@ -53,6 +57,42 @@ 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'),
diff --git a/packages/rest-crud/src/crud-rest-builder.plugin.ts b/packages/rest-crud/src/crud-rest-builder.plugin.ts
index 301618ee974d..79bd45eaaa2d 100644
--- a/packages/rest-crud/src/crud-rest-builder.plugin.ts
+++ b/packages/rest-crud/src/crud-rest-builder.plugin.ts
@@ -50,11 +50,22 @@ export class CrudRestApiBuilder implements ModelApiBuilder {
     }
     const entityClass = modelClass as typeof Entity & {prototype: Entity};
 
-    // TODO Check if the repository class has been already defined.
-    // If yes, then skip creation of the default repository
-    const repositoryClass = setupCrudRepository(entityClass, config);
-    application.repository(repositoryClass);
-    debug('Registered repository class', repositoryClass.name);
+    let repoClassName = entityClass.name + 'Repository';
+
+    try {
+      application.getBinding('repositories.' + repoClassName);
+      debug(
+        'Using repository class',
+        repoClassName,
+        ', as it is already bound to application',
+      );
+    } catch {
+      // repository class does not exist
+      const repositoryClass = setupCrudRepository(entityClass, config);
+      application.repository(repositoryClass);
+      repoClassName = repositoryClass.name;
+      debug('Registered repository class', repoClassName);
+    }
 
     const controllerClass = setupCrudRestController(entityClass, config);
     application.controller(controllerClass);