diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/core/lib/cfn-resource-policy.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/core/lib/cfn-resource-policy.ts
index 10e02b1d98801..f740c8a988626 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/core/lib/cfn-resource-policy.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/core/lib/cfn-resource-policy.ts
@@ -136,6 +136,12 @@ export interface CfnUpdatePolicy {
    */
   readonly useOnlineResharding?: boolean;
 
+  /**
+   * To upgrade an Amazon ES domain to a new version of Elasticsearch rather than replacing the entire
+   * AWS::Elasticsearch::Domain resource, use the EnableVersionUpgrade update policy.
+   */
+  readonly enableVersionUpgrade?: boolean;
+
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/core/test/test.resource.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/core/test/test.resource.ts
index c69dbf658d378..dcca545ea04b0 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/core/test/test.resource.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/core/test/test.resource.ts
@@ -682,6 +682,28 @@ export = {
 
     test.done();
   },
+
+  'enableVersionUpgrade can be set on a resource'(test: Test) {
+    const stack = new Stack();
+    const r1 = new CfnResource(stack, 'Resource', { type: 'Type' });
+
+    r1.cfnOptions.updatePolicy = {
+      enableVersionUpgrade: true
+    };
+
+    test.deepEqual(toCloudFormation(stack), {
+      Resources: {
+        Resource: {
+          Type: 'Type',
+          UpdatePolicy: {
+            EnableVersionUpgrade: true
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    });
+
+    test.done();
+  },
 };
 
 interface CounterProps {