diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-events-targets/README.md b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-events-targets/README.md
index 994c24ab8a0a5..a5c8fde1d9d98 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-events-targets/README.md
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-events-targets/README.md
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ EventBridge.
 
 ## Event retry policy and using dead-letter queues
 
-The Codebuild, CodePipeline, Lambda, StepFunctions and LogGroup targets support attaching a [dead letter queue and setting retry policies](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/eventbridge/latest/userguide/rule-dlq.html). See the [lambda example](#invoke-a-lambda-function).
+The Codebuild, CodePipeline, Lambda, StepFunctions, LogGroup and SQSQueue targets support attaching a [dead letter queue and setting retry policies](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/eventbridge/latest/userguide/rule-dlq.html). See the [lambda example](#invoke-a-lambda-function).
 Use [escape hatches](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cdk/latest/guide/cfn_layer.html) for the other target types.
 
 ## Invoke a Lambda function
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-events-targets/lib/sqs.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-events-targets/lib/sqs.ts
index 43fb9b8ed15d0..465f0355516cf 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-events-targets/lib/sqs.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-events-targets/lib/sqs.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 import * as events from '@aws-cdk/aws-events';
 import * as iam from '@aws-cdk/aws-iam';
 import * as sqs from '@aws-cdk/aws-sqs';
+import { addToDeadLetterQueueResourcePolicy, TargetBaseProps, bindBaseTargetConfig } from './util';
 
 /**
  * Customize the SQS Queue Event Target
  */
-export interface SqsQueueProps {
+export interface SqsQueueProps extends TargetBaseProps {
 
   /**
    * Message Group ID for messages sent to this queue
@@ -24,7 +25,6 @@ export interface SqsQueueProps {
    * @default the entire EventBridge event
    */
   readonly message?: events.RuleTargetInput;
-
 }
 
 /**
@@ -62,7 +62,12 @@ export class SqsQueue implements events.IRuleTarget {
     // deduplicated automatically
     this.queue.grantSendMessages(new iam.ServicePrincipal('events.amazonaws.com', principalOpts));
 
+    if (this.props.deadLetterQueue) {
+      addToDeadLetterQueueResourcePolicy(rule, this.props.deadLetterQueue);
+    }
+
     return {
+      ...bindBaseTargetConfig(this.props),
       arn: this.queue.queueArn,
       input: this.props.message,
       targetResource: this.queue,
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-events-targets/test/sqs/integ.sqs-event-rule-target.expected.json b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-events-targets/test/sqs/integ.sqs-event-rule-target.expected.json
index eb2a7dd26ef5f..f35a7a93b9e42 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-events-targets/test/sqs/integ.sqs-event-rule-target.expected.json
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-events-targets/test/sqs/integ.sqs-event-rule-target.expected.json
@@ -61,6 +61,14 @@
                 "Arn"
               ]
             },
+            "DeadLetterConfig": {
+              "Arn": {
+                "Fn::GetAtt": [
+                  "MyDeadLetterQueueD997968A",
+                  "Arn"
+                ]
+              }
+            },
             "Id": "Target0"
           }
         ]
@@ -110,6 +118,50 @@
           }
         ]
       }
+    },
+    "MyDeadLetterQueueD997968A": {
+      "Type": "AWS::SQS::Queue",
+      "UpdateReplacePolicy": "Delete",
+      "DeletionPolicy": "Delete"
+    },
+    "MyDeadLetterQueuePolicyCC35D52C": {
+      "Type": "AWS::SQS::QueuePolicy",
+      "Properties": {
+        "PolicyDocument": {
+          "Statement": [
+            {
+              "Action": "sqs:SendMessage",
+              "Condition": {
+                "ArnEquals": {
+                  "aws:SourceArn": {
+                    "Fn::GetAtt": [
+                      "MyRuleA44AB831",
+                      "Arn"
+                    ]
+                  }
+                }
+              },
+              "Effect": "Allow",
+              "Principal": {
+                "Service": "events.amazonaws.com"
+              },
+              "Resource": {
+                "Fn::GetAtt": [
+                  "MyDeadLetterQueueD997968A",
+                  "Arn"
+                ]
+              },
+              "Sid": "AllowEventRuleawscdksqseventtargetMyRule0027A8F4"
+            }
+          ],
+          "Version": "2012-10-17"
+        },
+        "Queues": [
+          {
+            "Ref": "MyDeadLetterQueueD997968A"
+          }
+        ]
+      }
     }
   }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-events-targets/test/sqs/integ.sqs-event-rule-target.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-events-targets/test/sqs/integ.sqs-event-rule-target.ts
index b2b8fb334bff6..f2375dd7c2a37 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-events-targets/test/sqs/integ.sqs-event-rule-target.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-events-targets/test/sqs/integ.sqs-event-rule-target.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ const queue = new sqs.Queue(stack, 'MyQueue', {
   encryptionMasterKey: key,
 });
 
