diff --git a/infrastructure-cdk/flink-artifact-created-hook/app.py b/infrastructure-cdk/flink-artifact-created-hook/app.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..231709b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/infrastructure-cdk/flink-artifact-created-hook/app.py
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+import logging
+import os
+import time
+
+import boto3
+from botocore.exceptions import ClientError
+
+log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+log.setLevel(logging.INFO)
+
+BUCKET_NAME = os.environ['BUCKET_NAME']
+FILE_NAME = os.environ['FILE_NAME']
+
+s3 = boto3.client('s3')
+
+
+def on_create(event):
+    log.info("Got Create for %s", event)
+
+    while True:
+        try:
+            log.info(f"Try to fetch object '{FILE_NAME}' from bucket '{BUCKET_NAME}'")
+            response = s3.head_object(Bucket=BUCKET_NAME, Key=FILE_NAME)
+
+            if response['ResponseMetadata']['HTTPStatusCode'] == 200:
+                log.info(f"Found the object with response: {response}")
+                return {'PhysicalResourceId': f"Flink-Application-Created-In-{BUCKET_NAME}/{FILE_NAME}"}
+
+            else:
+                log.error(f"Invalid response from S3: {response}")
+                raise ValueError("Invalid response from S3: ", response)
+
+        except ClientError as e:
+            if e.response['ResponseMetadata']['HTTPStatusCode'] == 404:
+                log.info(f"Not found the object yet with response: {e}")
+                time.sleep(30)
+
+            else:
+                log.error(f"Invalid state from S3: {e}")
+                raise ValueError("Invalid state from S3: ", e)
+
+
+def on_update(event):
+    log.info("Got Update for %s", event["PhysicalResourceId"])
+    # If the update resulted in a new resource being created, return an id for the new resource.
+    # CloudFormation will send a delete event with the old id when stack update completes
+
+
+def on_delete(event):
+    log.info("Got Delete for %s", event["PhysicalResourceId"])
+    # Delete never returns anything. Should not fail if the underlying resources are already deleted.
+    # Desired state.
+
+
+def on_event(event, context):
+    log.info("Received event: %s", event)
+
+    request_type = event['RequestType']
+    if request_type == 'Create':
+        return on_create(event)
+    if request_type == 'Update':
+        return on_update(event)
+    if request_type == 'Delete':
+        return on_delete(event)
+
+    raise Exception("Invalid request type: %s" % request_type)
diff --git a/infrastructure-cdk/lib/application-stack.ts b/infrastructure-cdk/lib/application-stack.ts
index 5655c3d..e59d6a3 100644
--- a/infrastructure-cdk/lib/application-stack.ts
+++ b/infrastructure-cdk/lib/application-stack.ts
@@ -69,5 +69,27 @@ export class ApplicationStack extends Stack {
 
         stream.grantRead(application);
 
+        // Wait for the build artifact to be initialized
+        const flinkArtifactCreatedHook = new Function(this, 'FlinkArtifactCreatedHook', {
+            runtime: Runtime.PYTHON_3_9,
+            code: Code.fromAsset('./infrastructure/flink-artifact-created-hook'),
+            handler: 'app.on_event',
+            architecture: Architecture.ARM_64,
+            timeout: Duration.minutes(15),
+            environment: {
+                BUCKET_NAME: assetBucket.bucketName,
+                FILE_NAME: binaryPath,
+            }
+        });
+        assetBucket.grantRead(flinkArtifactCreatedHook);
+
+        const flinkArtifactCreatedHookProvider = new Provider(this, 'FlinkArtifactCreatedHookProvider', {
+            onEventHandler: flinkArtifactCreatedHook
+        });
+        const flinkArtifactCreatedHookCustomResource = new CustomResource(this, 'FlinkArtifactCreatedHookCustomResource', {
+            serviceToken: flinkArtifactCreatedHookProvider.serviceToken
+        });
+
+        this.application.node.addDependency(flinkArtifactCreatedHookCustomResource);
     }
 }
diff --git a/infrastructure-cdk/lib/constructs/java-build-pipeline.ts b/infrastructure-cdk/lib/constructs/java-build-pipeline.ts
index a7d9b59..450c739 100644
--- a/infrastructure-cdk/lib/constructs/java-build-pipeline.ts
+++ b/infrastructure-cdk/lib/constructs/java-build-pipeline.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import {
 import {Code, Function, Runtime} from "aws-cdk-lib/aws-lambda";
 import {Aws, Duration} from "aws-cdk-lib";
 import {PolicyStatement} from "aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam";
-import {SOURCE_CODE_ZIP} from "../shared-vars";
+import {SOURCE_CODE_ZIP, MANUAL_APPROVAL_REQUIRED} from "../shared-vars";
 
