diff --git a/autogen/agentchat/contrib/gpt_assistant_agent.py b/autogen/agentchat/contrib/gpt_assistant_agent.py
index f9e77468007..f319f2b489c 100644
--- a/autogen/agentchat/contrib/gpt_assistant_agent.py
+++ b/autogen/agentchat/contrib/gpt_assistant_agent.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import logging
 
 from autogen import OpenAIWrapper
+from autogen.oai.openai_utils import retrieval_assistants_by_name
 from autogen.agentchat.agent import Agent
 from autogen.agentchat.assistant_agent import ConversableAgent
 from autogen.agentchat.assistant_agent import AssistantAgent
@@ -52,20 +53,31 @@ def __init__(
         self._openai_client = oai_wrapper._clients[0]
         openai_assistant_id = llm_config.get("assistant_id", None)
         if openai_assistant_id is None:
-            logger.warning("assistant_id was None, creating a new assistant")
-            # create a new assistant
-            if instructions is None:
-                logger.warning(
-                    "No instructions were provided for new assistant. Using default instructions from AssistantAgent.DEFAULT_SYSTEM_MESSAGE."
+            # try to find assistant by name first
+            candidate_assistants = retrieval_assistants_by_name(self._openai_client, name)
+
+            if len(candidate_assistants) == 0:
+                logger.warning(f"assistant {name} does not exist, creating a new assistant")
+                # create a new assistant
+                if instructions is None:
+                    logger.warning(
+                        "No instructions were provided for new assistant. Using default instructions from AssistantAgent.DEFAULT_SYSTEM_MESSAGE."
+                    )
+                    instructions = AssistantAgent.DEFAULT_SYSTEM_MESSAGE
+                self._openai_assistant = self._openai_client.beta.assistants.create(
+                    name=name,
+                    instructions=instructions,
+                    tools=llm_config.get("tools", []),
+                    model=llm_config.get("model", "gpt-4-1106-preview"),
+                    file_ids=llm_config.get("file_ids", []),
                 )
-                instructions = AssistantAgent.DEFAULT_SYSTEM_MESSAGE
-            self._openai_assistant = self._openai_client.beta.assistants.create(
-                name=name,
-                instructions=instructions,
-                tools=llm_config.get("tools", []),
-                model=llm_config.get("model", "gpt-4-1106-preview"),
-                file_ids=llm_config.get("file_ids", []),
-            )
+            else:
+                if len(candidate_assistants) > 1:
+                    logger.warning(
+                        f"Multiple assistants with name {name} found. Using the first assistant in the list. "
+                        f"Please specify the assistant ID in llm_config to use a specific assistant."
+                    )
+                self._openai_assistant = candidate_assistants[0]
         else:
             # retrieve an existing assistant
             self._openai_assistant = self._openai_client.beta.assistants.retrieve(openai_assistant_id)
@@ -95,7 +107,7 @@ def __init__(
             llm_config=llm_config,
         )
 
-        # lazly create thread
+        # lazly create threads
         self._openai_threads = {}
         self._unread_index = defaultdict(int)
         self.register_reply(Agent, GPTAssistantAgent._invoke_assistant)
diff --git a/autogen/oai/openai_utils.py b/autogen/oai/openai_utils.py
index 1c42c5c3503..b1325183b47 100644
--- a/autogen/oai/openai_utils.py
+++ b/autogen/oai/openai_utils.py
@@ -381,3 +381,15 @@ def config_list_from_dotenv(
 
     logging.info(f"Models available: {[config['model'] for config in config_list]}")
     return config_list
+
+
+def retrieval_assistants_by_name(client, name) -> str:
+    """
+    Return the assistants with the given name from OAI assistant API
+    """
+    assistants = client.beta.assistants.list()
+    candidate_assistants = []
+    for assistant in assistants.data:
+        if assistant.name == name:
+            candidate_assistants.append(assistant)
+    return candidate_assistants
diff --git a/test/agentchat/contrib/test_gpt_assistant.py b/test/agentchat/contrib/test_gpt_assistant.py
index ae1e0bdf88b..c344bc645bd 100644
--- a/test/agentchat/contrib/test_gpt_assistant.py
+++ b/test/agentchat/contrib/test_gpt_assistant.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 try:
     from autogen.agentchat.contrib.gpt_assistant_agent import GPTAssistantAgent
+    from autogen.oai.openai_utils import retrieval_assistants_by_name
 
     skip_test = False
 except ImportError:
@@ -57,14 +58,16 @@ def test_gpt_assistant_chat():
     ok, response = analyst._invoke_assistant(
         [{"role": "user", "content": "What is the most popular open source project on GitHub?"}]
     )
+    executable = analyst.can_execute_function("ossinsight_data_api")
+    analyst.reset()
+    threads_count = len(analyst._openai_threads)
+    analyst.delete_assistant()
+
     assert ok is True
     assert response.get("role", "") == "assistant"
     assert len(response.get("content", "")) > 0
-
-    assert analyst.can_execute_function("ossinsight_data_api") is False
-
-    analyst.reset()
-    assert len(analyst._openai_threads) == 0
+    assert executable is False
+    assert threads_count == 0
 
 
 @pytest.mark.skipif(
@@ -203,6 +206,31 @@ def test_get_assistant_files():
     assert expected_file_id in retrived_file_ids
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+    sys.platform in ["darwin", "win32"] or skip_test,
+    reason="do not run on MacOS or windows or dependency is not installed",
+)
+def test_assistant_retrieval():
+    name = "For GPTAssistantAgent retrieval testing"
+
+    assistant = GPTAssistantAgent(
+        name,
+        instructions="This is a test",
+        llm_config={"config_list": config_list},
+    )
+    candidate_first = retrieval_assistants_by_name(assistant.openai_client, name)
+
+    assistant = GPTAssistantAgent(
+        name,
+        instructions="This is a test",
+        llm_config={"config_list": config_list},
+    )
+    candidate_second = retrieval_assistants_by_name(assistant.openai_client, name)
+
+    assistant.delete_assistant()
+    assert candidate_first == candidate_second
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     test_gpt_assistant_chat()
     test_get_assistant_instructions()