diff --git a/luigi/contrib/redshift.py b/luigi/contrib/redshift.py
index 48456d23e2..fdf1a7aa99 100644
--- a/luigi/contrib/redshift.py
+++ b/luigi/contrib/redshift.py
@@ -78,20 +78,34 @@ def s3_load_path(self):
         """
         return None
 
-    @abc.abstractproperty
+    @property
     def aws_access_key_id(self):
         """
         Override to return the key id.
         """
         return None
 
-    @abc.abstractproperty
+    @property
     def aws_secret_access_key(self):
         """
         Override to return the secret access key.
         """
         return None
 
+    @property
+    def aws_account_id(self):
+        """
+        Override to return the account id.
+        """
+        return None
+
+    @property
+    def aws_arn_role_name(self):
+        """
+        Override to return the arn role name.
+        """
+        return None
+
     @property
     def aws_session_token(self):
         """
@@ -263,22 +277,38 @@ def run(self):
     def copy(self, cursor, f):
         """
         Defines copying from s3 into redshift.
+
+        If both key-based and role-based credentials are provided, role-based will be used.
         """
-        # if session token is set, create token string
-        if self.aws_session_token:
-            token = ';token=%s' % self.aws_session_token
-        # otherwise, leave token string empty
+        # format the credentials string dependent upon which type of credentials were provided
+        if self.aws_account_id and self.aws_arn_role_name:
+            cred_str = 'aws_iam_role=arn:aws:iam::{id}:role/{role}'.format(
+                id=self.aws_account_id,
+                role=self.aws_arn_role_name
+            )
+        elif self.aws_access_key_id and self.aws_secret_access_key:
+            cred_str = 'aws_access_key_id={key};aws_secret_key={secret}{opt}'.format(
+                key=self.aws_access_key_id,
+                secret=self.aws_secret_access_key,
+                opt=';token={}'.format(self.aws_session_token) if self.aws_session_token else ''
+            )
         else:
-            token = ''
+            raise NotImplementedError("Missing Credentials. "
+                                      "Override one of the following pairs of auth-args: "
+                                      "'aws_access_key_id' AND 'aws_secret_access_key' OR "
+                                      "'aws_account_id' AND 'aws_arn_role_name'")
 
         logger.info("Inserting file: %s", f)
         cursor.execute("""
-         COPY %s from '%s'
-         CREDENTIALS 'aws_access_key_id=%s;aws_secret_access_key=%s%s'
-         %s
-         ;""" % (self.table, f, self.aws_access_key_id,
-                 self.aws_secret_access_key, token,
-                 self.copy_options))
+         COPY {table} from '{source}'
+         CREDENTIALS '{creds}'
+         {options}
+         ;""".format(
+            table=self.table,
+            source=f,
+            creds=cred_str,
+            options=self.copy_options)
+        )
 
     def output(self):
         """
diff --git a/test/contrib/redshift_test.py b/test/contrib/redshift_test.py
index 848cfb6bb9..5180efe946 100644
--- a/test/contrib/redshift_test.py
+++ b/test/contrib/redshift_test.py
@@ -23,11 +23,14 @@
 AWS_ACCESS_KEY = 'key'
 AWS_SECRET_KEY = 'secret'
 
+AWS_ACCOUNT_ID = '0123456789012'
+AWS_ROLE_NAME = 'MyRedshiftRole'
+
 BUCKET = 'bucket'
 KEY = 'key'
 
 
-class DummyS3CopyToTable(luigi.contrib.redshift.S3CopyToTable):
+class DummyS3CopyToTableBase(luigi.contrib.redshift.S3CopyToTable):
     # Class attributes taken from `DummyPostgresImporter` in
     # `../postgres_test.py`.
     host = 'dummy_host'
@@ -40,8 +43,6 @@ class DummyS3CopyToTable(luigi.contrib.redshift.S3CopyToTable):
         ('some_int', 'int'),
     )
 
-    aws_access_key_id = 'AWS_ACCESS_KEY'
-    aws_secret_access_key = 'AWS_SECRET_KEY'
     copy_options = ''
     prune_table = ''
     prune_column = ''
@@ -51,7 +52,17 @@ def s3_load_path(self):
         return 's3://%s/%s' % (BUCKET, KEY)
 
 
-class DummyS3CopyToTempTable(DummyS3CopyToTable):
+class DummyS3CopyToTableKey(DummyS3CopyToTableBase):
+    aws_access_key_id = AWS_ACCESS_KEY
+    aws_secret_access_key = AWS_SECRET_KEY
+
+
+class DummyS3CopyToTableRole(DummyS3CopyToTableBase):
+    aws_account_id = AWS_ACCESS_KEY
+    aws_arn_role_name = AWS_SECRET_KEY
+
+
+class DummyS3CopyToTempTable(DummyS3CopyToTableKey):
     # Extend/alter DummyS3CopyToTable for temp table copying
     table = luigi.Parameter(default='stage_dummy_table')
 
@@ -65,10 +76,25 @@ class DummyS3CopyToTempTable(DummyS3CopyToTable):
 
 
 class TestS3CopyToTable(unittest.TestCase):
+    @mock.patch("luigi.contrib.redshift.RedshiftTarget")
+    def test_copy_missing_creds(self, mock_redshift_target):
+        task = DummyS3CopyToTableBase()
+
+        # The mocked connection cursor passed to
+        # S3CopyToTable.copy(self, cursor, f).
+        mock_cursor = (mock_redshift_target.return_value
+                       .connect
+                       .return_value
+                       .cursor
+                       .return_value)
+
+        with self.assertRaises(NotImplementedError):
+            task.copy(mock_cursor, task.s3_load_path())
+
     @mock.patch("luigi.contrib.redshift.S3CopyToTable.copy")
     @mock.patch("luigi.contrib.redshift.RedshiftTarget")
     def test_s3_copy_to_table(self, mock_redshift_target, mock_copy):
-        task = DummyS3CopyToTable()
+        task = DummyS3CopyToTableKey()
         task.run()
 
         # The mocked connection cursor passed to
@@ -112,7 +138,7 @@ def test_s3_copy_to_missing_table(self,
         Test missing table creation
         """
         # Ensure `S3CopyToTable.create_table` does not throw an error.
-        task = DummyS3CopyToTable()
+        task = DummyS3CopyToTableKey()
         task.run()
 
         # Make sure the cursor was successfully used to create the table in
@@ -171,7 +197,7 @@ class TestS3CopyToSchemaTable(unittest.TestCase):
     @mock.patch("luigi.contrib.redshift.S3CopyToTable.copy")
     @mock.patch("luigi.contrib.redshift.RedshiftTarget")
     def test_s3_copy_to_table(self, mock_redshift_target, mock_copy):
-        task = DummyS3CopyToTable(table='dummy_schema.dummy_table')
+        task = DummyS3CopyToTableKey(table='dummy_schema.dummy_table')
         task.run()
 
         # The mocked connection cursor passed to