diff --git a/aws-node-rest-api-with-dynamodb-and-offline/serverless.yml b/aws-node-rest-api-with-dynamodb-and-offline/serverless.yml
index 14995c42c..bbee446b6 100644
--- a/aws-node-rest-api-with-dynamodb-and-offline/serverless.yml
+++ b/aws-node-rest-api-with-dynamodb-and-offline/serverless.yml
@@ -14,16 +14,18 @@ custom:
       port: 8000
       inMemory: true
       migrate: true
-    # Comment if you don't have a DynamoDB running locally
-      noStart: true
+      # Comment if you don't have a DynamoDB running locally
+      #noStart: true
     migration:
       dir: offline/migrations
 
 provider:
   name: aws
   runtime: nodejs12.x
+  region: eu-west-1
+  stage: dev
   environment:
-    DYNAMODB_TABLE: ${self:service}-${opt:stage, self:provider.stage}
+    DYNAMODB_TABLE: ${self:service}-${sls:stage} 
   iam:
     role:
       statements:
@@ -35,8 +37,8 @@ provider:
             - dynamodb:PutItem
             - dynamodb:UpdateItem
             - dynamodb:DeleteItem
-          Resource: "arn:aws:dynamodb:${opt:region, self:provider.region}:*:table/${self:provider.environment.DYNAMODB_TABLE}"
-
+          Resource: "arn:aws:dynamodb:${aws:region}:*:table/${self:provider.environment.DYNAMODB_TABLE}"
+  
 functions:
   create:
     handler: todos/create.create
diff --git a/aws-node-rest-api-with-dynamodb-and-offline/todos/dynamodb.js b/aws-node-rest-api-with-dynamodb-and-offline/todos/dynamodb.js
index 2a08ba9c4..bbf79ace9 100644
--- a/aws-node-rest-api-with-dynamodb-and-offline/todos/dynamodb.js
+++ b/aws-node-rest-api-with-dynamodb-and-offline/todos/dynamodb.js
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ if (process.env.IS_OFFLINE) {
   options = {
     region: 'localhost',
     endpoint: 'http://localhost:8000',
+    accessKeyId: 'DEFAULT_ACCESS_KEY',  // needed if you don't have aws credentials at all in env
+    secretAccessKey: 'DEFAULT_SECRET' // needed if you don't have aws credentials at all in env
   };
 }