-event.addTarget(new targets.SqsQueue(queue));
+const deadLetterQueue = new sqs.Queue(stack, 'MyDeadLetterQueue');
+
+event.addTarget(new targets.SqsQueue(queue, {
+  deadLetterQueue,
+}));
 
 app.synth();
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-events-targets/test/sqs/sqs.test.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-events-targets/test/sqs/sqs.test.ts
index 8893a8820f37e..ad2a5296714e6 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-events-targets/test/sqs/sqs.test.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-events-targets/test/sqs/sqs.test.ts
@@ -180,3 +180,75 @@ test('fifo queues are synthesized correctly', () => {
     ],
   }));
 });
+
+test('dead letter queue is configured correctly', () => {
+  const stack = new Stack();
+  const queue = new sqs.Queue(stack, 'MyQueue', { fifo: true });
+  const deadLetterQueue = new sqs.Queue(stack, 'MyDeadLetterQueue');
+  const rule = new events.Rule(stack, 'MyRule', {
+    schedule: events.Schedule.rate(Duration.hours(1)),
+  });
+
+  // WHEN
+  rule.addTarget(new targets.SqsQueue(queue, {
+    deadLetterQueue,
+  }));
+
+  cdkExpect(stack).to(haveResource('AWS::Events::Rule', {
+    ScheduleExpression: 'rate(1 hour)',
+    State: 'ENABLED',
+    Targets: [
+      {
+        Arn: {
+          'Fn::GetAtt': [
+            'MyQueueE6CA6235',
+            'Arn',
+          ],
+        },
+        Id: 'Target0',
+        DeadLetterConfig: {
+          Arn: {
+            'Fn::GetAtt': [
+              'MyDeadLetterQueueD997968A',
+              'Arn',
+            ],
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    ],
+  }));
+});
+
+test('specifying retry policy', () => {
+  const stack = new Stack();
+  const queue = new sqs.Queue(stack, 'MyQueue', { fifo: true });
+  const rule = new events.Rule(stack, 'MyRule', {
+    schedule: events.Schedule.rate(Duration.hours(1)),
+  });
+
+  // WHEN
+  rule.addTarget(new targets.SqsQueue(queue, {
+    retryAttempts: 2,
+    maxEventAge: Duration.hours(2),
+  }));
+
+  cdkExpect(stack).to(haveResource('AWS::Events::Rule', {
+    ScheduleExpression: 'rate(1 hour)',
+    State: 'ENABLED',
+    Targets: [
+      {
+        Arn: {
+          'Fn::GetAtt': [
+            'MyQueueE6CA6235',
+            'Arn',
+          ],
+        },
+        Id: 'Target0',
+        RetryPolicy: {
+          MaximumEventAgeInSeconds: 7200,
+          MaximumRetryAttempts: 2,
+        },
+      },
+    ],
+  }));
+});