diff --git a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Roles/ImportExport/RolesCustomExportStep.cs b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Roles/ImportExport/RolesCustomExportStep.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4f0880685
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Roles/ImportExport/RolesCustomExportStep.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using Orchard.Events;
+
+namespace Orchard.Roles.ImportExport {
+    public interface ICustomExportStep : IEventHandler {
+        void Register(IList<string> steps);
+    }
+
+    public class RolesCustomExportStep : ICustomExportStep {
+        public void Register(IList<string> steps) {
+            steps.Add("Roles");
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Roles/ImportExport/RolesExportEventHandler.cs b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Roles/ImportExport/RolesExportEventHandler.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d0b67e04d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Roles/ImportExport/RolesExportEventHandler.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Xml.Linq;
+using Orchard.Data;
+using Orchard.Events;
+using Orchard.Roles.Models;
+
+namespace Orchard.Roles.ImportExport {
+    public interface IExportEventHandler : IEventHandler {
+        void Exporting(dynamic context);
+        void Exported(dynamic context);
+    }
+
+    public class RolesExportEventHandler : IExportEventHandler {
+        private readonly IRepository<RoleRecord> _roleRecordepository;
+
+        public RolesExportEventHandler(IRepository<RoleRecord> roleRecordRepository) {
+            _roleRecordepository = roleRecordRepository;
+        }
+
+        public void Exporting(dynamic context) {}
+
+        public void Exported(dynamic context) {
+
+            if (!((IEnumerable<string>) context.ExportOptions.CustomSteps).Contains("Roles")) {
+                return;
+            }
+
+            var roles = _roleRecordepository.Table.ToList();
+
+            if (!roles.Any()) {
+                return;
+            }
+
+            var root = new XElement("Roles");
+            context.Document.Element("Orchard").Add(root);
+
+            foreach (var role in roles) {
+                root.Add(new XElement("Role",
+                                      new XAttribute("Name", role.Name),
+                                      new XAttribute("Permissions", string.Join(",", role.RolesPermissions.Select(rolePermission => rolePermission.Permission.Name)))));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Roles/ImportExport/RolesRecipeHandler.cs b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Roles/ImportExport/RolesRecipeHandler.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ab7134dfa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Roles/ImportExport/RolesRecipeHandler.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Linq;
+using Orchard.Data;
+using Orchard.Localization;
+using Orchard.Logging;
+using Orchard.Recipes.Models;
+using Orchard.Recipes.Services;
+using Orchard.Roles.Models;
+using Orchard.Roles.Services;
+
+namespace Orchard.Roles.ImportExport {
+    public class RolesRecipeHandler : IRecipeHandler {
+        private readonly IRoleService _roleService;
+        private readonly IRepository<RoleRecord> _roleRecordRepository;
+        private readonly IRepository<PermissionRecord> _permissionRepository;
+
+        public RolesRecipeHandler(IRoleService roleService, 
+            IRepository<RoleRecord> roleRecordRepository, 
+            IRepository<PermissionRecord> permissionRepository) {
+            _roleService = roleService;
+            _roleRecordRepository = roleRecordRepository;
+            _permissionRepository = permissionRepository;
+            Logger = NullLogger.Instance;
+            T = NullLocalizer.Instance;
+        }
+
+        public Localizer T { get; set; }
+        public ILogger Logger { get; set; }
+
+        public void ExecuteRecipeStep(RecipeContext recipeContext) {
+            if (!String.Equals(recipeContext.RecipeStep.Name, "Roles", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)) {
+                return;
+            }
+
+            var installedPermissions = _roleService.GetInstalledPermissions().SelectMany(p => p.Value).ToList();
+
+            foreach (var roleElement in recipeContext.RecipeStep.Step.Elements()) {
+                var roleName = roleElement.Attribute("Name").Value;
+
+                var role = _roleService.GetRoleByName(roleName);
+                if (role == null) {
+                    _roleService.CreateRole(roleName);
+                    role = _roleService.GetRoleByName(roleName);
+                }
+
+                var permissions = roleElement.Attribute("Permissions").Value.Split(new[] { ',' }, StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries);
+                // only import permissions for currenlty installed modules
+                var permissionsValid = permissions.Where(permission => installedPermissions.Any(x => x.Name == permission)).ToList();
+
+                // union to keep existing permissions
+                _roleService.UpdateRole(role.Id, role.Name, permissionsValid.Union(role.RolesPermissions.Select(p => p.Permission.Name)));
+            }
+            recipeContext.Executed = true;
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Roles/Orchard.Roles.csproj b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Roles/Orchard.Roles.csproj
index 8cda89c54..6e92f3250 100644
--- a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Roles/Orchard.Roles.csproj
+++ b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Roles/Orchard.Roles.csproj
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@
   <ItemGroup>
     <Compile Include="AdminMenu.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Controllers\AdminController.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="ImportExport\RolesCustomExportStep.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="ImportExport\RolesExportEventHandler.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="ImportExport\RolesRecipeHandler.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Migrations.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Drivers\UserRolesPartDriver.cs" />
     <Compile Include="DefaultRoleUpdater.cs" />