diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs-patterns/README.md b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs-patterns/README.md
index 5da8d9feb1391..e3f1f95984ed4 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs-patterns/README.md
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs-patterns/README.md
@@ -269,6 +269,8 @@ const queueProcessingFargateService = new QueueProcessingFargateService(stack, '
 });
 ```
 
+when queue not provided by user, CDK will create a primary queue and a dead letter queue with default redrive policy and attach permission to the task to be able to access the primary queue.
+
 ## Scheduled Tasks
 
 To define a task that runs periodically, instantiate an `ScheduledEc2Task`:
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs-patterns/lib/base/queue-processing-service-base.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs-patterns/lib/base/queue-processing-service-base.ts
index 633385da4bbfc..08738ca788485 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs-patterns/lib/base/queue-processing-service-base.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs-patterns/lib/base/queue-processing-service-base.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { ScalingInterval } from '@aws-cdk/aws-applicationautoscaling';
 import { IVpc } from '@aws-cdk/aws-ec2';
 import { AwsLogDriver, BaseService, Cluster, ContainerImage, ICluster, LogDriver, PropagatedTagSource, Secret } from '@aws-cdk/aws-ecs';
 import { IQueue, Queue } from '@aws-cdk/aws-sqs';
-import { CfnOutput, Construct, Stack } from '@aws-cdk/core';
+import { CfnOutput, Construct, Duration, Stack } from '@aws-cdk/core';
 
 /**
  * The properties for the base QueueProcessingEc2Service or QueueProcessingFargateService service.
@@ -86,6 +86,21 @@ export interface QueueProcessingServiceBaseProps {
    */
   readonly queue?: IQueue;
 
+  /**
+   * The maximum number of times that a message can be received by consumers.
+   * When this value is exceeded for a message the message will be automatically sent to the Dead Letter Queue.
+   *
+   * @default 3
+   */
+  readonly maxReceiveCount?: number;
+
+  /**
+   * The number of seconds that Dead Letter Queue retains a message.
+   *
+   * @default Duration.days(14)
+   */
+  readonly retentionPeriod?: Duration;
+
   /**
    * Maximum capacity to scale to.
    *
@@ -143,6 +158,11 @@ export abstract class QueueProcessingServiceBase extends Construct {
    */
   public readonly sqsQueue: IQueue;
 
+  /**
+   * The dead letter queue for the primary SQS queue
+   */
+  public readonly deadLetterQueue?: IQueue;
+
   /**
    * The cluster where your service will be deployed
    */
@@ -191,8 +211,23 @@ export abstract class QueueProcessingServiceBase extends Construct {
     }
     this.cluster = props.cluster || this.getDefaultCluster(this, props.vpc);
 
-    // Create the SQS queue if one is not provided
-    this.sqsQueue = props.queue !== undefined ? props.queue : new Queue(this, 'EcsProcessingQueue', {});
+    // Create the SQS queue and it's corresponding DLQ if one is not provided
+    if (props.queue) {
+      this.sqsQueue = props.queue;
+    } else {
+      this.deadLetterQueue = new Queue(this, "EcsProcessingDeadLetterQueue", {
+        retentionPeriod: props.retentionPeriod || Duration.days(14)
+      });
