diff --git a/include/mod_muc_room.hrl b/include/mod_muc_room.hrl
index 56eddeaa4..48d72b111 100644
--- a/include/mod_muc_room.hrl
+++ b/include/mod_muc_room.hrl
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@
     robots                  = #{} :: robots(),
     nicks                   = #{} :: nicks(),
     affiliations            = #{} :: affiliations(),
+    roles                   = #{} :: roles(),
     history                 = #lqueue{} :: lqueue(),
     subject                 = [] :: [text()],
     subject_author          = <<"">> :: binary(),
@@ -137,3 +138,4 @@
 -type robots() :: #{jid() => {binary(), stanza()}}.
 -type nicks() :: #{binary() => [ljid()]}.
 -type affiliations() :: #{ljid() => affiliation() | {affiliation(), binary()}}.
+-type roles() :: #{ljid() => role() | {role(), binary()}}.
diff --git a/src/mod_muc.erl b/src/mod_muc.erl
index 8ad16a10f..c1c1c7f2a 100644
--- a/src/mod_muc.erl
+++ b/src/mod_muc.erl
@@ -1177,7 +1177,7 @@ opts_to_binary(Opts) ->
               {subject, iolist_to_binary(Subj)};
          ({subject_author, Author}) ->
               {subject_author, iolist_to_binary(Author)};
-         ({affiliations, Affs}) ->
+         ({AffOrRole, Affs}) when (AffOrRole == affiliation) or (AffOrRole == role) ->
               {affiliations, lists:map(
                                fun({{U, S, R}, Aff}) ->
                                        NewAff =
diff --git a/src/mod_muc_room.erl b/src/mod_muc_room.erl
index 0df7b420d..044725bd4 100644
--- a/src/mod_muc_room.erl
+++ b/src/mod_muc_room.erl
@@ -1732,7 +1732,8 @@ set_role(JID, Role, StateData) ->
 		   end, StateData#state.users, LJIDs),
 		 StateData#state.nicks}
 	end,
-    StateData#state{users = Users, nicks = Nicks}.
+    Roles = maps:put(jid:remove_resource(LJID), Role, StateData#state.roles),
+    StateData#state{users = Users, nicks = Nicks, roles = Roles}.
 
 -spec get_role(jid(), state()) -> role().
 get_role(JID, StateData) ->
@@ -2144,7 +2145,7 @@ add_new_user(From, Nick, Packet, StateData) ->
 	  Collision,
 	  mod_muc:can_use_nick(StateData#state.server_host,
 			       StateData#state.host, From, Nick),
-	  get_default_role(Affiliation, StateData)}
+	  get_occupant_initial_role(From, Affiliation, StateData)}
 	of
       {false, _, _, _} when NUsers >= MaxUsers orelse NUsers >= MaxAdminUsers ->
 	  Txt = ?T("Too many users in this conference"),
@@ -4010,6 +4011,8 @@ set_opts([{Opt, Val} | Opts], StateData) ->
                   StateData#state{muc_subscribers = MUCSubscribers};
 	    affiliations ->
 		StateData#state{affiliations = maps:from_list(Val)};
+	    roles ->
+		StateData#state{roles = maps:from_list(Val)};
 	    subject ->
 		  Subj = if Val == <<"">> -> [];
 			    is_binary(Val) -> [#text{data = Val}];
@@ -4022,7 +4025,9 @@ set_opts([{Opt, Val} | Opts], StateData) ->
                            lists:map(fun({U, H}) -> {U, maps:from_list(H)} end,
                                      Val)),
                   StateData#state{hats_users = Hats};
-	    _ -> StateData
+	    Other ->
+                  ?INFO_MSG("Unknown MUC room option, will be discarded: ~p", [Other]),
+                  StateData
 	  end,
     set_opts(Opts, NSD).
 
@@ -4041,6 +4046,18 @@ set_vcard_xupdate(#state{config =
 set_vcard_xupdate(State) ->
     State.
 
+get_occupant_initial_role(Jid, Affiliation, #state{roles = Roles} = StateData) ->
+    DefaultRole = get_default_role(Affiliation, StateData),
+    case (StateData#state.config)#config.moderated of
+        true ->
+            get_occupant_stored_role(Jid, Roles, DefaultRole);
+        false ->
+            DefaultRole
+    end.
+
+get_occupant_stored_role(Jid, Roles, DefaultRole) ->
+    maps:get(jid:split(jid:remove_resource(Jid)), Roles, DefaultRole).
+
 -define(MAKE_CONFIG_OPT(Opt),
 	{get_config_opt_name(Opt), element(Opt, Config)}).
 
@@ -4084,6 +4101,7 @@ make_opts(StateData, Hibernation) ->
       (?SETS):to_list((StateData#state.config)#config.captcha_whitelist)},
      {affiliations,
       maps:to_list(StateData#state.affiliations)},
+     {roles, maps:to_list(StateData#state.roles)},
      {subject, StateData#state.subject},
      {subject_author, StateData#state.subject_author},
      {hats_users,