diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/cloudformation-include/README.md b/packages/@aws-cdk/cloudformation-include/README.md
index 52da55a585b02..1b1468e490bef 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/cloudformation-include/README.md
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/cloudformation-include/README.md
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ and the nested stack in your CDK application as follows:
 ```typescript
 const parentTemplate = new inc.CfnInclude(this, 'ParentStack', {
   templateFile: 'path/to/my-parent-template.json',
-  nestedStacks: {
+  loadNestedStacks: {
     'ChildStack': {
       templateFile: 'path/to/my-nested-template.json',
     },
@@ -299,6 +299,15 @@ role.addToPolicy(new iam.PolicyStatement({
 }));
 ```
 
+You can also include the nested stack after the `CfnInclude` object was created,
+instead of doing it on construction:
+
+```ts
+const includedChildStack = parentTemplate.loadNestedStack('ChildTemplate', {
+  templateFile: 'path/to/my-nested-template.json',
+});
+```
+
 ## Vending CloudFormation templates as Constructs
 
 In many cases, there are existing CloudFormation templates that are not entire applications,
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/cloudformation-include/lib/cfn-include.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/cloudformation-include/lib/cfn-include.ts
index 1a74dd14f5108..c19361247bf09 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/cloudformation-include/lib/cfn-include.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/cloudformation-include/lib/cfn-include.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ export interface CfnIncludeProps {
    * Specifies the template files that define nested stacks that should be included.
    *
    * If your template specifies a stack that isn't included here, it won't be created as a NestedStack
-   * resource, and it won't be accessible from {@link CfnInclude.getNestedStack}.
+   * resource, and it won't be accessible from the {@link CfnInclude.getNestedStack} method
+   * (but will still be accessible from the {@link CfnInclude.getResource} method).
    *
    * If you include a stack here with an ID that isn't in the template,
    * or is in the template but is not a nested stack,
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ export interface CfnIncludeProps {
    *
    * @default - no nested stacks will be included
    */
-  readonly nestedStacks?: { [stackName: string]: CfnIncludeProps };
+  readonly loadNestedStacks?: { [stackName: string]: CfnIncludeProps };
 
   /**
    * Specifies parameters to be replaced by the values in this mapping.
@@ -134,13 +135,13 @@ export class CfnInclude extends core.CfnElement {
       this.createRule(ruleName);
     }
 
