diff --git a/aws/resource_aws_appautoscaling_target.go b/aws/resource_aws_appautoscaling_target.go
index d23f72e6dd6..4a1a39322d6 100644
--- a/aws/resource_aws_appautoscaling_target.go
+++ b/aws/resource_aws_appautoscaling_target.go
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@ func resourceAwsAppautoscalingTarget() *schema.Resource {
 			},
 			"role_arn": {
 				Type:     schema.TypeString,
-				Required: true,
+				Optional: true,
+				Computed: true,
 				ForceNew: true,
 			},
 			"scalable_dimension": {
@@ -64,10 +65,13 @@ func resourceAwsAppautoscalingTargetCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interfac
 	targetOpts.MaxCapacity = aws.Int64(int64(d.Get("max_capacity").(int)))
 	targetOpts.MinCapacity = aws.Int64(int64(d.Get("min_capacity").(int)))
 	targetOpts.ResourceId = aws.String(d.Get("resource_id").(string))
-	targetOpts.RoleARN = aws.String(d.Get("role_arn").(string))
 	targetOpts.ScalableDimension = aws.String(d.Get("scalable_dimension").(string))
 	targetOpts.ServiceNamespace = aws.String(d.Get("service_namespace").(string))
 
+	if roleArn, exists := d.GetOk("role_arn"); exists {
+		targetOpts.RoleARN = aws.String(roleArn.(string))
+	}
+
 	log.Printf("[DEBUG] Application autoscaling target create configuration %#v", targetOpts)
 	var err error
 	err = resource.Retry(1*time.Minute, func() *resource.RetryError {
diff --git a/aws/resource_aws_appautoscaling_target_test.go b/aws/resource_aws_appautoscaling_target_test.go
index 0f6b3977b32..f7b8027781b 100644
--- a/aws/resource_aws_appautoscaling_target_test.go
+++ b/aws/resource_aws_appautoscaling_target_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package aws
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"regexp"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws"
@@ -122,6 +123,30 @@ func TestAccAWSAppautoScalingTarget_multipleTargets(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestAccAWSAppautoScalingTarget_optionalRoleArn(t *testing.T) {
+	var readTarget applicationautoscaling.ScalableTarget
+
+	rInt := acctest.RandInt()
+	tableName := fmt.Sprintf("tf_acc_test_table_%d", rInt)
+
+	r, _ := regexp.Compile("arn:aws:iam::.*:role/aws-service-role/dynamodb.application-autoscaling.amazonaws.com/AWSServiceRoleForApplicationAutoScaling_DynamoDBTable")
+
+	resource.Test(t, resource.TestCase{
+		PreCheck:     func() { testAccPreCheck(t) },
+		Providers:    testAccProviders,
+		CheckDestroy: testAccCheckAWSAppautoscalingTargetDestroy,
+		Steps: []resource.TestStep{
+			{
+				Config: testAccAWSAppautoscalingTarget_optionalRoleArn(tableName),
+				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
+					testAccCheckAWSAppautoscalingTargetExists("aws_appautoscaling_target.read", &readTarget),
+					resource.TestMatchResourceAttr("aws_appautoscaling_target.read", "role_arn", r),
+				),
+			},
+		},
+	})
+}
+
 func testAccCheckAWSAppautoscalingTargetDestroy(s *terraform.State) error {
 	conn := testAccProvider.Meta().(*AWSClient).appautoscalingconn
 
@@ -192,58 +217,6 @@ func testAccCheckAWSAppautoscalingTargetExists(n string, target *applicationauto
 func testAccAWSAppautoscalingTargetConfig(
 	randClusterName string) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf(`
-resource "aws_iam_role" "autoscale_role" {
-	name = "autoscalerole%s"
-	path = "/"
-
-	assume_role_policy = <<EOF
-{
-  "Version": "2012-10-17",
-  "Statement": [
-    {
-      "Effect": "Allow",
-      "Principal": {
-        "Service": "application-autoscaling.amazonaws.com"
-      },
-      "Action": "sts:AssumeRole"
-    }
-  ]
-}
-EOF
-}
-
-resource "aws_iam_role_policy" "autoscale_role_policy" {
-	name = "autoscalepolicy%s"
-	role = "${aws_iam_role.autoscale_role.id}"
-
-	policy = <<EOF
-{
-    "Version": "2012-10-17",
-    "Statement": [
-        {
-            "Effect": "Allow",
-            "Action": [
-                "ecs:DescribeServices",
-                "ecs:UpdateService"
-            ],
-            "Resource": [
-                "*"
-            ]
-        },
-        {
-            "Effect": "Allow",
-            "Action": [
-                "cloudwatch:DescribeAlarms"
-            ],
-            "Resource": [
-                "*"
-            ]
-        }
-    ]
-}
-EOF
-}
-
 resource "aws_ecs_cluster" "foo" {
 	name = "%s"
 }
@@ -277,68 +250,15 @@ resource "aws_appautoscaling_target" "bar" {
 	service_namespace = "ecs"
 	resource_id = "service/${aws_ecs_cluster.foo.name}/${aws_ecs_service.service.name}"
 	scalable_dimension = "ecs:service:DesiredCount"
-	role_arn = "${aws_iam_role.autoscale_role.arn}"
 	min_capacity = 1
 	max_capacity = 3
 }
-`, randClusterName, randClusterName, randClusterName)
+`, randClusterName)
 }
 
