diff --git a/backend/src/graphql/resolvers/BalanceResolver.ts b/backend/src/graphql/resolvers/BalanceResolver.ts
index 1d1afaa2a..4c83bbbcd 100644
--- a/backend/src/graphql/resolvers/BalanceResolver.ts
+++ b/backend/src/graphql/resolvers/BalanceResolver.ts
@@ -2,9 +2,10 @@
 /* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/explicit-module-boundary-types */
 
 import { Resolver, Query, Ctx, Authorized } from 'type-graphql'
+import { getCustomRepository } from 'typeorm'
 import { Balance } from '../models/Balance'
-import { User as dbUser } from '../../typeorm/entity/User'
-import { Balance as dbBalance } from '../../typeorm/entity/Balance'
+import { BalanceRepository } from '../../typeorm/repository/Balance'
+import { UserRepository } from '../../typeorm/repository/User'
 import { calculateDecay } from '../../util/decay'
 import { roundFloorFrom4 } from '../../util/round'
 
@@ -14,8 +15,11 @@ export class BalanceResolver {
   @Query(() => Balance)
   async balance(@Ctx() context: any): Promise<Balance> {
     // load user and balance
-    const userEntity = await dbUser.findByPubkeyHex(context.pubKey)
-    const balanceEntity = await dbBalance.findByUser(userEntity.id)
+    const balanceRepository = getCustomRepository(BalanceRepository)
+    const userRepository = getCustomRepository(UserRepository)
+
+    const userEntity = await userRepository.findByPubkeyHex(context.pubKey)
+    const balanceEntity = await balanceRepository.findByUser(userEntity.id)
     let balance: Balance
     const now = new Date()
     if (balanceEntity) {
diff --git a/backend/src/typeorm/entity/Balance.ts b/backend/src/typeorm/entity/Balance.ts
index 23b21de78..c1ca359f1 100644
--- a/backend/src/typeorm/entity/Balance.ts
+++ b/backend/src/typeorm/entity/Balance.ts
@@ -16,8 +16,4 @@ export class Balance extends BaseEntity {
 
   @Column({ type: 'bigint' })
   amount: number
-
-  static findByUser(userId: number): Promise<Balance | undefined> {
-    return this.createQueryBuilder('balance').where('balance.userId = :userId', { userId }).getOne()
-  }
 }
diff --git a/backend/src/typeorm/repository/Balance.ts b/backend/src/typeorm/repository/Balance.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2cec58fdf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/src/typeorm/repository/Balance.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+import { EntityRepository, Repository } from 'typeorm'
+import { Balance } from '../entity/Balance'
+
+@EntityRepository(Balance)
+export class BalanceRepository extends Repository<Balance> {
+  findByUser(userId: number): Promise<Balance | undefined> {
+    return this.createQueryBuilder('balance')
+      .where('balance.userId = :userId', { userId })
+      .getOneOrFail()
+  }
+}