diff --git a/luigi/util.py b/luigi/util.py
index 438ff385ee..adce164580 100644
--- a/luigi/util.py
+++ b/luigi/util.py
@@ -279,16 +279,19 @@ def run(self):
                # ...
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, *tasks_to_inherit):
+    def __init__(self, *tasks_to_inherit, **kw_tasks_to_inherit):
         super(inherits, self).__init__()
-        if not tasks_to_inherit:
-            raise TypeError("tasks_to_inherit cannot be empty")
-
+        if not tasks_to_inherit and not kw_tasks_to_inherit:
+            raise TypeError("tasks_to_inherit or kw_tasks_to_inherit must contain at least one task")
+        if tasks_to_inherit and kw_tasks_to_inherit:
+            raise TypeError("Only one of tasks_to_inherit or kw_tasks_to_inherit may be present")
         self.tasks_to_inherit = tasks_to_inherit
+        self.kw_tasks_to_inherit = kw_tasks_to_inherit
 
     def __call__(self, task_that_inherits):
         # Get all parameter objects from each of the underlying tasks
-        for task_to_inherit in self.tasks_to_inherit:
+        task_iterator = self.tasks_to_inherit or self.kw_tasks_to_inherit.values()
+        for task_to_inherit in task_iterator:
             for param_name, param_obj in task_to_inherit.get_params():
                 # Check if the parameter exists in the inheriting task
                 if not hasattr(task_that_inherits, param_name):
@@ -296,16 +299,27 @@ def __call__(self, task_that_inherits):
                     setattr(task_that_inherits, param_name, param_obj)
 
         # Modify task_that_inherits by adding methods
-        def clone_parent(_self, **kwargs):
-            return _self.clone(cls=self.tasks_to_inherit[0], **kwargs)
-        task_that_inherits.clone_parent = clone_parent
 
-        def clone_parents(_self, **kwargs):
-            return [
-                _self.clone(cls=task_to_inherit, **kwargs)
-                for task_to_inherit in self.tasks_to_inherit
-            ]
-        task_that_inherits.clone_parents = clone_parents
+        # Handle unnamed tasks as a list, named as a dictionary
+        if self.tasks_to_inherit:
+            def clone_parent(_self, **kwargs):
+                return _self.clone(cls=self.tasks_to_inherit[0], **kwargs)
+            task_that_inherits.clone_parent = clone_parent
+
+            def clone_parents(_self, **kwargs):
+                return [
+                    _self.clone(cls=task_to_inherit, **kwargs)
+                    for task_to_inherit in self.tasks_to_inherit
+                ]
+            task_that_inherits.clone_parents = clone_parents
+        elif self.kw_tasks_to_inherit:
+            # Even if there is just one named task, return a dictionary
+            def clone_parents(_self, **kwargs):
+                return {
+                    task_name: _self.clone(cls=task_to_inherit, **kwargs)
+                    for task_name, task_to_inherit in self.kw_tasks_to_inherit.items()
+                }
+            task_that_inherits.clone_parents = clone_parents
 
         return task_that_inherits
 
@@ -318,15 +332,14 @@ class requires:
 
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, *tasks_to_require):
+    def __init__(self, *tasks_to_require, **kw_tasks_to_require):
         super(requires, self).__init__()
-        if not tasks_to_require:
-            raise TypeError("tasks_to_require cannot be empty")
 
         self.tasks_to_require = tasks_to_require
+        self.kw_tasks_to_require = kw_tasks_to_require
 
     def __call__(self, task_that_requires):
-        task_that_requires = inherits(*self.tasks_to_require)(task_that_requires)
+        task_that_requires = inherits(*self.tasks_to_require, **self.kw_tasks_to_require)(task_that_requires)
 
         # Modify task_that_requires by adding requires method.
         # If only one task is required, this single task is returned.
diff --git a/test/util_test.py b/test/util_test.py
index c2e3bb49c1..84ed62d57f 100644
--- a/test/util_test.py
+++ b/test/util_test.py
@@ -54,6 +54,20 @@ def requires(self):
         self.assertEqual(str(child_task), 'blah.ChildTask(my_param=hello)')
         self.assertIn(ParentTask(my_param='hello'), luigi.task.flatten(child_task.requires()))
 
+    def test_task_ids_using_inherits_kwargs(self):
+        class ParentTask(luigi.Task):
+            my_param = luigi.Parameter()
+        luigi.namespace('blah')
+
+        @inherits(parent=ParentTask)
+        class ChildTask(luigi.Task):
+            def requires(self):
+                return self.clone(ParentTask)
+        luigi.namespace('')
+        child_task = ChildTask(my_param='hello')
+        self.assertEqual(str(child_task), 'blah.ChildTask(my_param=hello)')
+        self.assertIn(ParentTask(my_param='hello'), luigi.task.flatten(child_task.requires()))
+
     def _setup_parent_and_child_inherits(self):
         class ParentTask(luigi.Task):
             my_parameter = luigi.Parameter()
@@ -174,3 +188,18 @@ def test_requires_has_effect_MRO(self):
         ChildTask = self._setup_requires_inheritence()
         self.assertNotEqual(str(ChildTask.__mro__[0]),
                             str(ChildTask.__mro__[1]))
+
+    def test_kwargs_requires_gives_named_inputs(self):
+        class ParentTask(RunOnceTask):
+            def output(self):
+                return "Target"
+
+        @requires(parent_1=ParentTask, parent_2=ParentTask)
+        class ChildTask(RunOnceTask):
+            resulting_input = 'notset'
+
+            def run(self):
+                self.__class__.resulting_input = self.input()
+
+        self.assertTrue(self.run_locally_split('ChildTask'))
+        self.assertEqual(ChildTask.resulting_input, {'parent_1': 'Target', 'parent_2': 'Target'})