diff --git a/gems/aws-sdk-core/CHANGELOG.md b/gems/aws-sdk-core/CHANGELOG.md
index cde1773c422..e22ca1fa2b6 100644
--- a/gems/aws-sdk-core/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/gems/aws-sdk-core/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 Unreleased Changes
 ------------------
 
+* Issue - Convert ENV['AWS_MAX_ATTEMPTS'] String value to Integer when set. (#2319)
 * Issue - Handle unknown and unmodeled events from event streams by ignoring them and providing a new callback rather than raising an error.
 
 3.97.0 (2020-05-28)
diff --git a/gems/aws-sdk-core/lib/aws-sdk-core/plugins/retry_errors.rb b/gems/aws-sdk-core/lib/aws-sdk-core/plugins/retry_errors.rb
index abdf76eeeda..b6adb19c6b3 100644
--- a/gems/aws-sdk-core/lib/aws-sdk-core/plugins/retry_errors.rb
+++ b/gems/aws-sdk-core/lib/aws-sdk-core/plugins/retry_errors.rb
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ def self.resolve_retry_mode(cfg)
       end
 
       def self.resolve_max_attempts(cfg)
-        value = ENV['AWS_MAX_ATTEMPTS'] ||
+        value = (ENV['AWS_MAX_ATTEMPTS'] && ENV['AWS_MAX_ATTEMPTS'].to_i) ||
                 Aws.shared_config.max_attempts(profile: cfg.profile) ||
                 3
         # Raise if provided value is not a positive integer
@@ -190,7 +190,6 @@ def self.resolve_adaptive_retry_wait_to_fill(cfg)
         value = ENV['AWS_ADAPTIVE_RETRY_WAIT_TO_FILL'] ||
           Aws.shared_config.adaptive_retry_wait_to_fill(profile: cfg.profile) ||
           'true'
-
         # Raise if provided value is not true or false
         if value != 'true' && value != 'false'
           raise ArgumentError,
@@ -198,7 +197,6 @@ def self.resolve_adaptive_retry_wait_to_fill(cfg)
             'adaptive_retry_wait_to_fill profile option or for '\
             'ENV[\'AWS_ADAPTIVE_RETRY_WAIT_TO_FILL\']'
         end
-
         value == 'true'
       end
 
@@ -206,7 +204,6 @@ def self.resolve_correct_clock_skew(cfg)
         value = ENV['AWS_CORRECT_CLOCK_SKEW'] ||
           Aws.shared_config.correct_clock_skew(profile: cfg.profile) ||
           'true'
-
         # Raise if provided value is not true or false
         if value != 'true' && value != 'false'
           raise ArgumentError,
@@ -214,7 +211,6 @@ def self.resolve_correct_clock_skew(cfg)
             'correct_clock_skew profile option or for '\
             'ENV[\'AWS_CORRECT_CLOCK_SKEW\']'
         end
-
         value == 'true'
       end
 
diff --git a/gems/aws-sdk-core/spec/aws/plugins/retry_errors_spec.rb b/gems/aws-sdk-core/spec/aws/plugins/retry_errors_spec.rb
index 39ee5f52c80..c5693750ed9 100644
--- a/gems/aws-sdk-core/spec/aws/plugins/retry_errors_spec.rb
+++ b/gems/aws-sdk-core/spec/aws/plugins/retry_errors_spec.rb
@@ -25,15 +25,17 @@ module Plugins
       end
 
       it 'uses the handler when retry_mode is standard' do
-        client = RetryErrorsSvc::Client.new(retry_mode: 'standard',
-                                            region: 'us-west-2')
+        client = RetryErrorsSvc::Client.new(
+          retry_mode: 'standard', region: 'us-west-2'
+        )
         expect(client.handlers.entries.map(&:handler_class)).
           to include(RetryErrors::Handler)
       end
 
       it 'uses the handler when retry_mode is adaptive' do
-        client = RetryErrorsSvc::Client.new(retry_mode: 'adaptive',
-                                            region: 'us-west-2')
+        client = RetryErrorsSvc::Client.new(
+          retry_mode: 'adaptive', region: 'us-west-2'
+        )
         expect(client.handlers.entries.map(&:handler_class))
           .to include(RetryErrors::Handler)
       end
@@ -51,7 +53,7 @@ module Plugins
       it 'can configure max_attempts using ENV with precedence over config' do
         allow_any_instance_of(Aws::SharedConfig)
           .to receive(:max_attempts).and_return(3)
-        ENV['AWS_MAX_ATTEMPTS'] = 1
+        ENV['AWS_MAX_ATTEMPTS'] = '1'
         expect(client.config.max_attempts).to eq(1)
       end
 
@@ -61,7 +63,7 @@ module Plugins
       end
 
       it 'raises when max_attempts is not >= 0' do
-        ENV['AWS_MAX_ATTEMPTS'] = -1
+        ENV['AWS_MAX_ATTEMPTS'] = '-1'
         expect { client }.to raise_error(ArgumentError)
       end
 
diff --git a/gems/aws-sdk-core/spec/seahorse/client/net_http/handler_spec.rb b/gems/aws-sdk-core/spec/seahorse/client/net_http/handler_spec.rb
index 7f7a5c69a3a..b7eeeaa0502 100644
--- a/gems/aws-sdk-core/spec/seahorse/client/net_http/handler_spec.rb
+++ b/gems/aws-sdk-core/spec/seahorse/client/net_http/handler_spec.rb
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ def endpoint
 
           it 're-uses session for slow request that are taking more time than the configured idle timeout' do
             session = double('http-session').as_null_object
-            session.stub(:request) { sleep 2 }
+            allow(session).to receive(:request) { sleep 2 }
             pool = ConnectionPool.for(http_idle_timeout: 1)
             expect(pool).to receive(:start_session).
               exactly(1).times.
diff --git a/gems/aws-sdk-core/spec/shared_spec_helper.rb b/gems/aws-sdk-core/spec/shared_spec_helper.rb
index f43384bf35b..3c1e7c3a31c 100644
--- a/gems/aws-sdk-core/spec/shared_spec_helper.rb
+++ b/gems/aws-sdk-core/spec/shared_spec_helper.rb
@@ -15,8 +15,9 @@
 #
 RSpec.configure do |config|
   config.before(:each) do
-
-    stub_const('ENV', {})
+    # Clear the current ENV to avoid loading credentials.
+    # This was previously mocked with stub_const but was provided a hash.
+    ENV.clear
 
     # disable loading credentials from shared file
     allow(Dir).to receive(:home).and_raise(ArgumentError)
@@ -43,4 +44,4 @@
 
     Thread.report_on_exception = current_value if current_value
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end