+      this.sqsQueue = new Queue(this, 'EcsProcessingQueue', {
+        deadLetterQueue: {
+          queue: this.deadLetterQueue,
+          maxReceiveCount: props.maxReceiveCount || 3
+        }
+      });
+
+      new CfnOutput(this, 'SQSDeadLetterQueue', { value: this.deadLetterQueue.queueName });
+      new CfnOutput(this, 'SQSDeadLetterQueueArn', { value: this.deadLetterQueue.queueArn });
+    }
 
     // Setup autoscaling scaling intervals
     const defaultScalingSteps = [{ upper: 0, change: -1 }, { lower: 100, change: +1 }, { lower: 500, change: +5 }];
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs-patterns/test/ec2/test.queue-processing-ecs-service.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs-patterns/test/ec2/test.queue-processing-ecs-service.ts
index 781ca75b339fa..3daa6ed266ec9 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs-patterns/test/ec2/test.queue-processing-ecs-service.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs-patterns/test/ec2/test.queue-processing-ecs-service.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,96 @@ export = {
       LaunchType: "EC2",
     }));
 
-    expect(stack).to(haveResource("AWS::SQS::Queue"));
+    expect(stack).to(haveResource("AWS::SQS::Queue", {
+      RedrivePolicy: {
+        deadLetterTargetArn: {
+          "Fn::GetAtt": [
+            "ServiceEcsProcessingDeadLetterQueue4A89196E",
+            "Arn"
+          ]
+        },
+        maxReceiveCount: 3
+      }
+    }));
+
+    expect(stack).to(haveResource("AWS::SQS::Queue", {
+      MessageRetentionPeriod: 1209600
+    }));
+
+    expect(stack).to(haveResourceLike('AWS::ECS::TaskDefinition', {
+      ContainerDefinitions: [
+        {
+          Environment: [
+            {
+              Name: "QUEUE_NAME",
+              Value: {
+                "Fn::GetAtt": [
+                  "ServiceEcsProcessingQueueC266885C",
+                  "QueueName"
+                ]
+              }
+            }
+          ],
+          LogConfiguration: {
+            LogDriver: "awslogs",
+            Options: {
+              "awslogs-group": {
+                Ref: "ServiceQueueProcessingTaskDefQueueProcessingContainerLogGroupD52338D1"
+              },
+              "awslogs-stream-prefix": "Service",
+              "awslogs-region": {
+                Ref: "AWS::Region"
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          Essential: true,
+          Image: "test",
+          Memory: 512
+        }
+      ],
+      Family: "ServiceQueueProcessingTaskDef83DB34F1"
+    }));
+
+    test.done();
+  },
+
+  'test ECS queue worker service construct - with optional props for queues'(test: Test) {
+    // GIVEN
+    const stack = new cdk.Stack();
+    const vpc = new ec2.Vpc(stack, 'VPC');
+    const cluster = new ecs.Cluster(stack, 'Cluster', { vpc });
+    cluster.addCapacity('DefaultAutoScalingGroup', { instanceType: new ec2.InstanceType('t2.micro') });
+
+    // WHEN
+    new ecsPatterns.QueueProcessingEc2Service(stack, 'Service', {
+      cluster,
+      memoryLimitMiB: 512,
+      image: ecs.ContainerImage.fromRegistry('test'),
+      maxReceiveCount: 42,
+      retentionPeriod: cdk.Duration.days(7)
+    });
+
+    // THEN - QueueWorker is of EC2 launch type, an SQS queue is created and all default properties are set.