-    this.nestedStacksToInclude = props.nestedStacks || {};
+    this.nestedStacksToInclude = props.loadNestedStacks || {};
     // instantiate all resources as CDK L1 objects
     for (const logicalId of Object.keys(this.template.Resources || {})) {
       this.getOrCreateResource(logicalId);
     }
     // verify that all nestedStacks have been instantiated
-    for (const nestedStackId of Object.keys(props.nestedStacks || {})) {
+    for (const nestedStackId of Object.keys(props.loadNestedStacks || {})) {
       if (!(nestedStackId in this.resources)) {
         throw new Error(`Nested Stack with logical ID '${nestedStackId}' was not found in the template`);
       }
@@ -290,9 +291,10 @@ export class CfnInclude extends core.CfnElement {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Returns the NestedStack with name logicalId.
-   * For a nested stack to be returned by this method, it must be specified in the {@link CfnIncludeProps.nestedStacks}
-   * property.
+   * Returns a loaded NestedStack with name logicalId.
+   * For a nested stack to be returned by this method,
+   * it must be specified either in the {@link CfnIncludeProps.loadNestedStacks} property,
+   * or through the {@link loadNestedStack} method.
    *
    * @param logicalId the ID of the stack to retrieve, as it appears in the template
    */
@@ -303,12 +305,47 @@ export class CfnInclude extends core.CfnElement {
       } else if (this.template.Resources[logicalId].Type !== 'AWS::CloudFormation::Stack') {
         throw new Error(`Resource with logical ID '${logicalId}' is not a CloudFormation Stack`);
       } else {
-        throw new Error(`Nested Stack '${logicalId}' was not included in the nestedStacks property when including the parent template`);
+        throw new Error(`Nested Stack '${logicalId}' was not included in the parent template. ` +
+          'To retrieve an included nested stack, it must be specified either in the `loadNestedStacks` property, or through the `loadNestedStack` method');
       }
     }
     return this.nestedStacks[logicalId];
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Includes a template for a child stack inside of this parent template.
+   * A child with this logical ID must exist in the template,
+   * and be of type AWS::CloudFormation::Stack.
+   * This is equivalent to specifying the value in the {@link CfnIncludeProps.loadNestedStacks}
+   * property on object construction.
+   *
+   * @param logicalId the ID of the stack to retrieve, as it appears in the template
+   * @param nestedStackProps the properties of the included child Stack
+   * @returns the same {@link IncludedNestedStack} object that {@link getNestedStack} returns for this logical ID
+   */
+  public loadNestedStack(logicalId: string, nestedStackProps: CfnIncludeProps): IncludedNestedStack {
+    if (logicalId in this.nestedStacks) {
+      throw new Error(`Nested Stack '${logicalId}' was already included in its parent template`);
+    }
+    const cfnStack = this.resources[logicalId];
+    if (!cfnStack) {
+      throw new Error(`Nested Stack with logical ID '${logicalId}' was not found in the template`);
+    }
+    if (cfnStack instanceof core.CfnStack) {
+      // delete the old CfnStack child - one will be created by the NestedStack object
+      this.node.tryRemoveChild(logicalId);
+      // remove the previously created CfnStack resource from the resources map
+      delete this.resources[logicalId];
+      // createNestedStack() (called by getOrCreateResource()) expects this to be filled
+      this.nestedStacksToInclude[logicalId] = nestedStackProps;
+
+      this.getOrCreateResource(logicalId);
+      return this.nestedStacks[logicalId];
+    } else {
+      throw new Error(`Nested Stack with logical ID '${logicalId}' is not an AWS::CloudFormation::Stack resource`);
+    }
+  }
+
   /** @internal */
   public _toCloudFormation(): object {
     const ret: { [section: string]: any } = {};
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/cloudformation-include/package.json b/packages/@aws-cdk/cloudformation-include/package.json
index 6dfa741afb9b7..a365a37176c39 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/cloudformation-include/package.json
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/cloudformation-include/package.json
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@
   },
   "awslint": {
     "exclude": [
-      "props-no-cfn-types:@aws-cdk/cloudformation-include.CfnIncludeProps.nestedStacks"
+      "props-no-cfn-types:@aws-cdk/cloudformation-include.CfnIncludeProps.loadNestedStacks"
     ]
   },
   "stability": "experimental",
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/cloudformation-include/test/integ.nested-stacks.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/cloudformation-include/test/integ.nested-stacks.ts
index 5ccd876c328db..11d2391e06582 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/cloudformation-include/test/integ.nested-stacks.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/cloudformation-include/test/integ.nested-stacks.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ const stack = new core.Stack(app, 'ParentStack');
 
 new inc.CfnInclude(stack, 'ParentStack', {
   templateFile: 'test-templates/nested/parent-one-child.json',
-  nestedStacks: {
+  loadNestedStacks: {
     ChildStack: {
       templateFile: 'test-templates/nested/grandchild-import-stack.json',
     },
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/cloudformation-include/test/nested-stacks.test.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/cloudformation-include/test/nested-stacks.test.ts
index 69ce97dcca07d..bf729dcedd38b 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/cloudformation-include/test/nested-stacks.test.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/cloudformation-include/test/nested-stacks.test.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ describe('CDK Include for nested stacks', () => {
   test('can ingest a template with one child', () => {
     const parentTemplate = new inc.CfnInclude(stack, 'ParentStack', {
       templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('parent-one-child.json'),
-      nestedStacks: {
+      loadNestedStacks: {
         'ChildStack': {
           templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('grandchild-import-stack.json'),
         },
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ describe('CDK Include for nested stacks', () => {
   test('can ingest a template with two children', () => {
     const parentTemplate = new inc.CfnInclude(stack, 'ParentStack', {
       templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('parent-two-children.json'),
-      nestedStacks: {
+      loadNestedStacks: {
         'ChildStack': {
           templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('grandchild-import-stack.json'),
         },
@@ -59,10 +59,10 @@ describe('CDK Include for nested stacks', () => {
   test('can ingest a template with one child and one grandchild', () => {
     const parentTemplate = new inc.CfnInclude(stack, 'ParentStack', {
       templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('parent-two-children.json'),
-      nestedStacks: {
+      loadNestedStacks: {
         'ChildStack': {
           templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('child-import-stack.json'),
-          nestedStacks: {
+          loadNestedStacks: {
             'GrandChildStack': {
               templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('grandchild-import-stack.json'),
             },
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ describe('CDK Include for nested stacks', () => {
     expect(() => {
       new inc.CfnInclude(stack, 'ParentStack', {
         templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('parent-two-children.json'),
-        nestedStacks: {
+        loadNestedStacks: {
           'FakeStack': {
             templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('child-import-stack.json'),
           },
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ describe('CDK Include for nested stacks', () => {
     expect(() => {
       new inc.CfnInclude(stack, 'ParentStack', {
         templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('child-import-stack.json'),
-        nestedStacks: {
+        loadNestedStacks: {
           'BucketImport': {
             templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('grandchild-import-stack.json'),
           },
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ describe('CDK Include for nested stacks', () => {
     expect(() => {
       new inc.CfnInclude(stack, 'ParentStack', {
         templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('parent-creation-policy.json'),
-        nestedStacks: {
+        loadNestedStacks: {
           'ChildStack': {
             templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('grandchild-import-stack.json'),
           },
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ describe('CDK Include for nested stacks', () => {
     expect(() => {
       new inc.CfnInclude(stack, 'ParentStack', {
         templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('parent-update-policy.json'),
-        nestedStacks: {
+        loadNestedStacks: {
           'ChildStack': {
             templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('grandchild-import-stack.json'),
           },
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ describe('CDK Include for nested stacks', () => {
     expect(() => {
       new inc.CfnInclude(stack, 'ParentStack', {
         templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('parent-invalid-condition.json'),
-        nestedStacks: {
+        loadNestedStacks: {
           'ChildStack': {
             templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('grandchild-import-stack.json'),
           },
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ describe('CDK Include for nested stacks', () => {
     expect(() => {
       new inc.CfnInclude(stack, 'ParentStack', {
         templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('parent-bad-depends-on.json'),
-        nestedStacks: {
+        loadNestedStacks: {
           'ChildStack': {
             templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('child-import-stack.json'),
           },
@@ -160,11 +160,11 @@ describe('CDK Include for nested stacks', () => {
     }).toThrow(/Resource 'ChildStack' depends on 'AFakeResource' that doesn't exist/);
   });
 
