diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-apigateway/lib/restapi.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-apigateway/lib/restapi.ts
index 625d6a6b6cbbd..450df5003dc39 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-apigateway/lib/restapi.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-apigateway/lib/restapi.ts
@@ -180,6 +180,13 @@ export interface RestApiBaseProps {
    * @default false
    */
   readonly disableExecuteApiEndpoint?: boolean;
+
+  /**
+   * A description of the RestApi construct.
+   *
+   * @default - 'Automatically created by the RestApi construct'
+   */
+  readonly description?: string;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -193,12 +200,6 @@ export interface RestApiOptions extends RestApiBaseProps, ResourceOptions {
  * Props to create a new instance of RestApi
  */
 export interface RestApiProps extends RestApiOptions {
-  /**
-   * A description of the purpose of this API Gateway RestApi resource.
-   *
-   * @default - No description.
-   */
-  readonly description?: string;
 
   /**
    * The list of binary media mime-types that are supported by the RestApi
@@ -554,7 +555,7 @@ export abstract class RestApiBase extends Resource implements IRestApi {
     if (deploy) {
 
       this._latestDeployment = new Deployment(this, 'Deployment', {
-        description: 'Automatically created by the RestApi construct',
+        description: props.description? props.description :'Automatically created by the RestApi construct',
         api: this,
         retainDeployments: props.retainDeployments,
       });
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-apigateway/test/restapi.test.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-apigateway/test/restapi.test.ts
index 0b019719a4873..ee7cce939bb91 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-apigateway/test/restapi.test.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-apigateway/test/restapi.test.ts
@@ -1096,4 +1096,36 @@ describe('restapi', () => {
       DisableExecuteApiEndpoint: true,
     });
   });
+
+
+  describe('Description', () => {
+    test('description can be set', () => {
+      // GIVEN
+      const stack = new Stack();
+
+      // WHEN
+      const api = new apigw.RestApi(stack, 'my-api', { description: 'My API' });
+      api.root.addMethod('GET');
+
+      // THEN
+      Template.fromStack(stack).hasResourceProperties(
+        'AWS::ApiGateway::RestApi',
+        {
+          Description: 'My API',
+        });
+    });
+
+    test('description is not set', () => {
+      // GIVEN
+      const stack = new Stack();
+
+      // WHEN
+      const api = new apigw.RestApi(stack, 'my-api');
+      api.root.addMethod('GET');
+
+      // THEN
+      Template.fromStack(stack).hasResourceProperties(
+        'AWS::ApiGateway::RestApi', {});
+    });
+  });
 });