diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/assert/lib/assertions/have-resource.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/assert/lib/assertions/have-resource.ts
index 89ec97f2d1d29..324a83b2f10a1 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/assert/lib/assertions/have-resource.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/assert/lib/assertions/have-resource.ts
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ class HaveResourceAssertion extends Assertion<StackInspector> {
   }
 
   public assertUsing(inspector: StackInspector): boolean {
-    for (const logicalId of Object.keys(inspector.value.Resources)) {
+    for (const logicalId of Object.keys(inspector.value.Resources || {})) {
       const resource = inspector.value.Resources[logicalId];
       if (resource.Type === this.resourceType) {
         const propsToCheck = this.part === ResourcePart.Properties ? resource.Properties : resource;
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/lib/lazy-role.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/lib/lazy-role.ts
index 429c7fa4f14cd..fcf8307fadb39 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/lib/lazy-role.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/lib/lazy-role.ts
@@ -81,6 +81,10 @@ export class LazyRole extends cdk.Construct implements IRole {
     return this.instantiate().roleId;
   }
 
+  public get roleName(): string {
+    return this.instantiate().roleName;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Returns a Principal object representing the ARN of this role.
    */
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/lib/policy.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/lib/policy.ts
index 6c5208a7b9dd9..2121441970a85 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/lib/policy.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/lib/policy.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { Construct, IDependable, Token } from '@aws-cdk/cdk';
 import { Group } from './group';
 import { CfnPolicy } from './iam.generated';
 import { PolicyDocument, PolicyPrincipal, PolicyStatement } from './policy-document';
-import { Role } from './role';
+import { IRole } from './role';
 import { User } from './user';
 import { generatePolicyName, undefinedIfEmpty } from './util';
 
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ export interface PolicyProps {
    * Roles to attach this policy to.
    * You can also use `attachToRole(role)` to attach this policy to a role.
    */
-  roles?: Role[];
+  roles?: IRole[];
 
   /**
    * Groups to attach this policy to.
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ export class Policy extends Construct implements IDependable {
    */
   public readonly dependencyElements: IDependable[];
 
-  private readonly roles = new Array<Role>();
+  private readonly roles = new Array<IRole>();
   private readonly users = new Array<User>();
   private readonly groups = new Array<Group>();
 
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ export class Policy extends Construct implements IDependable {
   /**
    * Attaches this policy to a role.
    */
-  public attachToRole(role: Role) {
+  public attachToRole(role: IRole) {
     if (this.roles.find(r => r === role)) { return; }
     this.roles.push(role);
     role.attachInlinePolicy(this);
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/lib/role.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/lib/role.ts
index 11fb37a834529..3f83f67c401e4 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/lib/role.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/lib/role.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { Construct, IConstruct, IDependable, Output } from '@aws-cdk/cdk';
+import { Construct, IConstruct, IDependable, Output, Stack } from '@aws-cdk/cdk';
 import { CfnRole } from './iam.generated';
 import { IPrincipal, Policy } from './policy';
 import { ArnPrincipal, PolicyDocument, PolicyPrincipal, PolicyStatement } from './policy-document';
@@ -223,6 +223,11 @@ export interface IRole extends IConstruct, IPrincipal, IDependable {
    */
   readonly roleId: string;
 
+  /**
+   * Returns the name of this role.
+   */
+  readonly roleName: string;
+
   /**
    * Export this role to another stack.
    */
@@ -295,6 +300,10 @@ class ImportedRole extends Construct implements IRole {
     return this._roleId;
   }
 
+  public get roleName() {
+    return Stack.find(this).parseArn(this.roleArn).resourceName!;
+  }
+
   public export() {
     return this.props;
   }
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/test/test.lazy-role.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/test/test.lazy-role.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..83804807ebeea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/test/test.lazy-role.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+import { expect, haveResource, haveResourceLike } from '@aws-cdk/assert';
+import cdk = require('@aws-cdk/cdk');
+import nodeunit = require('nodeunit');
+import iam = require('../lib');
+
+export = nodeunit.testCase({
+  'creates no resource when unused'(test: nodeunit.Test) {
+    // GIVEN
+    const stack = new cdk.Stack();
+
+    // WHEN
+    new iam.LazyRole(stack, 'Lazy', {
+      assumedBy: new iam.ServicePrincipal('test.amazonaws.com')
+    });
+
+    // THEN
+    expect(stack).notTo(haveResourceLike('AWS::IAM::Role'));
+    test.done();
+  },
+
+  'creates the resource when a property is read'(test: nodeunit.Test) {
+    // GIVEN
+    const stack = new cdk.Stack();
+
+    // WHEN
+    const roleArn = new iam.LazyRole(stack, 'Lazy', {
+      assumedBy: new iam.ServicePrincipal('test.amazonaws.com')
+    }).roleArn;
+
+    // THEN
+    test.notEqual(roleArn, null);
+    expect(stack).to(haveResource('AWS::IAM::Role', {
+      AssumeRolePolicyDocument: {
+        Version: '2012-10-17',
+        Statement: [{
+          Action: 'sts:AssumeRole',
+          Effect: 'Allow',
+          Principal: { Service: 'test.amazonaws.com' }
+        }]
+      }
+    }));
+    test.done();
+  },
+
+  'returns appropriate roleName'(test: nodeunit.Test) {
+    // GIVEN
+    const stack = new cdk.Stack();
+
+    // WHEN
+    const role = new iam.LazyRole(stack, 'Lazy', {
+      assumedBy: new iam.ServicePrincipal('test.amazonaws.com')
+    });
+
+    // THEN
+    test.deepEqual(stack.node.resolve(role.roleName),
+                   { Ref: 'Lazy399F7F48'});
+    test.done();
+  }
+});
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/test/test.role.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/test/test.role.ts
index 54ea02a6a3121..73f92671383ee 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/test/test.role.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/test/test.role.ts
@@ -256,6 +256,17 @@ export = {
 
     test.deepEqual(stack.node.resolve(importedRole.roleArn), { 'Fn::ImportValue': 'MyRoleRoleArn3388B7E2' });
     test.deepEqual(stack.node.resolve(importedRole.roleId), { 'Fn::ImportValue': 'MyRoleRoleIdF7B258D8' });
+    test.deepEqual(stack.node.resolve(importedRole.roleName), {
+      'Fn::Select': [ 1, {
+        'Fn::Split': [ '/', {
+          'Fn::Select': [ 5, {
+            'Fn::Split': [ ':', {
+              'Fn::ImportValue': 'MyRoleRoleArn3388B7E2'
+            } ]
+          } ]
+        } ]
+      } ]
+    });
     test.done();
   }
 };