diff --git a/packages/cli/generators/relation/belongs-to-relation.generator.js b/packages/cli/generators/relation/belongs-to-relation.generator.js
index f5a1d46e180d..f26c7c3e8232 100644
--- a/packages/cli/generators/relation/belongs-to-relation.generator.js
+++ b/packages/cli/generators/relation/belongs-to-relation.generator.js
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ module.exports = class BelongsToRelationGenerator extends (
     );
 
     this.artifactInfo.relationPropertyName = options.relationName;
+    this.artifactInfo.keyTo = options.keyTo;
     this.artifactInfo.targetModelPrimaryKey =
       options.destinationModelPrimaryKey;
     this.artifactInfo.targetModelPrimaryKeyType =
@@ -85,7 +86,11 @@ module.exports = class BelongsToRelationGenerator extends (
     const relationName = options.relationName;
     const defaultRelationName = options.defaultRelationName;
     const foreignKeyName = options.foreignKeyName;
-    const fktype = options.destinationModelPrimaryKeyType;
+    const keyTo = options.keyTo;
+    const fktype = keyTo
+      ? relationUtils.getModelPropertyType(modelDir, targetModel, keyTo) ||
+        options.destinationModelPrimaryKeyType
+      : options.destinationModelPrimaryKeyType;
 
     const project = new relationUtils.AstLoopBackProject();
     const sourceFile = relationUtils.addFileToProject(
@@ -103,6 +108,7 @@ module.exports = class BelongsToRelationGenerator extends (
       defaultRelationName,
       foreignKeyName,
       fktype,
+      keyTo,
     );
 
     relationUtils.addProperty(sourceClass, modelProperty);
@@ -123,12 +129,19 @@ module.exports = class BelongsToRelationGenerator extends (
     defaultRelationName,
     foreignKeyName,
     fktype,
+    keyTo,
   ) {
+    const keyToOption = keyTo ? `, keyTo: '${keyTo}'` : '';
+
     // checks if relation name is customized
     let relationDecorator = [
       {
         name: 'belongsTo',
-        arguments: [`() =>  ${className}`],
+        arguments: [
+          keyTo
+            ? `() =>  ${className}, {keyTo: '${keyTo}'}`
+            : `() =>  ${className}`,
+        ],
       },
     ];
     // already checked if the relation name is the same as the source key before
@@ -136,7 +149,9 @@ module.exports = class BelongsToRelationGenerator extends (
       relationDecorator = [
         {
           name: 'belongsTo',
-          arguments: [`() =>  ${className}, {name: '${relationName}'}`],
+          arguments: [
+            `() =>  ${className}, {name: '${relationName}'${keyToOption}}`,
+          ],
         },
       ];
     }
diff --git a/packages/cli/generators/relation/index.js b/packages/cli/generators/relation/index.js
index 0c7cb5703e50..163c49ecb422 100644
--- a/packages/cli/generators/relation/index.js
+++ b/packages/cli/generators/relation/index.js
@@ -761,6 +761,10 @@ module.exports = class RelationGenerator extends ArtifactGenerator {
 
     debug('Invoke generator...');
 
+    if (this.options.keyTo) {
+      this.artifactInfo.keyTo = this.options.keyTo;
+    }
+
     let relationGenerator;
 
     this.artifactInfo.name = this.artifactInfo.relationType;
diff --git a/packages/cli/generators/relation/templates/controller-relation-template-belongs-to.ts.ejs b/packages/cli/generators/relation/templates/controller-relation-template-belongs-to.ts.ejs
index 1451cb6cfb7b..e70f3ec0cb78 100644
--- a/packages/cli/generators/relation/templates/controller-relation-template-belongs-to.ts.ejs
+++ b/packages/cli/generators/relation/templates/controller-relation-template-belongs-to.ts.ejs
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ export class <%= controllerClassName %> {
   @get('/<%= sourceModelPath %>/{id}/<%= targetModelName %>', {
     responses: {
       '200': {
-        description: '<%= targetModelClassName %> belonging to <%= sourceModelClassName %>',
+        description: '<%= targetModelClassName %> belonging to <%= sourceModelClassName %><%= keyTo ? " (resolved via " + targetModelClassName + "." + keyTo + ")" : "" %>',
         content: {
           'application/json': {
             schema: getModelSchemaRef(<%= targetModelClassName %>),
diff --git a/packages/cli/snapshots/integration/generators/relation.belongs-to.integration.snapshots.js b/packages/cli/snapshots/integration/generators/relation.belongs-to.integration.snapshots.js
index 3c7de80928d5..9f2bbb360d26 100644
--- a/packages/cli/snapshots/integration/generators/relation.belongs-to.integration.snapshots.js
+++ b/packages/cli/snapshots/integration/generators/relation.belongs-to.integration.snapshots.js
@@ -373,3 +373,147 @@ export class Employee extends Entity {
 }
 