 func testAccAWSAppautoscalingTargetConfigUpdate(
 	randClusterName string) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf(`
-resource "aws_iam_role" "autoscale_role" {
-	name = "autoscalerole%s"
-	path = "/"
-
-	assume_role_policy = <<EOF
-{
-  "Version": "2012-10-17",
-  "Statement": [
-    {
-      "Effect": "Allow",
-      "Principal": {
-        "Service": "application-autoscaling.amazonaws.com"
-      },
-      "Action": "sts:AssumeRole"
-    }
-  ]
-}
-EOF
-}
-
-resource "aws_iam_role_policy" "autoscale_role_policy" {
-	name = "autoscalepolicy%s"
-	role = "${aws_iam_role.autoscale_role.id}"
-
-	policy = <<EOF
-{
-    "Version": "2012-10-17",
-    "Statement": [
-        {
-            "Effect": "Allow",
-            "Action": [
-                "ecs:DescribeServices",
-                "ecs:UpdateService"
-            ],
-            "Resource": [
-                "*"
-            ]
-        },
-        {
-            "Effect": "Allow",
-            "Action": [
-                "cloudwatch:DescribeAlarms"
-            ],
-            "Resource": [
-                "*"
-            ]
-        }
-    ]
-}
-EOF
-}
-
 resource "aws_ecs_cluster" "foo" {
 	name = "%s"
 }
@@ -372,11 +292,10 @@ resource "aws_appautoscaling_target" "bar" {
 	service_namespace = "ecs"
 	resource_id = "service/${aws_ecs_cluster.foo.name}/${aws_ecs_service.service.name}"
 	scalable_dimension = "ecs:service:DesiredCount"
-	role_arn = "${aws_iam_role.autoscale_role.arn}"
 	min_capacity = 2
 	max_capacity = 8
 }
-`, randClusterName, randClusterName, randClusterName)
+`, randClusterName)
 }
 
 func testAccAWSAppautoscalingTargetEmrClusterConfig(rInt int) string {
@@ -729,38 +648,10 @@ resource "aws_spot_fleet_request" "test" {
   }
 }
 
-resource "aws_iam_role" "autoscale_role" {
-  assume_role_policy = <<EOF
-{
-  "Version": "2012-10-17",
-  "Statement": [
-    {
-      "Effect": "Allow",
-      "Principal": {
-        "Service": "application-autoscaling.amazonaws.com"
-      },
-      "Action": "sts:AssumeRole"
-    }
-  ]
-}
-EOF
-}
-
-resource "aws_iam_role_policy_attachment" "autoscale_role_policy_a" {
-  role = "${aws_iam_role.autoscale_role.name}"
-  policy_arn = "arn:aws:iam::aws:policy/service-role/AmazonEC2SpotFleetRole"
-}
-
-resource "aws_iam_role_policy_attachment" "autoscale_role_policy_b" {
-  role = "${aws_iam_role.autoscale_role.name}"
-  policy_arn = "arn:aws:iam::aws:policy/service-role/AmazonEC2SpotFleetAutoscaleRole"
-}
-
 resource "aws_appautoscaling_target" "test" {
   service_namespace = "ec2"
   resource_id = "spot-fleet-request/${aws_spot_fleet_request.test.id}"
   scalable_dimension = "ec2:spot-fleet-request:TargetCapacity"
-  role_arn = "${aws_iam_role.autoscale_role.arn}"
   min_capacity = 1
   max_capacity = 3
 }
@@ -779,63 +670,43 @@ resource "aws_dynamodb_table" "dynamodb_table_test" {
   }
 }
 
