diff --git a/contracts/access/rbac/Roles.sol b/contracts/access/rbac/Roles.sol
index de46894095f..d478f6afa65 100644
--- a/contracts/access/rbac/Roles.sol
+++ b/contracts/access/rbac/Roles.sol
@@ -21,6 +21,17 @@ library Roles {
     _role.bearer[_account] = true;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * @dev give multiple accounts access to this role
+   */
+  function addMany(Role storage _role, address[] _accounts)
+    internal
+  {
+    for (uint256 i = 0; i < _accounts.length; ++i) {
+      add(_role, _accounts[i]);
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * @dev remove an account's access to this role
    */
diff --git a/contracts/mocks/RolesMock.sol b/contracts/mocks/RolesMock.sol
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cf20dfa45e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contracts/mocks/RolesMock.sol
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+pragma solidity ^0.4.24;
+
+import "../access/rbac/Roles.sol";
+
+
+contract RolesMock {
+  using Roles for Roles.Role;
+
+  Roles.Role private dummyRole;
+
+  function add(address _account) public {
+    dummyRole.add(_account);
+  }
+
+  function addMany(address[] _accounts) public {
+    dummyRole.addMany(_accounts);
+  }
+
+  function remove(address _account) public {
+    dummyRole.remove(_account);
+  }
+
+  function check(address _account) public view {
+    dummyRole.check(_account);
+  }
+
+  function has(address _account) public view returns (bool) {
+    return dummyRole.has(_account);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/ownership/rbac/RBAC.test.js b/test/access/rbac/RBAC.test.js
similarity index 100%
rename from test/ownership/rbac/RBAC.test.js
rename to test/access/rbac/RBAC.test.js
diff --git a/test/access/rbac/Roles.test.js b/test/access/rbac/Roles.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d7269714d5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/access/rbac/Roles.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+const { assertRevert } = require('../../helpers/assertRevert');
+
+const RolesMock = artifacts.require('RolesMock');
+
+require('chai')
+  .should();
+
+contract('Roles', function ([_, authorized, otherAuthorized, anyone]) {
+  beforeEach(async function () {
+    this.roles = await RolesMock.new();
+    this.testRole = async (account, expected) => {
+      if (expected) {
+        (await this.roles.has(account)).should.equal(true);
+        await this.roles.check(account); // this call shouldn't revert, but is otherwise a no-op
+      } else {
+        (await this.roles.has(account)).should.equal(false);
+        await assertRevert(this.roles.check(account));
+      }
+    };
+  });
+
+  context('initially', function () {
+    it('doesn\'t pre-assign roles', async function () {
+      await this.testRole(authorized, false);
+      await this.testRole(otherAuthorized, false);
+      await this.testRole(anyone, false);
+    });
+
+    describe('adding roles', function () {
+      it('adds roles to a single account', async function () {
+        await this.roles.add(authorized);
+        await this.testRole(authorized, true);
+        await this.testRole(anyone, false);
+      });
+
+      it('adds roles to an already-assigned account', async function () {
+        await this.roles.add(authorized);
+        await this.roles.add(authorized);
+        await this.testRole(authorized, true);
+      });
+
+      it('adds roles to multiple accounts', async function () {
+        await this.roles.addMany([authorized, otherAuthorized]);
+        await this.testRole(authorized, true);
+        await this.testRole(otherAuthorized, true);
+      });
+
+      it('adds roles to multiple identical accounts', async function () {
+        await this.roles.addMany([authorized, authorized]);
+        await this.testRole(authorized, true);
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  context('with added roles', function () {
+    beforeEach(async function () {
+      await this.roles.addMany([authorized, otherAuthorized]);
+    });
+
+    describe('removing roles', function () {
+      it('removes a single role', async function () {
+        await this.roles.remove(authorized);
+        await this.testRole(authorized, false);
+        await this.testRole(otherAuthorized, true);
+      });
+
+      it('removes unassigned roles', async function () {
+        await this.roles.remove(anyone);
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});