diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/amazon/iam_role.py b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/amazon/iam_role.py
index 2a93330c9c3..aba7b86a286 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/amazon/iam_role.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/amazon/iam_role.py
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ iam_role:
 from ansible.module_utils._text import to_native
 from ansible.module_utils.basic import AnsibleModule
 from ansible.module_utils.ec2 import camel_dict_to_snake_dict, ec2_argument_spec, get_aws_connection_info, boto3_conn, sort_json_policy_dict
-from ansible.module_utils.ec2 import HAS_BOTO3
+from ansible.module_utils.ec2 import HAS_BOTO3, AWSRetry
 
 import json
 import traceback
@@ -239,6 +239,10 @@ def create_or_update_role(connection, module):
         try:
             if not module.check_mode:
                 role = connection.create_role(**params)
+                # 'Description' is documented as key of the role returned by create_role
+                # but appears to be an AWS bug (the value is not returned using the AWS CLI either).
+                # Get the role after creating it.
+                role = get_role_with_backoff(connection, module, params['RoleName'])
             else:
                 role = {'MadeInCheckMode': True}
                 role['AssumeRolePolicyDocument'] = json.loads(params['AssumeRolePolicyDocument'])
@@ -324,6 +328,17 @@ def create_or_update_role(connection, module):
             if not module.check_mode:
                 connection.add_role_to_instance_profile(InstanceProfileName=params['RoleName'], RoleName=params['RoleName'])
 
+    # Check Description update
+    if not role.get('MadeInCheckMode') and params.get('Description') and role['Description'] != params['Description']:
+        try:
+            if not module.check_mode:
+                connection.update_role_description(RoleName=params['RoleName'], Description=params['Description'])
+
+            changed = True
+        except (BotoCoreError, ClientError) as e:
+            module.fail_json(msg="Unable to update description for role {0}: {1}".format(params['RoleName'], to_native(e)),
+                             exception=traceback.format_exc())
+
     # Get the role again
     if not role.get('MadeInCheckMode', False):
         role = get_role(connection, module, params['RoleName'])
@@ -389,6 +404,13 @@ def destroy_role(connection, module):
     module.exit_json(changed=True)
 
 
+def get_role_with_backoff(connection, module, name):
+    try:
+        return AWSRetry.jittered_backoff(catch_extra_error_codes=['NoSuchEntity'])(connection.get_role)(RoleName=name)['Role']
+    except (BotoCoreError, ClientError) as e:
+        module.fail_json(msg="Unable to get role {0}: {1}".format(name, to_native(e)), exception=traceback.format_exc())
+
+
 def get_role(connection, module, name):
     try:
         return connection.get_role(RoleName=name)['Role']