diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/repository/aot/RepositoryRuntimeHints.java b/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/repository/aot/RepositoryRuntimeHints.java
index d9d011827..000a5b3ef 100644
--- a/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/repository/aot/RepositoryRuntimeHints.java
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/repository/aot/RepositoryRuntimeHints.java
@@ -24,10 +24,12 @@ import org.springframework.aot.hint.RuntimeHints;
 import org.springframework.aot.hint.RuntimeHintsRegistrar;
 import org.springframework.aot.hint.TypeReference;
 import org.springframework.data.mongodb.aot.MongoAotPredicates;
+import org.springframework.data.mongodb.repository.support.CrudMethodMetadata;
 import org.springframework.data.mongodb.repository.support.QuerydslMongoPredicateExecutor;
 import org.springframework.data.mongodb.repository.support.ReactiveQuerydslMongoPredicateExecutor;
 import org.springframework.data.querydsl.QuerydslUtils;
 import org.springframework.lang.Nullable;
+import org.springframework.util.ClassUtils;
 
 /**
  * @author Christoph Strobl
@@ -43,6 +45,15 @@ class RepositoryRuntimeHints implements RuntimeHintsRegistrar {
 				builder -> builder.withMembers(MemberCategory.INVOKE_DECLARED_CONSTRUCTORS,
 						MemberCategory.INVOKE_PUBLIC_METHODS));
 
+		if (isAopPresent(classLoader)) {
+
+			// required for pushing ReadPreference,... into the default repository implementation
+			hints.proxies().registerJdkProxy(CrudMethodMetadata.class, //
+					org.springframework.aop.SpringProxy.class, //
+					org.springframework.aop.framework.Advised.class, //
+					org.springframework.core.DecoratingProxy.class);
+		}
+
 		if (isReactorPresent()) {
 
 			hints.reflection().registerTypes(
@@ -77,4 +88,8 @@ class RepositoryRuntimeHints implements RuntimeHintsRegistrar {
 					MemberCategory.INVOKE_DECLARED_CONSTRUCTORS);
 		}
 	}
+
+	private static boolean isAopPresent(@Nullable ClassLoader classLoader) {
+		return ClassUtils.isPresent("org.springframework.aop.Pointcut", classLoader);
+	}
 }
diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/repository/aot/RepositoryRuntimeHintsUnitTests.java b/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/repository/aot/RepositoryRuntimeHintsUnitTests.java
index 59e1f20e9..c3a67ddbc 100644
--- a/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/repository/aot/RepositoryRuntimeHintsUnitTests.java
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/repository/aot/RepositoryRuntimeHintsUnitTests.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import org.springframework.aot.hint.RuntimeHints;
 import org.springframework.aot.hint.predicate.RuntimeHintsPredicates;
 import org.springframework.data.mongodb.classloading.HidingClassLoader;
+import org.springframework.data.mongodb.repository.support.CrudMethodMetadata;
 import org.springframework.data.mongodb.repository.support.QuerydslMongoPredicateExecutor;
 import org.springframework.data.mongodb.repository.support.ReactiveQuerydslMongoPredicateExecutor;
 
@@ -64,4 +65,16 @@ class RepositoryRuntimeHintsUnitTests {
 		assertThat(runtimeHints).matches(RuntimeHintsPredicates.reflection().onType(QuerydslMongoPredicateExecutor.class)
 				.and(RuntimeHintsPredicates.reflection().onType(ReactiveQuerydslMongoPredicateExecutor.class).negate()));
 	}
+
+	@Test // GH-2971, GH-4534
+	void registersProxyForCrudMethodMetadata() {
+
+		RuntimeHints runtimeHints = new RuntimeHints();
+		new RepositoryRuntimeHints().registerHints(runtimeHints, null);
+
+		assertThat(runtimeHints).matches(RuntimeHintsPredicates.proxies().forInterfaces(CrudMethodMetadata.class, //
+				org.springframework.aop.SpringProxy.class, //
+				org.springframework.aop.framework.Advised.class, //
+				org.springframework.core.DecoratingProxy.class));
+	}
 }