diff --git a/lib/plugins/aws/package/compile/events/apiGateway/lib/hack/updateStage.js b/lib/plugins/aws/package/compile/events/apiGateway/lib/hack/updateStage.js
index b8c66b768..284168f67 100644
--- a/lib/plugins/aws/package/compile/events/apiGateway/lib/hack/updateStage.js
+++ b/lib/plugins/aws/package/compile/events/apiGateway/lib/hack/updateStage.js
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ const _ = require('lodash');
 const BbPromise = require('bluebird');
 const ServerlessError = require('../../../../../../../../classes/Error').ServerlessError;
 
-const isRestApiId = RegExp.prototype.test.bind(/^[a-z0-9]{3,}$/);
 const defaultApiGatewayLogFormat = [
   'requestId: $context.requestId',
   'ip: $context.identity.sourceIp',
@@ -52,6 +51,8 @@ module.exports = {
         .call(this)
         .then(resolveRestApiId.bind(this))
         .then(() => {
+          // Do not update APIGW-wide settings, in case external APIGW is referenced
+          if (this.isExternalRestApi) return null;
           if (!this.apiGatewayRestApiId) {
             // Could not resolve REST API id automatically
 
@@ -110,7 +111,8 @@ function resolveRestApiId() {
     const provider = this.state.service.provider;
     const externalRestApiId = provider.apiGateway && provider.apiGateway.restApiId;
     if (externalRestApiId) {
-      resolve(isRestApiId(externalRestApiId) ? externalRestApiId : null);
+      this.isExternalRestApi = true;
+      resolve(null);
       return;
     }
     const apiGatewayResource = resolveApiGatewayResource(
diff --git a/lib/plugins/aws/package/compile/events/apiGateway/lib/hack/updateStage.test.js b/lib/plugins/aws/package/compile/events/apiGateway/lib/hack/updateStage.test.js
index c19813c1b..8d41fdbeb 100644
--- a/lib/plugins/aws/package/compile/events/apiGateway/lib/hack/updateStage.test.js
+++ b/lib/plugins/aws/package/compile/events/apiGateway/lib/hack/updateStage.test.js
@@ -438,21 +438,12 @@ describe('#updateStage()', () => {
     });
   });
 
-  it('should resolve custom restApiId', () => {
-    context.state.service.provider.tracing = { apiGateway: false };
-    providerRequestStub
-      .withArgs('APIGateway', 'getStage', {
-        restApiId: 'foobarfoo1',
-        stageName: 'dev',
-      })
-      .resolves({
-        variables: {
-          old: 'tag',
-        },
-      });
+  it('should ignore external api gateway', () => {
     context.state.service.provider.apiGateway = { restApiId: 'foobarfoo1' };
+    context.state.service.provider.tracing = { apiGateway: false };
     return updateStage.call(context).then(() => {
-      expect(context.apiGatewayRestApiId).to.equal('foobarfoo1');
+      expect(context.isExternalRestApi).to.equal(true);
+      expect(context.apiGatewayRestApiId).to.equal(null);
     });
   });