-resource "aws_iam_role" "autoscale_role" {
-  assume_role_policy = <<EOF
-{
-  "Version": "2012-10-17",
-  "Statement": [
-    {
-      "Effect": "Allow",
-      "Principal": {
-        "Service": "application-autoscaling.amazonaws.com"
-      },
-      "Action": "sts:AssumeRole"
-    }
-  ]
-}
-EOF
-}
-
-resource "aws_iam_role_policy" "p" {
-  role = "${aws_iam_role.autoscale_role.name}"
-  policy = <<POLICY
-{
-    "Version": "2012-10-17",
-    "Statement": [
-        {
-            "Effect": "Allow",
-            "Action": [
-                "dynamodb:DescribeTable",
-                "dynamodb:UpdateTable",
-                "cloudwatch:PutMetricAlarm",
-                "cloudwatch:DescribeAlarms",
-                "cloudwatch:DeleteAlarms"
-            ],
-            "Resource": "*"
-        }
-    ]
-}
-POLICY
-}
-
 resource "aws_appautoscaling_target" "write" {
   service_namespace = "dynamodb"
   resource_id = "table/${aws_dynamodb_table.dynamodb_table_test.name}"
   scalable_dimension = "dynamodb:table:WriteCapacityUnits"
-  role_arn = "${aws_iam_role.autoscale_role.arn}"
   min_capacity = 1
   max_capacity = 10
-  depends_on = ["aws_iam_role_policy.p"]
 }
 
 resource "aws_appautoscaling_target" "read" {
   service_namespace = "dynamodb"
   resource_id = "table/${aws_dynamodb_table.dynamodb_table_test.name}"
   scalable_dimension = "dynamodb:table:ReadCapacityUnits"
-  role_arn = "${aws_iam_role.autoscale_role.arn}"
   min_capacity = 2
   max_capacity = 15
-  depends_on = ["aws_iam_role_policy.p"]
+}
+`, tableName)
+}
+
+func testAccAWSAppautoscalingTarget_optionalRoleArn(tableName string) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf(`
+resource "aws_dynamodb_table" "dynamodb_table_test" {
+  name           = "%s"
+  read_capacity  = 5
+  write_capacity = 5
+  hash_key       = "FooKey"
+  attribute {
+    name = "FooKey"
+    type = "S"
+  }
+}
+
+resource "aws_appautoscaling_target" "read" {
+  service_namespace = "dynamodb"
+  resource_id = "table/${aws_dynamodb_table.dynamodb_table_test.name}"
+  scalable_dimension = "dynamodb:table:ReadCapacityUnits"
+  min_capacity = 2
+  max_capacity = 15
 }
 `, tableName)
 }
diff --git a/website/docs/r/appautoscaling_target.html.markdown b/website/docs/r/appautoscaling_target.html.markdown
index 528139c9cc4..cbd9d90f878 100644
--- a/website/docs/r/appautoscaling_target.html.markdown
+++ b/website/docs/r/appautoscaling_target.html.markdown
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ The following arguments are supported:
 * `max_capacity` - (Required) The max capacity of the scalable target.
 * `min_capacity` - (Required) The min capacity of the scalable target.
 * `resource_id` - (Required) The resource type and unique identifier string for the resource associated with the scaling policy. Documentation can be found in the `ResourceId` parameter at: [AWS Application Auto Scaling API Reference](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/ApplicationAutoScaling/latest/APIReference/API_RegisterScalableTarget.html#API_RegisterScalableTarget_RequestParameters)
-* `role_arn` - (Required) The ARN of the IAM role that allows Application
+* `role_arn` - (Optional) The ARN of the IAM role that allows Application
 AutoScaling to modify your scalable target on your behalf.
 * `scalable_dimension` - (Required) The scalable dimension of the scalable target. Documentation can be found in the `ScalableDimension` parameter at: [AWS Application Auto Scaling API Reference](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/ApplicationAutoScaling/latest/APIReference/API_RegisterScalableTarget.html#API_RegisterScalableTarget_RequestParameters)
 * `service_namespace` - (Required) The AWS service namespace of the scalable target. Documentation can be found in the `ServiceNamespace` parameter at: [AWS Application Auto Scaling API Reference](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/ApplicationAutoScaling/latest/APIReference/API_RegisterScalableTarget.html#API_RegisterScalableTarget_RequestParameters)