diff --git a/rules-tests/TypeDeclaration/Rector/ClassMethod/ReturnTypeFromGetRepositoryDocblockRector/Fixture/get_repository_via_variable.php.inc b/rules-tests/TypeDeclaration/Rector/ClassMethod/ReturnTypeFromGetRepositoryDocblockRector/Fixture/get_repository_via_variable.php.inc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b3f8bab0213
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rules-tests/TypeDeclaration/Rector/ClassMethod/ReturnTypeFromGetRepositoryDocblockRector/Fixture/get_repository_via_variable.php.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Rector\Tests\TypeDeclaration\Rector\ClassMethod\ReturnTypeFromGetRepositoryDocblockRector\Fixture;
+
+use Doctrine\ORM\EntityManagerInterface;
+use Rector\Tests\TypeDeclaration\Rector\ClassMethod\ReturnTypeFromGetRepositoryDocblockRector\Source\EventRepository;
+
+final class GetRepositoryViaVariable
+{
+    public function __construct(private EntityManagerInterface $em)
+    {
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return EventRepository
+     */
+    public function getRepository()
+    {
+        /** @var EventRepository $repo */
+        $repo = $this->em->getRepository(Event::class);
+
+        $repo->setDispatcher($this->dispatcher);
+
+        return $repo;
+    }
+}
+
+?>
+-----
+<?php
+
+namespace Rector\Tests\TypeDeclaration\Rector\ClassMethod\ReturnTypeFromGetRepositoryDocblockRector\Fixture;
+
+use Doctrine\ORM\EntityManagerInterface;
+use Rector\Tests\TypeDeclaration\Rector\ClassMethod\ReturnTypeFromGetRepositoryDocblockRector\Source\EventRepository;
+
+final class GetRepositoryViaVariable
+{
+    public function __construct(private EntityManagerInterface $em)
+    {
+    }
+
+    public function getRepository(): \Rector\Tests\TypeDeclaration\Rector\ClassMethod\ReturnTypeFromGetRepositoryDocblockRector\Source\EventRepository
+    {
+        /** @var EventRepository $repo */
+        $repo = $this->em->getRepository(Event::class);
+
+        $repo->setDispatcher($this->dispatcher);
+
+        return $repo;
+    }
+}
+
+?>
diff --git a/rules-tests/TypeDeclaration/Rector/ClassMethod/ReturnTypeFromGetRepositoryDocblockRector/Fixture/skip_reassigned_variable.php.inc b/rules-tests/TypeDeclaration/Rector/ClassMethod/ReturnTypeFromGetRepositoryDocblockRector/Fixture/skip_reassigned_variable.php.inc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0afb9270f81
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rules-tests/TypeDeclaration/Rector/ClassMethod/ReturnTypeFromGetRepositoryDocblockRector/Fixture/skip_reassigned_variable.php.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Rector\Tests\TypeDeclaration\Rector\ClassMethod\ReturnTypeFromGetRepositoryDocblockRector\Fixture;
+
+use Doctrine\ORM\EntityManagerInterface;
+use Rector\Tests\TypeDeclaration\Rector\ClassMethod\ReturnTypeFromGetRepositoryDocblockRector\Source\EventRepository;
+
+final class SkipReassignedVariable
+{
+    public function __construct(private EntityManagerInterface $em)
+    {
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return EventRepository
+     */
+    public function getRepository()
+    {
+        $repo = $this->em->getRepository(Event::class);
+        $repo = someOther();
+
+        return $repo;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/rules/TypeDeclaration/Rector/ClassMethod/ReturnTypeFromGetRepositoryDocblockRector.php b/rules/TypeDeclaration/Rector/ClassMethod/ReturnTypeFromGetRepositoryDocblockRector.php
index 4895b9b8b8d..9e1fb312ea3 100644
--- a/rules/TypeDeclaration/Rector/ClassMethod/ReturnTypeFromGetRepositoryDocblockRector.php
+++ b/rules/TypeDeclaration/Rector/ClassMethod/ReturnTypeFromGetRepositoryDocblockRector.php
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@
 namespace Rector\TypeDeclaration\Rector\ClassMethod;
 
 use PhpParser\Node;
+use PhpParser\Node\Expr\Assign;
 use PhpParser\Node\Expr\MethodCall;
+use PhpParser\Node\Expr\Variable;
 use PhpParser\Node\Name;
 use PhpParser\Node\Stmt\ClassMethod;
 use PHPStan\PhpDocParser\Ast\PhpDoc\ReturnTagValueNode;
@@ -141,11 +143,28 @@ private function isGetRepositoryReturnOnly(ClassMethod $classMethod): bool
             return false;
         }
 
-        $methodCall = $returns[0]->expr;
-        if (! $methodCall instanceof MethodCall) {
-            return false;
+        $returnedExpr = $returns[0]->expr;
+
+        // direct return: return $this->em->getRepository(...);
+        if ($returnedExpr instanceof MethodCall) {
+            return $this->isGetRepositoryMethodCall($returnedExpr);
+        }
+
+        // indirect return: $repo = $this->em->getRepository(...); ...; return $repo;
+        if ($returnedExpr instanceof Variable) {
+            $assignedMethodCall = $this->findVariableAssignMethodCall($classMethod, $returnedExpr);
+            if (! $assignedMethodCall instanceof MethodCall) {
+                return false;
+            }
+
+            return $this->isGetRepositoryMethodCall($assignedMethodCall);
         }
 
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    private function isGetRepositoryMethodCall(MethodCall $methodCall): bool
+    {
         if (! $this->isName($methodCall->name, 'getRepository')) {
             return false;
         }
@@ -153,6 +172,32 @@ private function isGetRepositoryReturnOnly(ClassMethod $classMethod): bool
         return $this->isEntityManagerType($methodCall);
     }
 
+    private function findVariableAssignMethodCall(ClassMethod $classMethod, Variable $variable): ?MethodCall
+    {
+        /** @var Assign[] $assigns */
+        $assigns = $this->betterNodeFinder->findInstanceOf($classMethod, Assign::class);
+
+        $methodCall = null;
+        foreach ($assigns as $assign) {
+            if (! $assign->var instanceof Variable) {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            if (! $this->nodeComparator->areNodesEqual($assign->var, $variable)) {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            // reassigned to something else, cannot be sure of the type
+            if (! $assign->expr instanceof MethodCall) {
+                return null;
+            }
+
+            $methodCall = $assign->expr;
+        }
+
+        return $methodCall;
+    }
+
     private function isEntityManagerType(MethodCall $methodCall): bool
     {
         $callerType = $this->nodeTypeResolver->getType($methodCall->var);