diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-cloudformation/lib/cloud-formation-capabilities.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-cloudformation/lib/cloud-formation-capabilities.ts
index 55a4cb1b29f75..e1437d1c13704 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-cloudformation/lib/cloud-formation-capabilities.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-cloudformation/lib/cloud-formation-capabilities.ts
@@ -28,4 +28,13 @@ export enum CloudFormationCapabilities {
    * @link https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/using-iam-template.html#using-iam-capabilities
    */
   NamedIAM = 'CAPABILITY_NAMED_IAM',
+
+  /**
+   * Capability to run CloudFormation macros
+   *
+   * Pass this capability if your template includes macros, for example AWS::Include or AWS::Serverless.
+   *
+   * @link https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/APIReference/API_CreateStack.html
+   */
+  AutoExpand = 'CAPABILITY_AUTO_EXPAND'
 }
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline-actions/lib/cloudformation/pipeline-actions.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline-actions/lib/cloudformation/pipeline-actions.ts
index 96db314388eae..a6dd58ef7d1a2 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline-actions/lib/cloudformation/pipeline-actions.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline-actions/lib/cloudformation/pipeline-actions.ts
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ export interface CloudFormationDeployActionProps extends CloudFormationActionPro
    * @see https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/using-iam-template.html#using-iam-capabilities
    * @default None, unless `adminPermissions` is true
    */
-  readonly capabilities?: cloudformation.CloudFormationCapabilities;
+  readonly capabilities?: cloudformation.CloudFormationCapabilities[];
 
   /**
    * Whether to grant full permissions to CloudFormation while deploying this template.
@@ -221,12 +221,12 @@ export abstract class CloudFormationDeployAction extends CloudFormationAction {
 
   constructor(props: CloudFormationDeployActionProps, configuration: any) {
     const capabilities = props.adminPermissions && props.capabilities === undefined
-      ? cloudformation.CloudFormationCapabilities.NamedIAM
+      ? [cloudformation.CloudFormationCapabilities.NamedIAM]
       : props.capabilities;
     super(props, {
       ...configuration,
       // None evaluates to empty string which is falsey and results in undefined
-      Capabilities: (capabilities && capabilities.toString()) || undefined,
+      Capabilities: parseCapabilities(capabilities),
       RoleArn: cdk.Lazy.stringValue({ produce: () => this.deploymentRole.roleArn }),
       ParameterOverrides: cdk.Lazy.stringValue({ produce: () => Stack.of(this.scope).toJsonString(props.parameterOverrides) }),
       TemplateConfiguration: props.templateConfiguration ? props.templateConfiguration.location : undefined,
@@ -540,3 +540,13 @@ interface StatementTemplate {
 }
 
 type StatementCondition = { [op: string]: { [attribute: string]: string } };
+
+function parseCapabilities(capabilities: any): any {
+  if (capabilities === undefined) {
+    return undefined;
+  } else if (capabilities.length === 1) {
+    return capabilities.toString();
+  } else if (capabilities.length > 1) {
+    return capabilities.join(',');
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline-actions/test/cloudformation/test.cloudformation-pipeline-actions.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline-actions/test/cloudformation/test.cloudformation-pipeline-actions.ts
index f9fcedf104f00..7c0e00e77aa68 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline-actions/test/cloudformation/test.cloudformation-pipeline-actions.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline-actions/test/cloudformation/test.cloudformation-pipeline-actions.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { expect, haveResource, haveResourceLike } from '@aws-cdk/assert';
+import { CloudFormationCapabilities } from '@aws-cdk/aws-cloudformation';
 import { CodePipelineBuildArtifacts, CodePipelineSource, Project } from '@aws-cdk/aws-codebuild';
 import { Repository } from '@aws-cdk/aws-codecommit';
 import codepipeline = require('@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline');
@@ -415,7 +416,94 @@ export = {
     }));
 
     test.done();
-  }
+  },
+
+  'Single capability is passed to template'(test: Test) {
+  // GIVEN
+  const stack = new TestFixture();
+
+  // WHEN
+  stack.deployStage.addAction(new cpactions.CloudFormationCreateUpdateStackAction({
+    actionName: 'CreateUpdate',
+    stackName: 'MyStack',
+    templatePath: stack.sourceOutput.atPath('template.yaml'),
+    adminPermissions: false,
+    capabilities: [
+      CloudFormationCapabilities.NamedIAM
+    ]
+  }));
+
+  const roleId = "PipelineDeployCreateUpdateRole515CB7D4";
+
+  // THEN: Action in Pipeline has named IAM capabilities
+  expect(stack).to(haveResourceLike('AWS::CodePipeline::Pipeline', {
+    "Stages": [
+    { "Name": "Source" /* don't care about the rest */ },
+    {
+      "Name": "Deploy",
+      "Actions": [
+      {
+        "Configuration": {
+        "Capabilities": "CAPABILITY_NAMED_IAM",
+        "RoleArn": { "Fn::GetAtt": [ roleId, "Arn" ] },
+        "ActionMode": "CREATE_UPDATE",
+        "StackName": "MyStack",
+        "TemplatePath": "SourceArtifact::template.yaml"
+        },
+        "InputArtifacts": [{"Name": "SourceArtifact"}],
+        "Name": "CreateUpdate",
+      },
+      ],
+    }
+    ]
+  }));
+
+  test.done();
+  },
+
+  'Multiple capabilities are passed to template'(test: Test) {
+  // GIVEN
+  const stack = new TestFixture();
+
+  // WHEN
+  stack.deployStage.addAction(new cpactions.CloudFormationCreateUpdateStackAction({
+    actionName: 'CreateUpdate',
+    stackName: 'MyStack',
+    templatePath: stack.sourceOutput.atPath('template.yaml'),
+    adminPermissions: false,
+    capabilities: [
+      CloudFormationCapabilities.NamedIAM,
+      CloudFormationCapabilities.AutoExpand
+    ]
+  }));
+
+  const roleId = "PipelineDeployCreateUpdateRole515CB7D4";
+
+  // THEN: Action in Pipeline has named IAM and AUTOEXPAND capabilities
+  expect(stack).to(haveResourceLike('AWS::CodePipeline::Pipeline', {
+    "Stages": [
+    { "Name": "Source" /* don't care about the rest */ },
+    {
+      "Name": "Deploy",
+      "Actions": [
+      {
+        "Configuration": {
+        "Capabilities": "CAPABILITY_NAMED_IAM,CAPABILITY_AUTO_EXPAND",
+        "RoleArn": { "Fn::GetAtt": [ roleId, "Arn" ] },
+        "ActionMode": "CREATE_UPDATE",
+        "StackName": "MyStack",
+        "TemplatePath": "SourceArtifact::template.yaml"
+        },
+        "InputArtifacts": [{"Name": "SourceArtifact"}],
+        "Name": "CreateUpdate",
+      },
+      ],
+    }
+    ]
+  }));
+
+  test.done();
+  },
 };
 
 /**