diff --git a/docs/providers/aws/examples/cron/node/handler.js b/docs/providers/aws/examples/cron/node/handler.js
index 5fb485788..980b35d28 100644
--- a/docs/providers/aws/examples/cron/node/handler.js
+++ b/docs/providers/aws/examples/cron/node/handler.js
@@ -2,5 +2,5 @@
 
 module.exports.run = () => {
   const time = new Date();
-  console.log(`Your cron ran ${time}`);
+  console.log(`Your cron ran ${time}`); // eslint-disable-line no-console
 };
diff --git a/lib/classes/Variables.js b/lib/classes/Variables.js
index ec19da1cf..f8aa0039c 100644
--- a/lib/classes/Variables.js
+++ b/lib/classes/Variables.js
@@ -156,6 +156,10 @@ class Variables {
     const referencedFileFullPath = path.join(this.serverless.config.servicePath,
       referencedFileRelativePath);
 
+    if (!this.serverless.utils.fileExistsSync(referencedFileFullPath)) {
+      return undefined;
+    }
+
     let valueToPopulate = this.serverless.utils.readFileSync(referencedFileFullPath);
     if (matchedFileRefString !== variableString) {
       let deepProperties = variableString
diff --git a/lib/classes/Variables.test.js b/lib/classes/Variables.test.js
index 7fab9dc78..2caec549a 100644
--- a/lib/classes/Variables.test.js
+++ b/lib/classes/Variables.test.js
@@ -385,6 +385,16 @@ describe('Variables', () => {
       expect(valueToPopulate).to.deep.equal(configYml);
     });
 
+    it('should get undefined if non existing file and the second argument is true', () => {
+      const serverless = new Serverless();
+      const tmpDirPath = testUtils.getTmpDirPath();
+
+      serverless.config.update({ servicePath: tmpDirPath });
+
+      const valueToPopulate = serverless.variables.getValueFromFile('file(./config.yml)');
+      expect(valueToPopulate).to.be.equal(undefined);
+    });
+
     it('should populate non json/yml files', () => {
       const serverless = new Serverless();
       const SUtils = new Utils();