diff --git a/examples/todo-list/src/controllers/todo-list-image.controller.ts b/examples/todo-list/src/controllers/todo-list-image.controller.ts
index d909f4b156bc..e9ff4915f105 100644
--- a/examples/todo-list/src/controllers/todo-list-image.controller.ts
+++ b/examples/todo-list/src/controllers/todo-list-image.controller.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import {TodoListRepository} from '../repositories';
 import {repository} from '@loopback/repository';
-import {param, post, requestBody, get} from '@loopback/rest';
+import {param, post, requestBody, get, HttpErrors} from '@loopback/rest';
 import {TodoListImage} from '../models';
 
 export class TodoListImageController {
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@ export class TodoListImageController {
     },
   })
   async find(@param.path.number('id') id: number): Promise<TodoListImage> {
-    return await this.todoListRepo.image(id).get();
+    const foundImage = await this.todoListRepo.image(id).get();
+    if (!foundImage) {
+      throw new HttpErrors.NotFound();
+    }
+    return foundImage;
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/repository/src/__tests__/acceptance/has-one.relation.acceptance.ts b/packages/repository/src/__tests__/acceptance/has-one.relation.acceptance.ts
index 0343a41443e4..d650daec4d92 100644
--- a/packages/repository/src/__tests__/acceptance/has-one.relation.acceptance.ts
+++ b/packages/repository/src/__tests__/acceptance/has-one.relation.acceptance.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import {
   repository,
   RepositoryMixin,
   Filter,
-  EntityNotFoundError,
 } from '../..';
 import {Address} from '../fixtures/models';
 import {CustomerRepository, AddressRepository} from '../fixtures/repositories';
@@ -75,8 +74,9 @@ describe('hasOne relation', () => {
     const foundAddress = await controller.findCustomerAddress(
       existingCustomerId,
     );
-    expect(foundAddress).to.containEql(address);
-    expect(toJSON(foundAddress)).to.deepEqual(toJSON(address));
+    expect(foundAddress).to.not.be.null();
+    expect(foundAddress!).to.containEql(address);
+    expect(toJSON(foundAddress!)).to.deepEqual(toJSON(address));
 
     const persisted = await addressRepo.find({
       where: {customerId: existingCustomerId},
@@ -104,15 +104,16 @@ describe('hasOne relation', () => {
     expect(persisted[0]).to.deepEqual(foundAddress);
   });
 
-  it('reports EntityNotFound error when related model is deleted', async () => {
+  it('returns null when related model is deleted', async () => {
     const address = await controller.createCustomerAddress(existingCustomerId, {
       street: '123 test avenue',
     });
     await addressRepo.deleteById(address.zipcode);
 
-    await expect(
-      controller.findCustomerAddress(existingCustomerId),
-    ).to.be.rejectedWith(EntityNotFoundError);
+    const foundAddress = await controller.findCustomerAddress(
+      existingCustomerId,
+    );
+    expect(foundAddress).to.be.null();
   });
 
   /*---------------- HELPERS -----------------*/
diff --git a/packages/repository/src/relations/has-one/has-one.repository.ts b/packages/repository/src/relations/has-one/has-one.repository.ts
index 961e39e25f24..fc2a8f6251c8 100644
--- a/packages/repository/src/relations/has-one/has-one.repository.ts
+++ b/packages/repository/src/relations/has-one/has-one.repository.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import {
   constrainFilter,
   EntityCrudRepository,
 } from '../../repositories';
-import {EntityNotFoundError} from '../../errors';
 
 /**
  * CRUD operations for a target repository of a HasMany relation
@@ -38,7 +37,7 @@ export interface HasOneRepository<Target extends Entity> {
   get(
     filter?: Pick<Filter<Target>, Exclude<keyof Filter<Target>, 'where'>>,
     options?: Options,
-  ): Promise<Target>;
+  ): Promise<Target | null>;
 }
 
 export class DefaultHasOneRepository<
@@ -74,16 +73,14 @@ export class DefaultHasOneRepository<
       Exclude<keyof Filter<TargetEntity>, 'where'>
     >,
     options?: Options,
-  ): Promise<TargetEntity> {
+  ): Promise<TargetEntity | null> {
     const targetRepository = await this.getTargetRepository();
     const found = await targetRepository.find(
       Object.assign({limit: 1}, constrainFilter(filter, this.constraint)),
       options,
     );
     if (found.length < 1) {
-      // We don't have a direct access to the foreign key value here :(
-      const id = 'constraint ' + JSON.stringify(this.constraint);
-      throw new EntityNotFoundError(targetRepository.entityClass, id);
+      return null;
     }
     return found[0];
   }