-  test('throws an exception when an ID was passed in nestedStacks that is a resource type not in the CloudFormation schema', () => {
+  test('throws an exception when an ID was passed in loadNestedStacks that is a resource type not in the CloudFormation schema', () => {
     expect(() => {
       new inc.CfnInclude(stack, 'Template', {
         templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('custom-resource.json'),
-        nestedStacks: {
+        loadNestedStacks: {
           'CustomResource': {
             templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('whatever.json'),
           },
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ describe('CDK Include for nested stacks', () => {
   test('can modify resources in nested stacks', () => {
     const parent = new inc.CfnInclude(stack, 'ParentStack', {
       templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('child-import-stack.json'),
-      nestedStacks: {
+      loadNestedStacks: {
         'GrandChildStack': {
           templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('grandchild-import-stack.json'),
         },
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ describe('CDK Include for nested stacks', () => {
   test('can use a condition', () => {
     const parent = new inc.CfnInclude(stack, 'ParentStack', {
       templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('parent-valid-condition.json'),
-      nestedStacks: {
+      loadNestedStacks: {
         'ChildStack': {
           templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('grandchild-import-stack.json'),
         },
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ describe('CDK Include for nested stacks', () => {
   test('asset parameters generated in parent and child are identical', () => {
     new inc.CfnInclude(stack, 'ParentStack', {
       templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('parent-one-child.json'),
-      nestedStacks: {
+      loadNestedStacks: {
         'ChildStack': {
           templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('grandchild-import-stack.json'),
         },
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ describe('CDK Include for nested stacks', () => {
     });
   });
 
-  test('templates with nested stacks that were not provided in the nestedStacks property are left unmodified', () => {
+  test('templates with nested stacks that were not provided in the loadNestedStacks property are left unmodified', () => {
     new inc.CfnInclude(stack, 'ParentStack', {
       templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('parent-two-children.json'),
     });
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ describe('CDK Include for nested stacks', () => {
   test('getNestedStack() throws an exception when getting a resource that does not exist in the template', () => {
     const parentTemplate = new inc.CfnInclude(stack, 'ParentStack', {
       templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('parent-two-children.json'),
-      nestedStacks: {
+      loadNestedStacks: {
         'ChildStack': {
           templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('child-import-stack.json'),
         },
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ describe('CDK Include for nested stacks', () => {
   test('getNestedStack() throws an exception when getting a resource that exists in the template, but is not a Stack', () => {
     const parentTemplate = new inc.CfnInclude(stack, 'ParentStack', {
       templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('parent-two-children.json'),
-      nestedStacks: {
+      loadNestedStacks: {
         'ChildStack': {
           templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('child-import-stack.json'),
         },
@@ -319,10 +319,10 @@ describe('CDK Include for nested stacks', () => {
     }).toThrow(/Resource with logical ID 'BucketImport' is not a CloudFormation Stack/);
   });
 
