diff --git a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/internal/model/DefaultMapperReference.java b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/internal/model/DefaultMapperReference.java
index 924648368..6ac0c1c74 100644
--- a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/internal/model/DefaultMapperReference.java
+++ b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/internal/model/DefaultMapperReference.java
@@ -21,19 +21,22 @@ import org.mapstruct.ap.internal.util.Strings;
  */
 public class DefaultMapperReference extends MapperReference {
 
+    private final boolean isSingleton;
     private final boolean isAnnotatedMapper;
     private final Set<Type> importTypes;
 
-    private DefaultMapperReference(Type type, boolean isAnnotatedMapper, Set<Type> importTypes, String variableName) {
+    private DefaultMapperReference(Type type, boolean isAnnotatedMapper, boolean isSingleton,
+                                   Set<Type> importTypes, String variableName) {
         super( type, variableName );
         this.isAnnotatedMapper = isAnnotatedMapper;
         this.importTypes = importTypes;
+        this.isSingleton = isSingleton;
     }
 
-    public static DefaultMapperReference getInstance(Type type, boolean isAnnotatedMapper, TypeFactory typeFactory,
-                                                     List<String> otherMapperReferences) {
+    public static DefaultMapperReference getInstance(Type type, boolean isAnnotatedMapper, boolean isSingleton,
+                                                     TypeFactory typeFactory, List<String> otherMapperReferences) {
         Set<Type> importTypes = Collections.asSet( type );
-        if ( isAnnotatedMapper ) {
+        if ( isAnnotatedMapper && !isSingleton) {
             importTypes.add( typeFactory.getType( "org.mapstruct.factory.Mappers" ) );
         }
 
@@ -42,7 +45,7 @@ public class DefaultMapperReference extends MapperReference {
             otherMapperReferences
         );
 
-        return new DefaultMapperReference( type, isAnnotatedMapper, importTypes, variableName );
+        return new DefaultMapperReference( type, isAnnotatedMapper, isSingleton, importTypes, variableName );
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -53,4 +56,9 @@ public class DefaultMapperReference extends MapperReference {
     public boolean isAnnotatedMapper() {
         return isAnnotatedMapper;
     }
+
+    public boolean isSingleton() {
+      return isSingleton;
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/internal/processor/MapperCreationProcessor.java b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/internal/processor/MapperCreationProcessor.java
index a0014f593..ad6d84b9e 100644
--- a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/internal/processor/MapperCreationProcessor.java
+++ b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/internal/processor/MapperCreationProcessor.java
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 package org.mapstruct.ap.internal.processor;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.LinkedHashSet;
 import java.util.LinkedList;
@@ -13,7 +14,9 @@ import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.SortedSet;
 import java.util.TreeSet;
+import javax.lang.model.element.Element;
 import javax.lang.model.element.ExecutableElement;
+import javax.lang.model.element.Modifier;
 import javax.lang.model.element.TypeElement;
 import javax.lang.model.type.TypeKind;
 import javax.lang.model.type.TypeMirror;
@@ -60,6 +63,9 @@ import org.mapstruct.ap.internal.util.Message;
 import org.mapstruct.ap.internal.util.Strings;
 import org.mapstruct.ap.internal.version.VersionInformation;
 
+import static javax.lang.model.element.Modifier.FINAL;
+import static javax.lang.model.element.Modifier.PUBLIC;
+import static javax.lang.model.element.Modifier.STATIC;
 import static org.mapstruct.ap.internal.model.SupportingConstructorFragment.addAllFragmentsIn;
 import static org.mapstruct.ap.internal.model.SupportingField.addAllFieldsIn;
 import static org.mapstruct.ap.internal.util.Collections.first;
@@ -73,6 +79,9 @@ import static org.mapstruct.ap.internal.util.Collections.join;
  */
 public class MapperCreationProcessor implements ModelElementProcessor<List<SourceMethod>, Mapper> {
 
+    /** Modifiers for public "constant" e.g. "public static final" */
+    private static final List<Modifier> PUBLIC_CONSTANT_MODIFIERS = Arrays.asList( PUBLIC, STATIC, FINAL );
+
     private ElementUtils elementUtils;
     private TypeUtils typeUtils;
     private FormattingMessager messager;
@@ -136,6 +145,7 @@ public class MapperCreationProcessor implements ModelElementProcessor<List<Sourc
             DefaultMapperReference mapperReference = DefaultMapperReference.getInstance(
                 typeFactory.getType( usedMapper ),
                 MapperGem.instanceOn( typeUtils.asElement( usedMapper ) ) != null,
+                hasSingletonInstance( usedMapper ),
                 typeFactory,
                 variableNames
             );
@@ -147,6 +157,22 @@ public class MapperCreationProcessor implements ModelElementProcessor<List<Sourc
         return result;
     }
 
