diff --git a/docs/providers/aws/guide/variables.md b/docs/providers/aws/guide/variables.md
index 813d51e84..c163d6ed3 100644
--- a/docs/providers/aws/guide/variables.md
+++ b/docs/providers/aws/guide/variables.md
@@ -24,13 +24,17 @@ The Serverless framework provides a powerful variable system which allows you to
 **Note:** You can only use variables in `serverless.yml` property **values**, not property keys. So you can't use variables to generate dynamic logical IDs in the custom resources section for example.
 
 ## Reference Properties In serverless.yml
-To self-reference properties in `serverless.yml`, use the `${self:someProperty}` syntax in your `serverless.yml`. This functionality is recursive, so you can go as deep in the object tree as you want.
+To self-reference properties in `serverless.yml`, use the `${self:someProperty}` syntax in your `serverless.yml`. `someProperty` can contain the empty string for a top-level self-reference or a dotted attribute reference to any depth of attribute, so you can go as shallow or deep in the object tree as you want.
 
 ```yml
 service: new-service
 provider: aws
 custom:
   globalSchedule: rate(10 minutes)
+  newService: ${self:}
+  # the following will resolve identically in other serverless.yml files so long as they define
+  # `custom.newService: ${file(<relative-path-to-this-file>/serverless.yml)}`
+  exportName: ${self:custom.newService.service}-export
 
 functions:
   hello:
@@ -40,7 +44,13 @@ functions:
   world:
       handler: handler.world
       events:
-        - schedule: ${self:custom.globalSchedule}
+        - schedule: ${self:custom.newService.custom.globalSchedule}
+resources:
+  Outputs:
+    NewServiceExport:
+      Value: 'A Value To Export'
+      Export:
+        Name: ${self:custom.exportName}
 ```
 
 In the above example you're setting a global schedule for all functions by referencing the `globalSchedule` property in the same `serverless.yml` file. This way, you can easily change the schedule for all functions whenever you like.
diff --git a/lib/classes/Variables.js b/lib/classes/Variables.js
index 1e95bf03e..617e1218e 100644
--- a/lib/classes/Variables.js
+++ b/lib/classes/Variables.js
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ class Variables {
     this.fileRefSyntax = RegExp(/^file\(([a-zA-Z0-9._\-/]+?)\)/g);
     this.envRefSyntax = RegExp(/^env:./g);
     this.optRefSyntax = RegExp(/^opt:./g);
-    this.selfRefSyntax = RegExp(/^self:./g);
+    this.selfRefSyntax = RegExp(/^self:/g);
   }
 
   loadVariableSyntax() {
@@ -70,7 +70,10 @@ class Variables {
 
         property = this.populateVariable(property, matchedString, valueToPopulate);
       });
-      return this.populateProperty(property);
+      if (property !== this.service) {
+        property = this.populateProperty(property);
+      }
+      return property;
     }
     return property;
   }
@@ -145,7 +148,7 @@ class Variables {
   }
 
   getValueFromSelf(variableString) {
-    let valueToPopulate = _.cloneDeep(this.service);
+    let valueToPopulate = this.service;
     const deepProperties = variableString.split(':')[1].split('.');
     valueToPopulate = this.getDeepValue(deepProperties, valueToPopulate);
     return valueToPopulate;
@@ -216,7 +219,7 @@ class Variables {
     deepProperties.forEach(subProperty => {
       if (typeof valueToPopulate === 'undefined') {
         valueToPopulate = {};
-      } else {
+      } else if (subProperty !== '') {
         valueToPopulate = valueToPopulate[subProperty];
       }
       if (typeof valueToPopulate === 'string' && valueToPopulate.match(this.variableSyntax)) {
diff --git a/lib/classes/Variables.test.js b/lib/classes/Variables.test.js
index 6d9290082..bbec75173 100644
--- a/lib/classes/Variables.test.js
+++ b/lib/classes/Variables.test.js
@@ -361,6 +361,19 @@ describe('Variables', () => {
       const valueToPopulate = serverless.variables.getValueFromSelf('self:provider');
       expect(valueToPopulate).to.be.equal('testProvider');
     });
+    it('should handle self-references to the root of the serverless.yml file', () => {
+      const serverless = new Serverless();
+      serverless.variables.service = {
+        service: 'testService',
+        provider: 'testProvider',
+        defaults: serverless.service.defaults,
+      };
+
+      serverless.variables.loadVariableSyntax();
+
+      const valueToPopulate = serverless.variables.getValueFromSelf('self:').provider;
+      expect(valueToPopulate).to.be.equal('testProvider');
+    });
   });
 
   describe('#getValueFromFile()', () => {