-  test('getNestedStack() throws an exception when getting a resource that exists in the template, but was not specified in the props', () => {
+  test('getNestedStack() throws an exception when getting a nested stack that exists in the template, but was not specified in the props', () => {
     const parentTemplate = new inc.CfnInclude(stack, 'ParentStack', {
       templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('parent-two-children.json'),
-      nestedStacks: {
+      loadNestedStacks: {
         'ChildStack': {
           templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('child-import-stack.json'),
         },
@@ -331,13 +331,13 @@ describe('CDK Include for nested stacks', () => {
 
     expect(() => {
       parentTemplate.getNestedStack('AnotherChildStack');
-    }).toThrow(/Nested Stack 'AnotherChildStack' was not included in the nestedStacks property when including the parent template/);
+    }).toThrow(/Nested Stack 'AnotherChildStack' was not included in the parent template/);
   });
 
   test('correctly handles renaming of references across nested stacks', () => {
     const parentTemplate = new inc.CfnInclude(stack, 'ParentStack', {
       templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('cross-stack-refs.json'),
-      nestedStacks: {
+      loadNestedStacks: {
         'ChildStack': {
           templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('child-import-stack.json'),
         },
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ describe('CDK Include for nested stacks', () => {
     });
   });
 
-  test('returns the CfnStack object from getResource() for a nested stack that was not in the nestedStacks property', () => {
+  test('returns the CfnStack object from getResource() for a nested stack that was not in the loadNestedStacks property', () => {
     const cfnTemplate = new inc.CfnInclude(stack, 'ParentStack', {
       templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('parent-two-children.json'),
     });
@@ -370,10 +370,10 @@ describe('CDK Include for nested stacks', () => {
     expect(childStack1).toBeInstanceOf(core.CfnStack);
   });
 
-  test('returns the CfnStack object from getResource() for a nested stack that was in the nestedStacks property', () => {
+  test('returns the CfnStack object from getResource() for a nested stack that was in the loadNestedStacks property', () => {
     const cfnTemplate = new inc.CfnInclude(stack, 'ParentStack', {
       templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('parent-one-child.json'),
-      nestedStacks: {
+      loadNestedStacks: {
         'ChildStack': {
           templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('child-import-stack.json'),
         },
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@ describe('CDK Include for nested stacks', () => {
   test("handles Metadata, DeletionPolicy, and UpdateReplacePolicy attributes of the nested stack's resource", () => {
     const cfnTemplate = new inc.CfnInclude(stack, 'ParentStack', {
       templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('parent-with-attributes.json'),
-      nestedStacks: {
+      loadNestedStacks: {
         'ChildStack': {
           templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('child-import-stack.json'),
         },
@@ -424,6 +424,20 @@ describe('CDK Include for nested stacks', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  test('can lazily include a single child nested stack', () => {
+    const parentTemplate = new inc.CfnInclude(stack, 'ParentStack', {
+      templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('parent-one-child.json'),
+    });
+    const includedChild = parentTemplate.loadNestedStack('ChildStack', {
+      templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('child-no-bucket.json'),
+    });
+
+    expect(includedChild.stack).toMatchTemplate(
+      loadTestFileToJsObject('child-no-bucket.json'),
+    );
+    expect(includedChild.includedTemplate.getResource('GrandChildStack')).toBeDefined();
+  });
+
   describe('for a parent stack with children and grandchildren', () => {
     let assetStack: core.Stack;
     let parentTemplate: inc.CfnInclude;
@@ -442,10 +456,10 @@ describe('CDK Include for nested stacks', () => {
       assetStack = new core.Stack();
       parentTemplate = new inc.CfnInclude(assetStack, 'ParentStack', {
         templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('parent-one-child.json'),
-        nestedStacks: {
+        loadNestedStacks: {
           'ChildStack': {
             templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('child-no-bucket.json'),
-            nestedStacks: {
+            loadNestedStacks: {
               'GrandChildStack': {
                 templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('grandchild-import-stack.json'),
               },
@@ -621,7 +635,7 @@ describe('CDK Include for nested stacks', () => {
       parentStack = new core.Stack();
       const parentTemplate = new inc.CfnInclude(parentStack, 'ParentStack', {
         templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('parent-two-parameters.json'),
-        nestedStacks: {
+        loadNestedStacks: {
           'ChildStack': {
             templateFile: testTemplateFilePath('child-two-parameters.json'),
             parameters: {