diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/lib/role.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/lib/role.ts
index 56bcd5de1d2bc..2018845f75db8 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/lib/role.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/lib/role.ts
@@ -116,13 +116,21 @@ export class Role extends Resource implements IRole {
       public readonly roleArn = roleArn;
       public readonly roleName = Stack.of(scope).parseArn(roleArn).resourceName!;
 
-      public addToPolicy(_statement: PolicyStatement): boolean {
-        // Statement will be added to resource instead
-        return false;
+      private readonly attachedPolicies = new AttachedPolicies();
+      private defaultPolicy?: Policy;
+
+      public addToPolicy(statement: PolicyStatement): boolean {
+        if (!this.defaultPolicy) {
+          this.defaultPolicy = new Policy(this, 'Policy');
+          this.attachInlinePolicy(this.defaultPolicy);
+        }
+        this.defaultPolicy.addStatement(statement);
+        return true;
       }
 
-      public attachInlinePolicy(_policy: Policy): void {
-        // FIXME: Add warning that we're ignoring this
+      public attachInlinePolicy(policy: Policy): void {
+        this.attachedPolicies.attach(policy);
+        policy.attachToRole(this);
       }
 
       public attachManagedPolicy(_arn: string): void {
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/test/test.role.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/test/test.role.ts
index c3783e814ba4d..8c8ad2a00d290 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/test/test.role.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-iam/test/test.role.ts
@@ -260,5 +260,32 @@ export = {
     test.deepEqual(importedRole.roleArn, 'arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/S3Access');
     test.deepEqual(importedRole.roleName, 'S3Access');
     test.done();
+  },
+
+  'add policy to imported role'(test: Test) {
+    // GIVEN
+    const stack = new Stack();
+    const importedRole = Role.fromRoleArn(stack, 'ImportedRole', 'arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/MyRole');
+
+    // WHEN
+    importedRole.addToPolicy(new PolicyStatement()
+      .addAction('s3:*')
+      .addResource('xyz'));
+
+    // THEN
+    expect(stack).to(haveResource('AWS::IAM::Policy', {
+      PolicyDocument: {
+        Statement: [
+          {
+            Action: "s3:*",
+            Effect: "Allow",
+            Resource: "xyz"
+          }
+        ],
+        Version: "2012-10-17"
+      },
+      Roles: [ "MyRole" ]
+    }));
+    test.done();
   }
 };