+    expect(stack).to(haveResource("AWS::ECS::Service", {
+      DesiredCount: 1,
+      LaunchType: "EC2",
+    }));
+
+    expect(stack).to(haveResource("AWS::SQS::Queue", {
+      RedrivePolicy: {
+        deadLetterTargetArn: {
+          "Fn::GetAtt": [
+            "ServiceEcsProcessingDeadLetterQueue4A89196E",
+            "Arn"
+          ]
+        },
+        maxReceiveCount: 42
+      }
+    }));
+
+    expect(stack).to(haveResource("AWS::SQS::Queue", {
+      MessageRetentionPeriod: 604800
+    }));
 
     expect(stack).to(haveResourceLike('AWS::ECS::TaskDefinition', {
       ContainerDefinitions: [
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs-patterns/test/fargate/test.queue-processing-fargate-service.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs-patterns/test/fargate/test.queue-processing-fargate-service.ts
index 248d6cbf57be6..c06f10b10b7aa 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs-patterns/test/fargate/test.queue-processing-fargate-service.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs-patterns/test/fargate/test.queue-processing-fargate-service.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,118 @@ export = {
       LaunchType: "FARGATE",
     }));
 
-    expect(stack).to(haveResource("AWS::SQS::Queue"));
+    expect(stack).to(haveResource("AWS::SQS::Queue", {
+      RedrivePolicy: {
+        deadLetterTargetArn: {
+          "Fn::GetAtt": [
+            "ServiceEcsProcessingDeadLetterQueue4A89196E",
+            "Arn"
+          ]
+        },
+        maxReceiveCount: 3
+      }
+    }));
+
+    expect(stack).to(haveResource("AWS::SQS::Queue", {
+      MessageRetentionPeriod: 1209600
+    }));
+
+    expect(stack).to(haveResource("AWS::IAM::Policy",  {
+      PolicyDocument: {
+        Statement: [
+          {
+            Action: [
+              "sqs:ReceiveMessage",
+              "sqs:ChangeMessageVisibility",
+              "sqs:GetQueueUrl",
+              "sqs:DeleteMessage",
+              "sqs:GetQueueAttributes"
+            ],
+            Effect: "Allow",
+            Resource: {
+              "Fn::GetAtt": [
+                "ServiceEcsProcessingQueueC266885C",
+                "Arn"
+              ]
+            }
+          }
+        ],
+        Version: "2012-10-17"
+      }
+    }));
+
+    expect(stack).to(haveResourceLike('AWS::ECS::TaskDefinition', {
+      ContainerDefinitions: [
+        {
+          Environment: [
+            {
+              Name: "QUEUE_NAME",
+              Value: {
+                "Fn::GetAtt": [
+                  "ServiceEcsProcessingQueueC266885C",
+                  "QueueName"
+                ]
+              }
+            }
+          ],
+          LogConfiguration: {
+            LogDriver: "awslogs",
+            Options: {
+              "awslogs-group": {
+                Ref: "ServiceQueueProcessingTaskDefQueueProcessingContainerLogGroupD52338D1"
+              },
+              "awslogs-stream-prefix": "Service",
+              "awslogs-region": {
+                Ref: "AWS::Region"
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          Image: "test",
+        }
+      ],
+      Family: "ServiceQueueProcessingTaskDef83DB34F1"
+    }));
+
+    test.done();
+  },
+
+  'test fargate queue worker service construct - with optional props for queues'(test: Test) {
+    // GIVEN
+    const stack = new cdk.Stack();
+    const vpc = new ec2.Vpc(stack, 'VPC');
+    const cluster = new ecs.Cluster(stack, 'Cluster', { vpc });
+    cluster.addCapacity('DefaultAutoScalingGroup', { instanceType: new ec2.InstanceType('t2.micro') });
+
+    // WHEN
+    new ecsPatterns.QueueProcessingFargateService(stack, 'Service', {
+      cluster,
+      memoryLimitMiB: 512,
+      image: ecs.ContainerImage.fromRegistry('test'),
+      maxReceiveCount: 42,
+      retentionPeriod: cdk.Duration.days(7)
+    });
+
+    // THEN - QueueWorker is of FARGATE launch type, an SQS queue is created and all default properties are set.
+    expect(stack).to(haveResource("AWS::ECS::Service", {
+      DesiredCount: 1,
+      LaunchType: "FARGATE",
+    }));
+
+    expect(stack).to(haveResource("AWS::SQS::Queue", {
+      RedrivePolicy: {
+        deadLetterTargetArn: {
+          "Fn::GetAtt": [
+            "ServiceEcsProcessingDeadLetterQueue4A89196E",
+            "Arn"
+          ]
+        },
+        maxReceiveCount: 42
+      }
+    }));
+
+    expect(stack).to(haveResource("AWS::SQS::Queue", {
+      MessageRetentionPeriod: 604800
+    }));
 
     expect(stack).to(haveResource("AWS::IAM::Policy",  {
       PolicyDocument: {