diff --git a/lib/classes/Service.js b/lib/classes/Service.js
index 6d9d7d116..eeba0a5b6 100644
--- a/lib/classes/Service.js
+++ b/lib/classes/Service.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ class Service {
 
     // Default properties
     this.service = null;
+    this.serviceObject = null;
     this.provider = {
       stage: 'dev',
       region: 'us-east-1',
@@ -64,6 +65,9 @@ class Service {
         if (!serverlessFile.service) {
           throw new ServerlessError('"service" property is missing in serverless.yml');
         }
+        if (_.isObject(serverlessFile.service) && !serverlessFile.service.name) {
+          throw new ServerlessError('"service" is missing the "name" property in serverless.yml');
+        }
         if (!serverlessFile.provider) {
           throw new ServerlessError('"provider" property is missing in serverless.yml');
         }
@@ -91,7 +95,13 @@ class Service {
           , {});
         }
 
-        that.service = serverlessFile.service;
+        if (_.isObject(serverlessFile.service)) {
+          that.serviceObject = serverlessFile.service;
+          that.service = serverlessFile.service.name;
+        } else {
+          that.serviceObject = { name: serverlessFile.service };
+          that.service = serverlessFile.service;
+        }
         that.custom = serverlessFile.custom;
         that.plugins = serverlessFile.plugins;
         that.resources = serverlessFile.resources;
@@ -148,6 +158,14 @@ class Service {
     return _.merge(this, data);
   }
 
+  getServiceName() {
+    return this.serviceObject.name;
+  }
+
+  getServiceObject() {
+    return this.serviceObject;
+  }
+
   getAllFunctions() {
     return Object.keys(this.functions);
   }
diff --git a/lib/classes/Service.test.js b/lib/classes/Service.test.js
index 94163ef50..0493cbf78 100644
--- a/lib/classes/Service.test.js
+++ b/lib/classes/Service.test.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 const path = require('path');
 const YAML = require('js-yaml');
+const _ = require('lodash');
 const expect = require('chai').expect;
 const sinon = require('sinon');
 const Service = require('../../lib/classes/Service');
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ describe('Service', () => {
       const serviceInstance = new Service(serverless);
 
       expect(serviceInstance.service).to.be.equal(null);
+      expect(serviceInstance.serviceObject).to.be.equal(null);
       expect(serviceInstance.provider).to.deep.equal({
         stage: 'dev',
         region: 'us-east-1',
@@ -199,6 +201,52 @@ describe('Service', () => {
       });
     });
 
+    it('should fail when the service name is missing', () => {
+      const SUtils = new Utils();
+      const serverlessYaml = {
+        service: {},
+        provider: 'aws',
+      };
+
+      SUtils.writeFileSync(path.join(tmpDirPath, 'serverless.yaml'),
+        YAML.dump(serverlessYaml));
+
+      const serverless = new Serverless({ servicePath: tmpDirPath });
+      serviceInstance = new Service(serverless);
+
+      return serviceInstance.load().then(() => {
+        // if we reach this, then no error was thrown as expected
+        // so make assertion fail intentionally to let us know something is wrong
+        expect(1).to.equal(2);
+      }).catch(e => {
+        expect(e.name).to.be.equal('ServerlessError');
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should support service objects', () => {
+      const SUtils = new Utils();
+      const serverlessYaml = {
+        service: {
+          name: 'my-service',
+          foo: 'bar',
+        },
+        provider: 'aws',
+      };
+
+      SUtils.writeFileSync(path.join(tmpDirPath, 'serverless.yaml'),
+        YAML.dump(serverlessYaml));
+
+      const serverless = new Serverless({ servicePath: tmpDirPath });
+      serviceInstance = new Service(serverless);
+
+      return serviceInstance.load().then(() => {
+        // if we reach this, then no error was thrown as expected
+        // so make assertion fail intentionally to let us know something is wrong
+        expect(serviceInstance.service).to.equal('my-service');
+        expect(serviceInstance.serviceObject).to.deep.equal(serverlessYaml.service);
+      });
+    });
+
     it('should support Serverless file with a non-aws provider', () => {
       const SUtils = new Utils();
       const serverlessYaml = {
@@ -526,6 +574,37 @@ describe('Service', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('#getServiceName()', () => {
+    it('should return the service name', () => {
+      const serverless = new Serverless();
+      const serviceInstance = new Service(serverless);
+      serviceInstance.serviceObject = {
+        name: 'my-service',
+      };
+
+      const serviceName = serviceInstance.getServiceName();
+
+      expect(serviceName).to.equal('my-service');
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('#getServiceObject()', () => {
+    it('should return the service object with all properties', () => {
+      const serverless = new Serverless();
+      const serviceInstance = new Service(serverless);
+      const testObject = {
+        name: 'my-service',
+        foo: 'bar',
+      };
+      // Use a clone here to check for implicit reference errors
+      serviceInstance.serviceObject = _.cloneDeep(testObject);
+
+      const serviceObject = serviceInstance.getServiceObject();
+
+      expect(serviceObject).to.deep.equal(testObject);
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('#getFunction()', () => {
     let serviceInstance;
     before(() => {