diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/core/lib/cfn-resource.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/core/lib/cfn-resource.ts
index 68c34c52bce1d..39b60a3d248b7 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/core/lib/cfn-resource.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/core/lib/cfn-resource.ts
@@ -93,9 +93,7 @@ export class CfnResource extends CfnRefElement {
     // path in the CloudFormation template, so it will be possible to trace
     // back to the actual construct path.
     if (this.node.tryGetContext(cxapi.PATH_METADATA_ENABLE_CONTEXT)) {
-      this.cfnOptions.metadata = {
-        [cxapi.PATH_METADATA_KEY]: this.node.path,
-      };
+      this.addMetadata(cxapi.PATH_METADATA_KEY, this.node.path);
     }
   }
 
@@ -238,6 +236,22 @@ export class CfnResource extends CfnRefElement {
     addDependency(this, target, `"${this.node.path}" depends on "${target.node.path}"`);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Add a value to the CloudFormation Resource Metadata
+   * @see https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/metadata-section-structure.html
+   *
+   * Note that this is a different set of metadata from CDK node metadata; this
+   * metadata ends up in the stack template under the resource, whereas CDK
+   * node metadata ends up in the Cloud Assembly.
+   */
+  public addMetadata(key: string, value: any) {
+    if (!this.cfnOptions.metadata) {
+      this.cfnOptions.metadata = {};
+    }
+
+    this.cfnOptions.metadata[key] = value;
+  }
+
   /**
    * @returns a string representation of this resource
    */
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/core/test/test.cfn-resource.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/core/test/test.cfn-resource.ts
index dec09b5c96084..41d360296ec1d 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/core/test/test.cfn-resource.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/core/test/test.cfn-resource.ts
@@ -73,4 +73,28 @@ export = nodeunit.testCase({
 
     test.done();
   },
+
+  'can add metadata'(test: nodeunit.Test) {
+    // GIVEN
+    const app = new core.App();
+    const stack = new core.Stack(app, 'TestStack');
+    const resource = new core.CfnResource(stack, 'DefaultResource', { type: 'Test::Resource::Fake' });
+
+    // WHEN
+    resource.addMetadata('Beep', 'Boop');
+
+    // THEN
+    test.deepEqual(app.synth().getStackByName(stack.stackName).template, {
+      Resources: {
+        DefaultResource: {
+          Type: 'Test::Resource::Fake',
+          Metadata: {
+            Beep: 'Boop',
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    });
+
+    test.done();
+  },
 });