diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codebuild/lib/project.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codebuild/lib/project.ts
index 0fb8136fb8de5..0b820f6a2a89a 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codebuild/lib/project.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codebuild/lib/project.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import ecr = require('@aws-cdk/aws-ecr');
 import events = require('@aws-cdk/aws-events');
 import iam = require('@aws-cdk/aws-iam');
 import kms = require('@aws-cdk/aws-kms');
-import { Aws, Construct, IResource, Lazy, PhysicalName, Resource, ResourceIdentifiers, Stack } from '@aws-cdk/cdk';
+import { Aws, CfnResource, Construct, IResource, Lazy, PhysicalName, Resource, ResourceIdentifiers, Stack } from '@aws-cdk/cdk';
 import { BuildArtifacts, CodePipelineBuildArtifacts, NoBuildArtifacts } from './artifacts';
 import { BuildSpec, mergeBuildSpecs } from './build-spec';
 import { Cache } from './cache';
@@ -705,6 +705,8 @@ export class Project extends ProjectBase {
       vpcConfig: this.configureVpc(props),
     });
 
+    this.addVpcRequiredPermissions(props, resource);
+
     const resourceIdentifiers = new ResourceIdentifiers(this, {
       arn: resource.projectArn,
       name: resource.projectName,
@@ -738,20 +740,6 @@ export class Project extends ProjectBase {
     }
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Add a permission only if there's a policy attached.
-   * @param statement The permissions statement to add
-   */
-  public addToRoleInlinePolicy(statement: iam.PolicyStatement) {
-    if (this.role) {
-      const policy = new iam.Policy(this, 'PolicyDocument', {
-        policyName: 'CodeBuildEC2Policy',
-        statements: [statement]
-      });
-      this.role.attachInlinePolicy(policy);
-    }
-  }
-
   /**
    * Adds a secondary source to the Project.
    *
@@ -888,31 +876,56 @@ export class Project extends ProjectBase {
       });
       this._securityGroups = [securityGroup];
     }
-    this.addToRoleInlinePolicy(new iam.PolicyStatement({
-      resources: ['*'],
-      actions: [
-        'ec2:CreateNetworkInterface', 'ec2:DescribeNetworkInterfaces',
-        'ec2:DeleteNetworkInterface', 'ec2:DescribeSubnets',
-        'ec2:DescribeSecurityGroups', 'ec2:DescribeDhcpOptions',
-        'ec2:DescribeVpcs']
-    }));
-    this.addToRolePolicy(new iam.PolicyStatement({
+
+    return {
+      vpcId: props.vpc.vpcId,
+      subnets: props.vpc.selectSubnets(props.subnetSelection).subnetIds,
+      securityGroupIds: this._securityGroups.map(s => s.securityGroupId)
+    };
+  }
+
+  private addVpcRequiredPermissions(props: ProjectProps, project: CfnProject): void {
+    if (!props.vpc || !this.role) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    this.role.addToPolicy(new iam.PolicyStatement({
       resources: [`arn:aws:ec2:${Aws.region}:${Aws.accountId}:network-interface/*`],
       actions: ['ec2:CreateNetworkInterfacePermission'],
       conditions: {
         StringEquals: {
-          "ec2:Subnet": props.vpc
+          'ec2:Subnet': props.vpc
             .selectSubnets(props.subnetSelection).subnetIds
             .map(si => `arn:aws:ec2:${Aws.region}:${Aws.accountId}:subnet/${si}`),
-          "ec2:AuthorizedService": "codebuild.amazonaws.com"
-        }
-      }
+          'ec2:AuthorizedService': 'codebuild.amazonaws.com'
+        },
+      },
     }));
-    return {
-      vpcId: props.vpc.vpcId,
-      subnets: props.vpc.selectSubnets(props.subnetSelection).subnetIds,
-      securityGroupIds: this._securityGroups.map(s => s.securityGroupId)
-    };
+
+    const policy = new iam.Policy(this, 'PolicyDocument', {
+      policyName: 'CodeBuildEC2Policy',
+      statements: [
+        new iam.PolicyStatement({
+          resources: ['*'],
+          actions: [
+            'ec2:CreateNetworkInterface',
+            'ec2:DescribeNetworkInterfaces',
+            'ec2:DeleteNetworkInterface',
+            'ec2:DescribeSubnets',
+            'ec2:DescribeSecurityGroups',
+            'ec2:DescribeDhcpOptions',
+            'ec2:DescribeVpcs',
+          ],
+        }),
+      ],
+    });
+    this.role.attachInlinePolicy(policy);
+
+    // add an explicit dependency between the EC2 Policy and this Project -
+    // otherwise, creating the Project fails,
+    // as it requires these permissions to be already attached to the Project's Role
+    const cfnPolicy = policy.node.findChild('Resource') as CfnResource;
+    project.addDependsOn(cfnPolicy);
   }
 
   private parseArtifacts(props: ProjectProps) {
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codebuild/test/integ.project-vpc.expected.json b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codebuild/test/integ.project-vpc.expected.json
index 35f355bfeb053..0ebb733a366b0 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codebuild/test/integ.project-vpc.expected.json
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codebuild/test/integ.project-vpc.expected.json
@@ -524,7 +524,10 @@
             "Ref": "MyVPCAFB07A31"
           }
         }
-      }
+      },
+      "DependsOn": [
+        "MyProjectPolicyDocument646EE0F2"
+      ]
     }
   },
   "Parameters": {
@@ -541,4 +544,4 @@
       "Description": "Artifact hash for asset \"aws-cdk-codebuild-project-vpc/Bundle\""
     }
   }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codebuild/test/test.project.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codebuild/test/test.project.ts
index 8f7372d58b471..95110422960ab 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codebuild/test/test.project.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codebuild/test/test.project.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import { expect, haveResource, haveResourceLike, not } from '@aws-cdk/assert';
 import assets = require('@aws-cdk/assets');
+import ec2 = require('@aws-cdk/aws-ec2');
+import iam = require('@aws-cdk/aws-iam');
 import { Bucket } from '@aws-cdk/aws-s3';
 import cdk = require('@aws-cdk/cdk');
 import { Test } from 'nodeunit';
@@ -266,4 +268,26 @@ export = {
 
     test.done();
   },
+
+  'can use an imported Role for a Project within a VPC'(test: Test) {
+    const stack = new cdk.Stack();
+
+    const importedRole = iam.Role.fromRoleArn(stack, 'Role', 'arn:aws:iam::1234567890:role/service-role/codebuild-bruiser-service-role');
+    const vpc = new ec2.Vpc(stack, 'Vpc');
+
+    new codebuild.Project(stack, 'Project', {
+      source: new codebuild.GitHubEnterpriseSource({
+        httpsCloneUrl: 'https://mygithub-enterprise.com/myuser/myrepo',
+      }),
+      artifacts: new codebuild.NoBuildArtifacts(),
+      role: importedRole,
+      vpc,
+    });
+
+    expect(stack).to(haveResourceLike('AWS::CodeBuild::Project', {
+      // no need to do any assertions
+    }));
+
+    test.done();
+  },
 };