 
 interface JavaBuildPipelineProps {
@@ -106,14 +106,18 @@ export class JavaBuildPipeline extends Construct {
                         input: buildOutput,
                         extract: true
                     })]
-                }, {
-                    stageName: "approval",
-                    actions: [new ManualApprovalAction({
-                        actionName: "Manual"
-                    })]
                 }]
         });
 
+        if (MANUAL_APPROVAL_REQUIRED) {
+            this.pipeline.addStage({
+                stageName: "approval",
+                actions: [new ManualApprovalAction({
+                    actionName: "Manual"
+                })]
+            })
+        }
+
         const versionUpdateFn = new Function(this, 'version-update-fn', {
             code: Code.fromAsset('flink-app-redeploy-hook'),
             handler: "app.lambda_handler",
diff --git a/infrastructure-cdk/lib/constructs/python-build-pipeline.ts b/infrastructure-cdk/lib/constructs/python-build-pipeline.ts
index adfb39f..7f70e43 100644
--- a/infrastructure-cdk/lib/constructs/python-build-pipeline.ts
+++ b/infrastructure-cdk/lib/constructs/python-build-pipeline.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import {
 import {Code, Function, Runtime} from "aws-cdk-lib/aws-lambda";
 import {Aws, Duration} from "aws-cdk-lib";
 import {PolicyStatement} from "aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam";
-import {SOURCE_CODE_ZIP} from "../shared-vars";
+import {SOURCE_CODE_ZIP, MANUAL_APPROVAL_REQUIRED} from "../shared-vars";
 
 
 interface PythonBuildPipelineProps {
@@ -107,14 +107,18 @@ export class PythonBuildPipeline extends Construct {
                         input: buildOutput,
                         extract: true
                     })]
-                }, {
-                    stageName: "approval",
-                    actions: [new ManualApprovalAction({
-                        actionName: "Manual"
-                    })]
                 }]
         });
 
+        if (MANUAL_APPROVAL_REQUIRED) {
+            this.pipeline.addStage({
+                stageName: "approval",
+                actions: [new ManualApprovalAction({
+                    actionName: "Manual"
+                })]
+            })
+        }
+
         const versionUpdateFn = new Function(this, 'version-update-fn', {
             code: Code.fromAsset('flink-app-redeploy-hook'),
             handler: "app.lambda_handler",
diff --git a/infrastructure-cdk/lib/shared-vars.ts b/infrastructure-cdk/lib/shared-vars.ts
index 2942d06..a50371d 100644
--- a/infrastructure-cdk/lib/shared-vars.ts
+++ b/infrastructure-cdk/lib/shared-vars.ts
@@ -4,3 +4,4 @@ export const APPLICATION_NAME = "kinesis-analytics-application"
 export const BUILD_FOR_RUNTIME = ApplicationRuntime.JAVA
 export const SOURCE_CODE_ZIP = "automate-deployment-and-version-update-of-kda-application-main.zip"
 export const ASSET_BUCKET_EXPORT_NAME = "Blog::Artifact::BucketName"
+export const MANUAL_APPROVAL_REQUIRED = true