 `;
+
+
+exports[`lb4 relation generates belongsTo relation with keyTo option generated model includes keyTo in belongsTo decorator 1`] = `
+import {Entity, model, property, belongsTo} from '@loopback/repository';
+import {Customer} from './customer.model';
+
+@model()
+export class Order extends Entity {
+  @property({
+    type: 'number',
+    id: true,
+    default: 0,
+  })
+  id?: number;
+
+  @property({
+    type: 'string',
+  })
+  name?: string;
+
+  @belongsTo(() => Customer, {keyTo: 'name'})
+  customerId: string;
+
+  constructor(data?: Partial<Order>) {
+    super(data);
+  }
+}
+
+`;
+
+
+exports[`lb4 relation generates belongsTo relation with keyTo option generated controller description includes resolved via reference 1`] = `
+import {
+  repository,
+} from '@loopback/repository';
+import {
+  param,
+  get,
+  getModelSchemaRef,
+} from '@loopback/rest';
+import {
+  Order,
+  Customer,
+} from '../models';
+import {OrderRepository} from '../repositories';
+
+export class OrderCustomerController {
+  constructor(
+    @repository(OrderRepository)
+    public orderRepository: OrderRepository,
+  ) { }
+
+  @get('/orders/{id}/customer', {
+    responses: {
+      '200': {
+        description: 'Customer belonging to Order (resolved via Customer.name)',
+        content: {
+          'application/json': {
+            schema: getModelSchemaRef(Customer),
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    },
+  })
+  async getCustomer(
+    @param.path.number('id') id: typeof Order.prototype.id,
+  ): Promise<Customer> {
+    return this.orderRepository.customer(id);
+  }
+}
+
+`;
+
+
+exports[`lb4 relation generates belongsTo relation with keyTo and custom relation name generated model includes both name and keyTo in belongsTo decorator 1`] = `
+import {Entity, model, property, belongsTo} from '@loopback/repository';
+import {Customer} from './customer.model';
+
+@model()
+export class Order extends Entity {
+  @property({
+    type: 'number',
+    id: true,
+    default: 0,
+  })
+  id?: number;
+
+  @property({
+    type: 'string',
+  })
+  name?: string;
+
+  @belongsTo(() => Customer, {name: 'myCustomer', keyTo: 'name'})
+  customerId: string;
+
+  constructor(data?: Partial<Order>) {
+    super(data);
+  }
+}
+
+`;
+
+
+exports[`lb4 relation generates belongsTo relation with keyTo and custom relation name generated controller description includes resolved via reference with custom relation name 1`] = `
+import {
+  repository,
+} from '@loopback/repository';
+import {
+  param,
+  get,
+  getModelSchemaRef,
+} from '@loopback/rest';
+import {
+  Order,
+  Customer,
+} from '../models';
+import {OrderRepository} from '../repositories';
+
+export class OrderCustomerController {
+  constructor(
+    @repository(OrderRepository)
+    public orderRepository: OrderRepository,
+  ) { }
+
+  @get('/orders/{id}/customer', {
+    responses: {
+      '200': {
+        description: 'Customer belonging to Order (resolved via Customer.name)',
+        content: {
+          'application/json': {
+            schema: getModelSchemaRef(Customer),
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    },
+  })
+  async getCustomer(
+    @param.path.number('id') id: typeof Order.prototype.id,
+  ): Promise<Customer> {
+    return this.orderRepository.myCustomer(id);
+  }
+}
+
+`;
diff --git a/packages/cli/test/integration/generators/relation.belongs-to.integration.js b/packages/cli/test/integration/generators/relation.belongs-to.integration.js
index b3a89f045d71..04d36ec493cf 100644
--- a/packages/cli/test/integration/generators/relation.belongs-to.integration.js
+++ b/packages/cli/test/integration/generators/relation.belongs-to.integration.js
@@ -497,4 +497,81 @@ describe('lb4 relation', /** @this {Mocha.Suite} */ function () {
       });
     },
   );
+
+  context('generates belongsTo relation with keyTo option', () => {
+    before(async function runGeneratorWithAnswers() {
+      await sandbox.reset();
+      await testUtils
+        .executeGenerator(generator)
+        .inDir(sandbox.path, () =>
+          testUtils.givenLBProject(sandbox.path, {
+            additionalFiles: SANDBOX_FILES,
+          }),
+        )
+        .withArguments([
+          '--config',
+          `{"relationType":"belongsTo","sourceModel":"Order","destinationModel":"Customer","foreignKeyName":"customerId","keyTo":"name"}`,
+        ]);
+    });
+
+    it('generated model includes keyTo in belongsTo decorator', async () => {
+      const sourceFilePath = path.join(
+        sandbox.path,
+        MODEL_APP_PATH,
+        sourceFileName,
+      );
+      assert.file(sourceFilePath);
+      expectFileToMatchSnapshot(sourceFilePath);
+    });
+
+    it('generated controller description includes resolved via reference', async () => {
+      const filePath = path.join(
+        sandbox.path,
+        CONTROLLER_PATH,
+        controllerFileName,
+      );
+      assert.file(filePath);
+      expectFileToMatchSnapshot(filePath);
+    });
+  });
+
+  context(
+    'generates belongsTo relation with keyTo and custom relation name',
+    () => {
+      before(async function runGeneratorWithAnswers() {
+        await sandbox.reset();
+        await testUtils
+          .executeGenerator(generator)
+          .inDir(sandbox.path, () =>
+            testUtils.givenLBProject(sandbox.path, {
+              additionalFiles: SANDBOX_FILES,
+            }),
+          )
+          .withArguments([
+            '--config',
+            `{"relationType":"belongsTo","sourceModel":"Order","destinationModel":"Customer","foreignKeyName":"customerId","relationName":"myCustomer","keyTo":"name"}`,
+          ]);
+      });
+
+      it('generated model includes both name and keyTo in belongsTo decorator', async () => {
+        const sourceFilePath = path.join(
+          sandbox.path,
+          MODEL_APP_PATH,
+          sourceFileName,
+        );
+        assert.file(sourceFilePath);
+        expectFileToMatchSnapshot(sourceFilePath);
+      });
+
+      it('generated controller description includes resolved via reference with custom relation name', async () => {
+        const filePath = path.join(
+          sandbox.path,
+          CONTROLLER_PATH,
+          controllerFileName,
+        );
+        assert.file(filePath);
+        expectFileToMatchSnapshot(filePath);
+      });
+    },
+  );
 });