+    private boolean hasSingletonInstance(TypeMirror mapper) {
+      return typeUtils.asElement( mapper ).getEnclosedElements().stream()
+          .anyMatch( a -> isPublicConstantOfType( a, "INSTANCE", mapper ) );
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return true if the <code>element</code> is a "public static final" field (e.g. a constant)
+     *         named <code>fieldName</code> of type "fieldType"
+     */
+    private boolean isPublicConstantOfType(Element element, String fieldName, TypeMirror fieldType) {
+      return element.getKind().isField() &&
+             element.getModifiers().containsAll( PUBLIC_CONSTANT_MODIFIERS ) &&
+             element.getSimpleName().contentEquals( fieldName ) &&
+             typeUtils.isSameType( element.asType(), fieldType );
+    }
+
     private Mapper getMapper(TypeElement element, MapperOptions mapperOptions, List<SourceMethod> methods) {
 
         List<MappingMethod> mappingMethods = getMappingMethods( mapperOptions, methods );
diff --git a/processor/src/main/resources/org/mapstruct/ap/internal/model/DefaultMapperReference.ftl b/processor/src/main/resources/org/mapstruct/ap/internal/model/DefaultMapperReference.ftl
index e4eeddb4b..b2ab4cb6f 100644
--- a/processor/src/main/resources/org/mapstruct/ap/internal/model/DefaultMapperReference.ftl
+++ b/processor/src/main/resources/org/mapstruct/ap/internal/model/DefaultMapperReference.ftl
@@ -6,4 +6,4 @@
 
 -->
 <#-- @ftlvariable name="" type="org.mapstruct.ap.internal.model.DefaultMapperReference" -->
-private final <@includeModel object=type/> ${variableName} = <#if annotatedMapper>Mappers.getMapper( <@includeModel object=type/>.class );<#else>new <@includeModel object=type/>();</#if>
\ No newline at end of file
+private final <@includeModel object=type/> ${variableName} = <#if singleton><@includeModel object=type/>.INSTANCE;<#else><#if annotatedMapper>Mappers.getMapper( <@includeModel object=type/>.class );<#else>new <@includeModel object=type/>();</#if></#if>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/processor/src/test/resources/fixtures/org/mapstruct/ap/test/updatemethods/selection/OrganizationMapper1Impl.java b/processor/src/test/resources/fixtures/org/mapstruct/ap/test/updatemethods/selection/OrganizationMapper1Impl.java
index 7e53df87c..98f603d36 100644
--- a/processor/src/test/resources/fixtures/org/mapstruct/ap/test/updatemethods/selection/OrganizationMapper1Impl.java
+++ b/processor/src/test/resources/fixtures/org/mapstruct/ap/test/updatemethods/selection/OrganizationMapper1Impl.java
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import javax.annotation.Generated;
 import org.mapstruct.ap.test.updatemethods.CompanyDto;
 import org.mapstruct.ap.test.updatemethods.CompanyEntity;
 import org.mapstruct.ap.test.updatemethods.DepartmentEntityFactory;
-import org.mapstruct.factory.Mappers;
 
 @Generated(
     value = "org.mapstruct.ap.MappingProcessor",
@@ -18,7 +17,7 @@ import org.mapstruct.factory.Mappers;
 )
 public class OrganizationMapper1Impl implements OrganizationMapper1 {
 
-    private final ExternalMapper externalMapper = Mappers.getMapper( ExternalMapper.class );
+    private final ExternalMapper externalMapper = ExternalMapper.INSTANCE;
     private final DepartmentEntityFactory departmentEntityFactory = new DepartmentEntityFactory();
 
     @Override
diff --git a/processor/src/test/resources/fixtures/org/mapstruct/ap/test/updatemethods/selection/OrganizationMapper3Impl.java b/processor/src/test/resources/fixtures/org/mapstruct/ap/test/updatemethods/selection/OrganizationMapper3Impl.java
index 11c3bd0df..76b2d3d9e 100644
--- a/processor/src/test/resources/fixtures/org/mapstruct/ap/test/updatemethods/selection/OrganizationMapper3Impl.java
+++ b/processor/src/test/resources/fixtures/org/mapstruct/ap/test/updatemethods/selection/OrganizationMapper3Impl.java
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import javax.annotation.Generated;
 import org.mapstruct.ap.test.updatemethods.BossDto;
 import org.mapstruct.ap.test.updatemethods.BossEntity;
 import org.mapstruct.ap.test.updatemethods.ConstructableDepartmentEntity;
-import org.mapstruct.factory.Mappers;
 
 @Generated(
     value = "org.mapstruct.ap.MappingProcessor",
@@ -18,7 +17,7 @@ import org.mapstruct.factory.Mappers;
 )
 public class OrganizationMapper3Impl implements OrganizationMapper3 {
 
-    private final ExternalMapper externalMapper = Mappers.getMapper( ExternalMapper.class );
+    private final ExternalMapper externalMapper = ExternalMapper.INSTANCE;
 
     @Override
     public void toBossEntity(BossDto dto, BossEntity entity) {