diff --git a/lib/plugins/aws/package/compile/events/apiGateway/lib/apiKeys.js b/lib/plugins/aws/package/compile/events/apiGateway/lib/apiKeys.js
index 2135bd8d2..e2c5a852a 100644
--- a/lib/plugins/aws/package/compile/events/apiGateway/lib/apiKeys.js
+++ b/lib/plugins/aws/package/compile/events/apiGateway/lib/apiKeys.js
@@ -4,11 +4,14 @@ const _ = require('lodash');
 const BbPromise = require('bluebird');
 
 function createApiKeyResource(that, apiKey) {
+  const name = _.isString(apiKey) ? apiKey : apiKey.name;
+  const value = _.isObject(apiKey) && apiKey.value ? apiKey.value : undefined;
   const resourceTemplate = {
     Type: 'AWS::ApiGateway::ApiKey',
     Properties: {
       Enabled: true,
-      Name: apiKey,
+      Name: name,
+      Value: value,
       StageKeys: [{
         RestApiId: that.provider.getApiGatewayRestApiId(),
         StageName: that.provider.getStage(),
@@ -20,10 +23,19 @@ function createApiKeyResource(that, apiKey) {
   return _.cloneDeep(resourceTemplate);
 }
 
+function validateApiKey(apiKey) {
+  if (_.isObject(apiKey) && (!_.isNil(apiKey.name) || !_.isNil(apiKey.value))) {
+    return true;
+  } else if (!_.isString(apiKey)) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  return true;
+}
+
 module.exports = {
   compileApiKeys() {
     if (this.serverless.service.provider.apiKeys) {
-      if (!Array.isArray(this.serverless.service.provider.apiKeys)) {
+      if (!_.isArray(this.serverless.service.provider.apiKeys)) {
         throw new this.serverless.classes.Error('apiKeys property must be an array');
       }
 
@@ -36,8 +48,10 @@ module.exports = {
           keyNumber = 0;
           const name = Object.keys(apiKeyDefinition)[0];
           _.forEach(apiKeyDefinition[name], (key) => {
-            if (!_.isString(key)) {
-              throw new this.serverless.classes.Error('API keys must be strings');
+            if (!validateApiKey(key)) {
+              throw new this.serverless.classes.Error(
+                `API Key must be a string or an object which contains name and/or value '${JSON.stringify(key)}'`
+              );
             }
             keyNumber += 1;
             const apiKeyLogicalId = this.provider.naming
@@ -49,6 +63,11 @@ module.exports = {
           });
         } else {
           keyNumber += 1;
+          if (!validateApiKey(apiKeyDefinition)) {
+            throw new this.serverless.classes.Error(
+              `API Key must be a string or an object which contains name and/or value '${JSON.stringify(apiKeyDefinition)}'`
+            );
+          }
           const apiKeyLogicalId = this.provider.naming
             .getApiKeyLogicalId(keyNumber);
           const resourceTemplate = createApiKeyResource(this, apiKeyDefinition);
@@ -59,5 +78,5 @@ module.exports = {
       });
     }
     return BbPromise.resolve();
-  },
+  }
 };
diff --git a/lib/plugins/aws/package/compile/events/apiGateway/lib/usagePlanKeys.js b/lib/plugins/aws/package/compile/events/apiGateway/lib/usagePlanKeys.js
index 3bc583908..0b9b6155e 100644
--- a/lib/plugins/aws/package/compile/events/apiGateway/lib/usagePlanKeys.js
+++ b/lib/plugins/aws/package/compile/events/apiGateway/lib/usagePlanKeys.js
@@ -41,9 +41,11 @@ module.exports = {
           }
           keyNumber = 0;
           _.forEach(apiKeyDefinition[name], (key) => {
-            if (!_.isString(key)) {
+            const apiKeyName = typeof key === 'string' ? key : key.name;
+            if (!_.isString(apiKeyName)) {
               throw new this.serverless.classes.Error('API keys must be strings');
             }
+
             keyNumber += 1;
             const usagePlanKeyLogicalId = this.provider.naming
               .getUsagePlanKeyLogicalId(keyNumber, name);