diff --git a/packages/repository-json-schema/src/__tests__/integration/build-schema.integration.ts b/packages/repository-json-schema/src/__tests__/integration/build-schema.integration.ts
index ae24f4a0a0a9..a61230f0b56d 100644
--- a/packages/repository-json-schema/src/__tests__/integration/build-schema.integration.ts
+++ b/packages/repository-json-schema/src/__tests__/integration/build-schema.integration.ts
@@ -415,6 +415,45 @@ describe('build-schema', () => {
           expectValidJsonSchema(jsonSchema);
         });
 
+        it('properly handles AJV keywords in property decorator', () => {
+          @model()
+          class TestModel {
+            @property({
+              type: 'string',
+              required: true,
+              jsonSchema: {
+                format: 'email',
+                maxLength: 50,
+                minLength: 5,
+              },
+            })
+            email: string;
+
+            @property({
+              type: 'string',
+              required: true,
+              jsonSchema: {
+                pattern: '(a|b|c)',
+              },
+            })
+            type: string;
+          }
+
+          const jsonSchema = modelToJsonSchema(TestModel);
+          expect(jsonSchema.properties).to.eql({
+            email: {
+              type: 'string',
+              format: 'email',
+              maxLength: 50,
+              minLength: 5,
+            },
+            type: {
+              type: 'string',
+              pattern: '(a|b|c)',
+            },
+          });
+        });
+
         it('properly converts decorated custom array type with a resolver', () => {
           @model()
           class Address {
diff --git a/packages/repository-json-schema/src/__tests__/unit/build-schema.unit.ts b/packages/repository-json-schema/src/__tests__/unit/build-schema.unit.ts
index 1d4598800c81..dc1daa1310ab 100644
--- a/packages/repository-json-schema/src/__tests__/unit/build-schema.unit.ts
+++ b/packages/repository-json-schema/src/__tests__/unit/build-schema.unit.ts
@@ -169,5 +169,25 @@ describe('build-schema', () => {
         description: 'test',
       });
     });
+
+    it('keeps AJV keywords', () => {
+      const schema = metaToJsonProperty({
+        type: String,
+        jsonSchema: {
+          pattern: '(a|b|c)',
+          format: 'email',
+          maxLength: 50,
+          minLength: 5,
+        },
+      });
+
+      expect(schema).to.eql({
+        type: 'string',
+        pattern: '(a|b|c)',
+        format: 'email',
+        maxLength: 50,
+        minLength: 5,
+      });
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/repository-json-schema/src/build-schema.ts b/packages/repository-json-schema/src/build-schema.ts
index 9824ea5b27a2..647a100cf6e8 100644
--- a/packages/repository-json-schema/src/build-schema.ts
+++ b/packages/repository-json-schema/src/build-schema.ts
@@ -127,6 +127,10 @@ export function metaToJsonProperty(meta: PropertyDefinition): JSONSchema {
     });
   }
 
+  if (meta.jsonSchema) {
+    Object.assign(propDef, meta.jsonSchema);
+  }
+
   return result;
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/repository/src/model.ts b/packages/repository/src/model.ts
index 8586f9375644..006749ee5c28 100644
--- a/packages/repository/src/model.ts
+++ b/packages/repository/src/model.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ export interface PropertyDefinition {
   type: PropertyType; // For example, 'string', String, or {}
   id?: boolean | number;
   json?: PropertyForm;
+  jsonSchema?: {[attribute: string]: any};
   store?: PropertyForm;
   itemType?: PropertyType; // type of array
   [attribute: string]: any; // Other attributes