diff --git a/lib/classes/Variables.js b/lib/classes/Variables.js
index 724981983..7349b77e2 100644
--- a/lib/classes/Variables.js
+++ b/lib/classes/Variables.js
@@ -37,24 +37,29 @@ class Variables {
     this.service.provider.variableSyntax = true;
 
     this.serverless.service.serverless = null;
+
+    return this.populateObject(this.service).then(() => {
+      this.service.provider.variableSyntax = variableSyntaxProperty;
+      this.serverless.service.serverless = this.serverless;
+      return BbPromise.resolve(this.service);
+    });
+  }
+
+  populateObject(objectToPopulate) {
     const populateAll = [];
 
-    _.deepMapValues(this.service, (property, propertyPath) => {
+    _.deepMapValues(objectToPopulate, (property, propertyPath) => {
       if (typeof property === 'string') {
         const populateSingleProperty = new Promise((resolve) => this
           .populateProperty(property, true).then(newProperty => {
-            _.set(this.service, propertyPath, newProperty);
+            _.set(objectToPopulate, propertyPath, newProperty);
             return resolve();
           }));
         populateAll.push(populateSingleProperty);
       }
     });
 
-    return BbPromise.all(populateAll).then(() => {
-      this.service.provider.variableSyntax = variableSyntaxProperty;
-      this.serverless.service.serverless = this.serverless;
-      return BbPromise.resolve(this.service);
-    });
+    return BbPromise.all(populateAll).then(() => objectToPopulate);
   }
 
   populateProperty(propertyParam, populateInPlace) {
@@ -78,7 +83,12 @@ class Variables {
               .then(valueToPopulate => resolve(valueToPopulate));
           }
           return this.getValueFromSource(variableString)
-            .then(valueToPopulate => resolve(valueToPopulate));
+            .then(valueToPopulate => {
+              if (typeof valueToPopulate === 'object') {
+                return resolve(this.populateObject(valueToPopulate));
+              }
+              return resolve(valueToPopulate);
+            });
         });
 
         singleValueToPopulate.then(valueToPopulate => {
@@ -252,6 +262,7 @@ class Variables {
         return this.getDeepValue(deepProperties, valueToPopulate);
       }
     }
+
     return BbPromise.resolve(valueToPopulate);
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/classes/Variables.test.js b/lib/classes/Variables.test.js
index f96a33b2d..d1719a046 100644
--- a/lib/classes/Variables.test.js
+++ b/lib/classes/Variables.test.js
@@ -43,11 +43,11 @@ describe('Variables', () => {
       const serverless = new Serverless();
 
       const populatePropertyStub = sinon
-        .stub(serverless.variables, 'populateProperty').resolves();
+        .stub(serverless.variables, 'populateObject').resolves();
 
       return serverless.variables.populateService().then(() => {
         expect(populatePropertyStub.called).to.equal(true);
-        serverless.variables.populateProperty.restore();
+        serverless.variables.populateObject.restore();
       });
     });
 
@@ -77,6 +77,40 @@ describe('Variables', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('#populateObject()', () => {
+    it('should call populateProperty method', () => {
+      const serverless = new Serverless();
+      const object = {
+        stage: '${opt:stage}',
+      };
+
+      const populatePropertyStub = sinon
+        .stub(serverless.variables, 'populateProperty').resolves('prod');
+
+      return serverless.variables.populateObject(object).then(() => {
+        expect(populatePropertyStub.called).to.equal(true);
+        serverless.variables.populateProperty.restore();
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should populate object and return it', () => {
+      const serverless = new Serverless();
+      const object = {
+        stage: '${opt:stage}',
+      };
+      const expectedPopulatedObject = {
+        stage: 'prod',
+      };
+
+      sinon.stub(serverless.variables, 'populateProperty').resolves('prod');
+
+      return serverless.variables.populateObject(object).then(populatedObject => {
+        expect(populatedObject).to.deep.equal(expectedPopulatedObject);
+        serverless.variables.populateProperty.restore();
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('#populateProperty()', () => {
     it('should call overwrite if overwrite syntax provided', () => {
       const serverless = new Serverless();
@@ -123,6 +157,44 @@ 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);
+
+        serverless.variables.populateObject.restore();
+        serverless.variables.getValueFromSource.restore();
+        serverless.variables.populateVariable.restore();
+        return Promise.resolve();
+      });
+    });
+
     it('should run recursively if nested variables provided', () => {
       const serverless = new Serverless();
       const property = 'my stage is ${env:${opt.name}}';