diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline-actions/lib/ecs/deploy-action.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline-actions/lib/ecs/deploy-action.ts
index e8bd9a5bd12c0..70d4133af48f8 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline-actions/lib/ecs/deploy-action.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline-actions/lib/ecs/deploy-action.ts
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ export class EcsDeployAction extends Action {
       provider: 'ECS',
       artifactBounds: deployArtifactBounds(),
       inputs: [determineInputArtifact(props)],
+      resource: props.service
     });
 
     this.props = props;
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline-actions/test/ecs/test.ecs-deploy-action.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline-actions/test/ecs/test.ecs-deploy-action.ts
index c668283c225b3..14ce73faf75d7 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline-actions/test/ecs/test.ecs-deploy-action.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline-actions/test/ecs/test.ecs-deploy-action.ts
@@ -65,6 +65,21 @@ export = {
 
       test.done();
     },
+
+    "sets the target service as the action's backing resource"(test: Test) {
+      const service = anyEcsService();
+      const artifact = new codepipeline.Artifact('Artifact');
+
+      const action = new cpactions.EcsDeployAction({
+        actionName: 'ECS',
+        service,
+        input: artifact
+      });
+
+      test.equal(action.actionProperties.resource, service);
+
+      test.done();
+    },
   },
 };