diff --git a/docs/features/roles.rst b/docs/features/roles.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4cbf1f29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/features/roles.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+Roles
+=====
+
+It is possible to define a set of roles you want to distinguish at backend side. One node can own one
+role which it will announce via alfred inside the mesh. This will make it easier to differentiate 
+nodes when parsing alfred data. E.g to count only **normal** nodes and not the gateways
+or servers (nodemap). A lot of things are possible.
+
+For this the section ``roles`` in ``site.conf`` is needed::
+
+  roles = {
+    default = 'node',
+    list = {
+      node = 'Normal Node',
+      test = 'Test Node',
+      backbone = 'Backbone Node',
+      service = 'Service Node',
+    },
+  },
+
+The value of ``default`` is the role every node will initially own. This value should be part of ``list`` as well.
+If you want node owners to change the defined roles via config-mode you can add the package
+``gluon-luci-node-role`` to your ``site.mk``. Then, you can select one of the defined roles from a dropdown list
+where the right-handed value is the one which is displayed and the left-handed key the one which is configured into 
+the system.
+
+The role is saved in ``gluon-node-info.system.role``. To change the role using command line do::
+
+  uci set gluon-node-info.system.role="$ROLE"
+  uci commit
+
+Please replace ``$ROLE`` by the role you want the node to own.
diff --git a/docs/index.rst b/docs/index.rst
index ae38e454..c7e60ee8 100644
--- a/docs/index.rst
+++ b/docs/index.rst
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ Features
    features/mesh-on-wan
    features/announce
    features/authorized-keys
+   features/roles
 
 Developer Documentation
 -----------------------
diff --git a/docs/site-example/site.conf b/docs/site-example/site.conf
index 288891d3..b6f3246d 100644
--- a/docs/site-example/site.conf
+++ b/docs/site-example/site.conf
@@ -135,6 +135,17 @@
     },
   },
 
+  -- Node roles
+  -- roles {
+  --   default = 'node',
+  --   list = {
+  --     node = 'Normal Node',
+  --     test = 'Test Node',
+  --     backbone = 'Backbone Node',
+  --     service = 'Service Node',
+  --   },
+  -- },
+
   -- Bandwidth limiting
   simple_tc = {
     mesh_vpn = {
diff --git a/docs/user/site.rst b/docs/user/site.rst
index 28d58b98..6c45cbd7 100644
--- a/docs/user/site.rst
+++ b/docs/user/site.rst
@@ -139,6 +139,26 @@ autoupdater : package
         }
       }
 
+roles : optional
+    Optional role definitions. With this nodes will announce their role inside the mesh.
+    In the backend this adds the facility to distinguish between normal, backbone and
+    service nodes or even gateways (if they advertise the role, also). It is up to
+    the community which roles to define. See the section below as an example.
+    ``default`` takes the default role which is set initially. This value should be
+    part of ``list``. If you want node owners to change the role via config mode add
+    the package ``gluon-luci-node-role`` to ``site.mk``.
+    ::
+
+      roles = {
+        default = 'node',
+        list = {
+          node = 'Normal Node',
+          test = 'Test Node',
+          backbone = 'Backbone Node',
+          service = 'Service Node',
+        },
+      },
+
 simple_tc : package
     Uplink traffic control
     ::