diff --git a/tripleo_common/tests/utils/test_roles.py b/tripleo_common/tests/utils/test_roles.py
index b924f40a0..6af5dd45a 100644
--- a/tripleo_common/tests/utils/test_roles.py
+++ b/tripleo_common/tests/utils/test_roles.py
@@ -34,6 +34,20 @@ SAMPLE_ROLE = """
   ServicesDefault:
     - OS::TripleO::Services::Ntp
 """
+SAMPLE_ROLE_NETWORK_DICT = """
+###############################################################################
+# Role: sample                                                                #
+###############################################################################
+- name: sample
+  description: |
+    Sample!
+  networks:
+    InternalApi:
+      subnet: internal_api_subnet
+  HostnameFormatDefault: '%stackname%-sample-%index%'
+  ServicesDefault:
+    - OS::TripleO::Services::Ntp
+"""
 SAMPLE_GENERATED_ROLE = """
 ###############################################################################
 # Role: sample                                                                #
@@ -54,6 +68,16 @@ SAMPLE_ROLE_OBJ = {
     'name': 'sample',
     'networks': ['InternalApi']
 }
+SAMPLE_ROLE_OBJ_NETWORK_DICT = {
+    'HostnameFormatDefault': '%stackname%-sample-%index%',
+    'ServicesDefault': ['OS::TripleO::Services::Ntp'],
+    'description': 'Sample!\n',
+    'name': 'sample',
+    'networks': {
+        'InternalApi': {
+            'subnet': 'internal_api_subnet'}
+    }
+}
 
 
 class TestRolesUtils(base.TestCase):
@@ -111,6 +135,10 @@ class TestRolesUtils(base.TestCase):
         role = rolesutils.validate_role_yaml(SAMPLE_ROLE)
         self.assertEqual(SAMPLE_ROLE_OBJ, role)
 
+    def test_validate_role_with_network_dict(self):
+        role = rolesutils.validate_role_yaml(SAMPLE_ROLE_NETWORK_DICT)
+        self.assertEqual(SAMPLE_ROLE_OBJ_NETWORK_DICT, role)
+
     def test_validate_role_yaml_with_file(self):
         m = mock.mock_open(read_data=SAMPLE_ROLE)
         with mock.patch('tripleo_common.utils.roles.open', m):
@@ -133,6 +161,12 @@ class TestRolesUtils(base.TestCase):
         self.assertRaises(RoleMetadataError, rolesutils.validate_role_yaml,
                           yaml.safe_dump(role))
 
+    def test_validate_role_yaml_invalid_network_type(self):
+        role = yaml.safe_load(SAMPLE_ROLE)
+        role[0]['networks'] = 'should not be a string'
+        self.assertRaises(RoleMetadataError, rolesutils.validate_role_yaml,
+                          yaml.safe_dump(role))
+
     @mock.patch('tripleo_common.utils.roles.check_role_exists')
     @mock.patch('tripleo_common.utils.roles.get_roles_list_from_directory')
     def test_generate_roles_with_one_role_generated(self, get_roles_mock,
diff --git a/tripleo_common/utils/roles.py b/tripleo_common/utils/roles.py
index 2cd2b08ac..40b5b1e6e 100644
--- a/tripleo_common/utils/roles.py
+++ b/tripleo_common/utils/roles.py
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ def validate_role_yaml(role_data=None, role_path=None):
         'ServicesDefault': {'type': list},
         'tags': {'type': list},
         'description': {'type': six.string_types},
-        'networks': {'type': list},
+        'networks': {'type': [list, dict]},
         'networks_skip_config': {'type': list},
     }
 
@@ -170,8 +170,16 @@ def validate_role_yaml(role_data=None, role_path=None):
 
     # validate numeric metadata is numeric
     for k in schema:
-        if k in role and not isinstance(role[k], schema[k]['type']):
-            msg = "Role '{}': {} is not of expected type {}".format(
-                role['name'], k, schema[k]['type'])
-            raise RoleMetadataError(msg)
+        if k in role:
+            if k == 'networks':
+                if not (isinstance(role[k], schema[k]['type'][0]) or
+                        isinstance(role[k], schema[k]['type'][1])):
+                    msg = "Role '{}': {} is not of expected type {}".format(
+                        role['name'], k, schema[k]['type'])
+                    raise RoleMetadataError(msg)
+            else:
+                if not isinstance(role[k], schema[k]['type']):
+                    msg = "Role '{}': {} is not of expected type {}".format(
+                        role['name'], k, schema[k]['type'])
+                    raise RoleMetadataError(msg)
     return role