diff --git a/lib/classes/Utils.js b/lib/classes/Utils.js
index 420a33b5d..be452f2f4 100644
--- a/lib/classes/Utils.js
+++ b/lib/classes/Utils.js
@@ -249,12 +249,14 @@ class Utils {
       }
 
       let hasCustomResourcesDefined = false;
+
       // check if configuration in resources.Resources is defined
       if ((serverless.service.resources &&
         serverless.service.resources.Resources &&
         Object.keys(serverless.service.resources.Resources).length)) {
         hasCustomResourcesDefined = true;
       }
+
       // check if configuration in resources.Outputs is defined
       if ((serverless.service.resources &&
         serverless.service.resources.Outputs &&
@@ -270,6 +272,7 @@ class Utils {
         serverless.service.defaults.variableSyntax !== defaultVariableSyntax) {
         hasCustomVariableSyntaxDefined = true;
       }
+
       // check if the variableSyntax in the provider section is defined
       if (serverless.service.provider &&
         serverless.service.provider.variableSyntax &&
diff --git a/lib/plugins/aws/deployFunction/index.js b/lib/plugins/aws/deployFunction/index.js
index eb133880c..fcb9361c2 100644
--- a/lib/plugins/aws/deployFunction/index.js
+++ b/lib/plugins/aws/deployFunction/index.js
@@ -19,11 +19,15 @@ class AwsDeployFunction {
     Object.assign(this, validate);
 
     this.hooks = {
-      'deploy:function:deploy': () => BbPromise.bind(this)
+      'deploy:function:initialize': () => BbPromise.bind(this)
         .then(this.validate)
         .then(this.logStatus)
-        .then(this.checkIfFunctionExists)
-        .then(this.zipFunction)
+        .then(this.checkIfFunctionExists),
+
+      'deploy:function:packageFunction': () => BbPromise.bind(this)
+        .then(this.packageFunction),
+
+      'deploy:function:deploy': () => BbPromise.bind(this)
         .then(this.deployFunction)
         .then(this.cleanup),
     };
@@ -31,7 +35,7 @@ class AwsDeployFunction {
 
   logStatus() {
     this.serverless.cli.log(`Deploying function: ${this.options.function}...`);
-    BbPromise.resolve();
+    return BbPromise.resolve();
   }
 
   checkIfFunctionExists() {
@@ -62,7 +66,8 @@ class AwsDeployFunction {
     return BbPromise.resolve();
   }
 
-  zipFunction() {
+  packageFunction() {
+    this.serverless.cli.log(`Packaging function: ${this.options.function}...`);
     return this.pkg.packageFunction(this.options.function);
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/plugins/aws/deployFunction/tests/index.js b/lib/plugins/aws/deployFunction/tests/index.js
index 2dcb512ef..250155f0d 100644
--- a/lib/plugins/aws/deployFunction/tests/index.js
+++ b/lib/plugins/aws/deployFunction/tests/index.js
@@ -60,32 +60,43 @@ describe('AwsDeployFunction', () => {
 
       expect(awsDeployFunctionWithEmptyOptions.options).to.deep.equal({});
     });
+  });
 
-    it('should run promise chain in order', () => {
+  describe('hooks', () => {
+    it('should run "deploy:function:initialize" promise chain in order', () => {
       const validateStub = sinon
         .stub(awsDeployFunction, 'validate').returns(BbPromise.resolve());
       const checkIfFunctionExistsStub = sinon
         .stub(awsDeployFunction, 'checkIfFunctionExists').returns(BbPromise.resolve());
-      const zipFunctionStub = sinon
-        .stub(awsDeployFunction, 'zipFunction').returns(BbPromise.resolve());
+
+      return awsDeployFunction.hooks['deploy:function:initialize']().then(() => {
+        expect(validateStub.calledOnce).to.equal(true);
+        expect(checkIfFunctionExistsStub.calledAfter(validateStub)).to.equal(true);
+        awsDeployFunction.checkIfFunctionExists.restore();
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should run "deploy:function:packageFunction" promise chain in order', () => {
+      const packageFunctionStub = sinon
+        .stub(awsDeployFunction, 'packageFunction').returns(BbPromise.resolve());
+
+      return awsDeployFunction.hooks['deploy:function:packageFunction']().then(() => {
+        expect(packageFunctionStub.calledOnce).to.equal(true);
+        awsDeployFunction.packageFunction.restore();
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should run "deploy:function:deploy" promise chain in order', () => {
       const deployFunctionStub = sinon
         .stub(awsDeployFunction, 'deployFunction').returns(BbPromise.resolve());
       const cleanupStub = sinon
         .stub(awsDeployFunction, 'cleanup').returns(BbPromise.resolve());
 
       return awsDeployFunction.hooks['deploy:function:deploy']().then(() => {
-        expect(validateStub.calledOnce).to.equal(true);
-        expect(checkIfFunctionExistsStub.calledAfter(validateStub))
-          .to.equal(true);
-        expect(zipFunctionStub.calledAfter(checkIfFunctionExistsStub))
-          .to.equal(true);
-        expect(deployFunctionStub.calledAfter(zipFunctionStub))
-          .to.equal(true);
+        expect(deployFunctionStub.calledOnce).to.equal(true);
         expect(cleanupStub.calledAfter(deployFunctionStub))
           .to.equal(true);
 
-        awsDeployFunction.checkIfFunctionExists.restore();
-        awsDeployFunction.zipFunction.restore();
         awsDeployFunction.deployFunction.restore();
         awsDeployFunction.cleanup.restore();
       });
@@ -125,7 +136,7 @@ describe('AwsDeployFunction', () => {
     });
   });
 
-  describe('#zipFunction()', () => {
+  describe('#packageFunction()', () => {
     it('should zip the function', () => {
       const pkg = new Package();
 
@@ -134,7 +145,7 @@ describe('AwsDeployFunction', () => {
       const packageFunctionStub = sinon
         .stub(pkg, 'packageFunction').returns(BbPromise.resolve());
 
-      return awsDeployFunction.zipFunction().then(() => {
+      return awsDeployFunction.packageFunction().then(() => {
         expect(packageFunctionStub.calledOnce).to.be.equal(true);
         expect(packageFunctionStub.args[0][0]).to.be.equal(awsDeployFunction.options.function);
 
diff --git a/lib/plugins/deploy/deploy.js b/lib/plugins/deploy/deploy.js
index a45ec730a..a2993648f 100644
--- a/lib/plugins/deploy/deploy.js
+++ b/lib/plugins/deploy/deploy.js
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ class Deploy {
           function: {
             usage: 'Deploy a single function from the service',
             lifecycleEvents: [
+              'initialize',
+              'packageFunction',
               'deploy',
             ],
             options: {
diff --git a/lib/plugins/package/lib/packageService.js b/lib/plugins/package/lib/packageService.js
index ea8446b9a..3454b4702 100644
--- a/lib/plugins/package/lib/packageService.js
+++ b/lib/plugins/package/lib/packageService.js
@@ -67,6 +67,10 @@ module.exports = {
     functionObject.artifact = null; // reset the current artifact
 
     if (funcPackageConfig.artifact) {
+      if (process.env.SLS_DEBUG) {
+        this.serverless.cli.log('package.artifact is defined, skipping packaging');
+      }
+
       functionObject.artifact = funcPackageConfig.artifact;
       return BbPromise.resolve(funcPackageConfig.artifact);
     }