diff --git a/lib/plugins/aws/deploy/compile/functions/index.js b/lib/plugins/aws/deploy/compile/functions/index.js
index 88b374e23..143878400 100644
--- a/lib/plugins/aws/deploy/compile/functions/index.js
+++ b/lib/plugins/aws/deploy/compile/functions/index.js
@@ -86,6 +86,12 @@ class AwsCompileFunctions {
       this.serverless.service.provider.environment, 
       functionObject.environment
     )
+
+    for(var key in newFunction.Properties.Environment.Variables){
+      // I pulled this from the bash man pages
+      if(!key.match(/^[A-Za-z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*$/)){
+        throw new Error("Invalid characters in environment variable");
+      }
     }
 
     if ('role' in functionObject) {
diff --git a/lib/plugins/aws/deploy/compile/functions/tests/index.js b/lib/plugins/aws/deploy/compile/functions/tests/index.js
index b1c9abf55..d6d5a6ccf 100644
--- a/lib/plugins/aws/deploy/compile/functions/tests/index.js
+++ b/lib/plugins/aws/deploy/compile/functions/tests/index.js
@@ -420,6 +420,22 @@ describe('AwsCompileFunctions', () => {
       };
     });
 
+
+    it('should throw if invalid environment variable name', () => {
+      awsCompileFunctions.serverless.service.functions = {
+        func: {
+          handler: 'func.function.handler',
+          name: 'new-service-dev-func',
+          environment: {
+            '1test1': 'test1',
+            test2: 'test2',
+          },
+        },
+      };
+
+      expect(() => awsCompileFunctions.compileFunctions()).to.throw(Error);
+    });
+
     it('should consider function based config when creating a function resource', () => {
       awsCompileFunctions.serverless.service.functions = {
         func: {