diff --git a/azurerm/resource_arm_role_assignment.go b/azurerm/resource_arm_role_assignment.go
index cc302be37a2d..e428baffdef9 100644
--- a/azurerm/resource_arm_role_assignment.go
+++ b/azurerm/resource_arm_role_assignment.go
@@ -35,11 +35,20 @@ func resourceArmRoleAssignment() *schema.Resource {
 
 			"role_definition_id": {
 				Type:             schema.TypeString,
-				Required:         true,
+				Optional:         true,
+				Computed:         true,
 				ForceNew:         true,
+				ConflictsWith:    []string{"role_definition_name"},
 				DiffSuppressFunc: ignoreCaseDiffSuppressFunc,
 			},
 
+			"role_definition_name": {
+				Type:          schema.TypeString,
+				Optional:      true,
+				ForceNew:      true,
+				ConflictsWith: []string{"role_definition_id"},
+			},
+
 			"principal_id": {
 				Type:     schema.TypeString,
 				Required: true,
@@ -50,12 +59,31 @@ func resourceArmRoleAssignment() *schema.Resource {
 }
 
 func resourceArmRoleAssignmentCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error {
-	client := meta.(*ArmClient).roleAssignmentsClient
+	roleAssignmentsClient := meta.(*ArmClient).roleAssignmentsClient
+	roleDefinitionsClient := meta.(*ArmClient).roleDefinitionsClient
 	ctx := meta.(*ArmClient).StopContext
 
 	name := d.Get("name").(string)
 	scope := d.Get("scope").(string)
-	roleDefinitionId := d.Get("role_definition_id").(string)
+
+	var roleDefinitionId string
+	if v, ok := d.GetOk("role_definition_id"); ok {
+		roleDefinitionId = v.(string)
+	} else if v, ok := d.GetOk("role_definition_name"); ok {
+		filter := fmt.Sprintf("roleName eq '%s'", v.(string))
+		roleDefinitions, err := roleDefinitionsClient.List(ctx, "", filter)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Error loading Role Definition List: %+v", err)
+		}
+		if len(roleDefinitions.Values()) != 1 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Error loading Role Definition List: could not find role '%s'", name)
+		}
+		roleDefinitionId = *roleDefinitions.Values()[0].ID
+	} else {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Error: either role_definition_id or role_definition_name needs to be set")
+	}
+	d.Set("role_definition_id", roleDefinitionId)
+
 	principalId := d.Get("principal_id").(string)
 
 	if name == "" {
@@ -74,12 +102,12 @@ func resourceArmRoleAssignmentCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) e
 		},
 	}
 
-	_, err := client.Create(ctx, scope, name, properties)
+	_, err := roleAssignmentsClient.Create(ctx, scope, name, properties)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	read, err := client.Get(ctx, scope, name)
+	read, err := roleAssignmentsClient.Get(ctx, scope, name)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/azurerm/resource_arm_role_assignment_test.go b/azurerm/resource_arm_role_assignment_test.go
index 3685c2c2f91f..eea5c60fc8b8 100644
--- a/azurerm/resource_arm_role_assignment_test.go
+++ b/azurerm/resource_arm_role_assignment_test.go
@@ -31,6 +31,27 @@ func TestAccAzureRMRoleAssignment_emptyName(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestAccAzureRMRoleAssignment_roleName(t *testing.T) {
+	id := uuid.New().String()
+	resourceName := "azurerm_role_assignment.test"
+	config := testAccAzureRMRoleAssignment_roleName(id)
+
+	resource.Test(t, resource.TestCase{
+		PreCheck:     func() { testAccPreCheck(t) },
+		Providers:    testAccProviders,
+		CheckDestroy: testCheckAzureRMRoleAssignmentDestroy,
+		Steps: []resource.TestStep{
+			{
+				Config: config,
+				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
+					testCheckAzureRMRoleAssignmentExists(resourceName),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttrSet(resourceName, "role_definition_id"),
+				),
+			},
+		},
+	})
+}
+
 func TestAccAzureRMRoleAssignment_builtin(t *testing.T) {
 	id := uuid.New().String()
 	config := testAccAzureRMRoleAssignment_builtin(id)
@@ -141,6 +162,21 @@ resource "azurerm_role_assignment" "test" {
 `
 }
 
+func testAccAzureRMRoleAssignment_roleName(id string) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf(`
+data "azurerm_subscription" "primary" {}
+
+data "azurerm_client_config" "test" {}
+
+resource "azurerm_role_assignment" "test" {
+  name                 = "%s"
+  scope                = "${data.azurerm_subscription.primary.id}"
+  role_definition_name = "Reader"
+  principal_id         = "${data.azurerm_client_config.test.service_principal_object_id}"
+}
+`, id)
+}
+
 func testAccAzureRMRoleAssignment_builtin(id string) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf(`
 data "azurerm_subscription" "primary" {}
diff --git a/website/docs/r/role_assignment.html.markdown b/website/docs/r/role_assignment.html.markdown
index 0b0916ba63a3..1ec6748426ea 100644
--- a/website/docs/r/role_assignment.html.markdown
+++ b/website/docs/r/role_assignment.html.markdown
@@ -18,14 +18,10 @@ data "azurerm_subscription" "primary" {}
 
 data "azurerm_client_config" "test" {}
 
-data "azurerm_builtin_role_definition" "test" {
-  name = "Reader"
-}
-
 resource "azurerm_role_assignment" "test" {
-  scope              = "${data.azurerm_subscription.primary.id}"
-  role_definition_id = "${data.azurerm_subscription.primary.id}${data.azurerm_builtin_role_definition.test.id}"
-  principal_id       = "${data.azurerm_client_config.test.service_principal_object_id}"
+  scope                = "${data.azurerm_subscription.primary.id}"
+  role_definition_name = "Reader"
+  principal_id         = "${data.azurerm_client_config.test.service_principal_object_id}"
 }
 ```
 
@@ -97,7 +93,9 @@ The following arguments are supported:
 
 * `scope` - (Required) The scope at which the Role Assignment applies too, such as `/subscriptions/0b1f6471-1bf0-4dda-aec3-111122223333`, `/subscriptions/0b1f6471-1bf0-4dda-aec3-111122223333/resourceGroups/myGroup`, or `/subscriptions/0b1f6471-1bf0-4dda-aec3-111122223333/resourceGroups/myGroup/providers/Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/myVM`. Changing this forces a new resource to be created.
 
-* `role_definition_id` - (Required) The Scoped-ID of the Role Definition. Changing this forces a new resource to be created.
+* `role_definition_id` - (Optional) The Scoped-ID of the Role Definition. Changing this forces a new resource to be created. Conflicts with `role_definition_name`.
+
+* `role_definition_name` - (Optional) The name of a built-in Role. Changing this forces a new resource to be created. Conflicts with `role_definition_id`.
 
 * `principal_id` - (Required) The ID of the Principal (User or Application) to assign the Role Definition to. Changing this forces a new resource to be created.