diff --git a/lib/classes/Variables.js b/lib/classes/Variables.js
index c6276cd71..590b8edef 100644
--- a/lib/classes/Variables.js
+++ b/lib/classes/Variables.js
@@ -97,13 +97,7 @@ class Variables {
         if (variableString.match(this.overwriteSyntax)) {
           singleValueToPopulate = this.overwrite(variableString);
         } else {
-          singleValueToPopulate = this.getValueFromSource(variableString)
-            .then(valueToPopulate => {
-              if (typeof valueToPopulate === 'object') {
-                return this.populateObject(valueToPopulate);
-              }
-              return valueToPopulate;
-            });
+          singleValueToPopulate = this.getValueFromSource(variableString);
         }
 
         singleValueToPopulate = singleValueToPopulate.then(valueToPopulate => {
@@ -192,7 +186,13 @@ class Variables {
     }
     if (valueFromSource) {
       const resolver = BbPromise.resolve(valueFromSource)
-      .then((result) => {
+      .then(result => {
+        if (_.isObject(result)) {
+          return this.populateObject(result);
+        }
+        return result;
+      })
+      .then(result => {
         this.cache[variableString] = result;
         return result;
       });
diff --git a/lib/classes/Variables.test.js b/lib/classes/Variables.test.js
index 5478eb4ba..5bbc18857 100644
--- a/lib/classes/Variables.test.js
+++ b/lib/classes/Variables.test.js
@@ -219,46 +219,6 @@ describe('Variables', () => {
       });
     });
 
-    it('should call populateObject if variable value is an object', () => {
-      const serverless = new Serverless();
-      serverless.variables.options = {
-        stage: 'prod',
-      };
-      const property = '${opt:stage}';
-      const variableValue = {
-        stage: '${opt:stage}',
-      };
-      const variableValuePopulated = {
-        stage: 'prod',
-      };
-
-      serverless.variables.loadVariableSyntax();
-
-      const populateObjectStub = sinon
-        .stub(serverless.variables, 'populateObject')
-        .resolves(variableValuePopulated);
-      const getValueFromSourceStub = sinon
-        .stub(serverless.variables, 'getValueFromSource')
-        .resolves(variableValue);
-      const populateVariableStub = sinon
-        .stub(serverless.variables, 'populateVariable')
-        .resolves(variableValuePopulated);
-
-      return serverless.variables.populateProperty(property).then(newProperty => {
-        expect(populateObjectStub.called).to.equal(true);
-        expect(getValueFromSourceStub.called).to.equal(true);
-        expect(populateVariableStub.called).to.equal(true);
-        expect(newProperty).to.deep.equal(variableValuePopulated);
-
-        return BbPromise.resolve();
-      })
-      .finally(() => {
-        serverless.variables.populateObject.restore();
-        serverless.variables.getValueFromSource.restore();
-        serverless.variables.populateVariable.restore();
-      });
-    });
-
     it('should run recursively if nested variables provided', () => {
       const serverless = new Serverless();
       const property = 'my stage is ${env:${opt.name}}';
@@ -541,6 +501,41 @@ describe('Variables', () => {
       });
     });
 
+    it('should call populateObject if variable value is an object', () => {
+      const serverless = new Serverless();
+      serverless.variables.options = {
+        stage: 'prod',
+      };
+      const property = 'self:stage';
+      const variableValue = {
+        stage: '${opt:stage}',
+      };
+      const variableValuePopulated = {
+        stage: 'prod',
+      };
+
+      serverless.variables.loadVariableSyntax();
+
+      const populateObjectStub = sinon
+        .stub(serverless.variables, 'populateObject')
+        .resolves(variableValuePopulated);
+      const getValueFromSelfStub = sinon
+        .stub(serverless.variables, 'getValueFromSelf')
+        .resolves(variableValue);
+
+      return serverless.variables.getValueFromSource(property).then(newProperty => {
+        expect(populateObjectStub).to.have.been.calledOnce;
+        expect(getValueFromSelfStub).to.have.been.calledOnce;
+        expect(newProperty).to.deep.equal(variableValuePopulated);
+
+        return BbPromise.resolve();
+      })
+      .finally(() => {
+        serverless.variables.populateObject.restore();
+        serverless.variables.getValueFromSelf.restore();
+      });
+    });
+
     it('should throw error if referencing an invalid source', () => {
       const serverless = new Serverless();
       expect(() => serverless.variables.getValueFromSource('weird:source'))