diff --git a/lib/ansible/playbook/play.py b/lib/ansible/playbook/play.py
index 06e5ffc6ef0..0696987f340 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/playbook/play.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/playbook/play.py
@@ -213,7 +213,8 @@ class Play(object):
         role_vars = {}
         if type(orig_path) == dict:
             # what, not a path?
-            role_name = utils.role_yaml_parse(orig_path)["name"]
+            parsed_role = utils.role_yaml_parse(orig_path)
+            role_name = parsed_role.get('role', parsed_role.get('name'))
             if role_name is None:
                 raise errors.AnsibleError("expected a role name in dictionary: %s" % orig_path)
             role_vars = orig_path