diff --git a/cerberus/aws_auth.py b/cerberus/aws_auth.py
index 3d3d451..02540da 100644
--- a/cerberus/aws_auth.py
+++ b/cerberus/aws_auth.py
@@ -17,8 +17,11 @@
 # For python 2.7
 from __future__ import print_function
 from botocore import session, awsrequest, auth
+from boto3.session import Session
 import logging
 import sys
+import os
+from datetime import datetime
 
 from . import CerberusClientException, CLIENT_VERSION
 from .network_util import throw_if_bad_response, post_with_retry
@@ -28,6 +31,75 @@
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
+def _get_aws_role_session_name():
+    return os.environ.get(
+        "AWS_ROLE_SESSION_NAME",
+        "cerberus-python-client-{}".format(
+            datetime.now()
+            .replace(microsecond=0, tzinfo=None)
+            .isoformat()
+            .replace(":", "-")
+            .replace(".", "-")
+        ),
+    )
+
+
+def _get_aws_web_identity_token():
+    web_identity_token = None
+    web_identity_token_file = os.environ.get(
+        "AWS_WEB_IDENTITY_TOKEN_FILE", ""
+    )
+    if web_identity_token_file:
+        with open(web_identity_token_file, "r") as web_identity_token_file_io:
+            web_identity_token = web_identity_token_file_io.read().strip()
+    return web_identity_token
+
+
+def _get_aws_credentials(aws_session=None):
+    """
+    Retrieve AWS credentials from a boto3 session.
+
+    Parameters:
+
+    - session (boto3.session.Session|None) = None: A boto3 session from
+      which to infer credentials. If not provided, a session will be
+      created using [AWS environment variables](https://go.aws/42HrK0R).
+    """
+    if not aws_session:
+        arn = None
+        profile_name = os.environ.get("AWS_PROFILE", None)
+        aws_session = Session(
+            profile_name=profile_name
+        )
+        if not profile_name:
+            # We only infer an assumed AWS role if not using a profile.
+            # For profiles, the assumed AWS role should be in
+            # the profile parameters.
+            arn = os.environ.get("AWS_ROLE_ARN", "")
+            if arn:
+                web_identity_token = _get_aws_web_identity_token()
+                session_name = _get_aws_role_session_name()
+                if web_identity_token:
+                    credentials = session.client(
+                        "sts"
+                    ).assume_role_with_web_identity(
+                        RoleArn=arn,
+                        RoleSessionName=session_name,
+                        WebIdentityToken=web_identity_token,
+                    )["Credentials"]
+                else:
+                    credentials = session.client("sts").assume_role(
+                        RoleArn=arn,
+                        RoleSessionName=session_name,
+                    )["Credentials"]
+                aws_session = Session(
+                    aws_access_key_id=credentials["AccessKeyId"],
+                    aws_secret_access_key=credentials["SecretAccessKey"],
+                    aws_session_token=credentials["SessionToken"],
+                )
+    return aws_session.get_credentials()
+
+
 class AWSAuth(object):
     """Class to authenticate with an IAM Role"""
     CN_REGIONS = {"cn-north-1", "cn-northwest-1"}
@@ -42,11 +114,7 @@ def __init__(self, cerberus_url, region, aws_session=None, verbose=None):
 
     def _get_v4_signed_headers(self):
         """Returns V4 signed get-caller-identity request headers"""
-        if self.aws_session is None:
-            boto_session = session.Session()
-            creds = boto_session.get_credentials()
-        else:
-            creds = self.aws_session.get_credentials()
+        creds = _get_aws_credentials(self.aws_session)
         if creds is None:
             raise CerberusClientException("Unable to locate AWS credentials")
         readonly_credentials = creds.get_frozen_credentials()