diff --git a/.changes/next-release/bugfix-Credentials-6b971f33.json b/.changes/next-release/bugfix-Credentials-6b971f33.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..45dd83f666
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/next-release/bugfix-Credentials-6b971f33.json
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{
+  "type": "bugfix",
+  "category": "Credentials",
+  "description": "fix credential_process credential resolution failure if it is the only item in source_profile when used by role_arn"
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/credentials/shared_ini_file_credentials.js b/lib/credentials/shared_ini_file_credentials.js
index 47290be6e6..1c0629ceac 100644
--- a/lib/credentials/shared_ini_file_credentials.js
+++ b/lib/credentials/shared_ini_file_credentials.js
@@ -122,18 +122,48 @@ AWS.SharedIniFileCredentials = AWS.util.inherit(AWS.Credentials, {
       );
 
       if (profile['role_arn'] && !preferStaticCredentialsToRoleArn) {
-        this.loadRoleProfile(profiles, profile, function(err, data) {
-          if (err) {
-            callback(err);
-          } else {
-            self.expired = false;
-            self.accessKeyId = data.Credentials.AccessKeyId;
-            self.secretAccessKey = data.Credentials.SecretAccessKey;
-            self.sessionToken = data.Credentials.SessionToken;
-            self.expireTime = data.Credentials.Expiration;
-            callback(null);
+        var sourceProfileName = profile['source_profile'];
+        var credentialsSetChain = [
+          [AWS.SharedIniFileCredentials, function() { return false; }],
+          [AWS.ProcessCredentials, function() {
+            return !profiles[sourceProfileName] ||
+                   !profiles[sourceProfileName]['credential_process'];
+          }],
+        ];
+        var i = credentialsSetChain.length;
+        var errs = [];
+        for (var index = 0; index < credentialsSetChain.length; index++) {
+          var credentials = credentialsSetChain[index][0], skip = credentialsSetChain[index][1];
+          if (skip()) {
+            i--;
+            continue;
+          }
+          this.loadRoleProfile(profiles, profile, credentials, function(err, data) {
+            i--;
+            if (err) {
+              errs.push(err);
+            } else {
+              self.expired = false;
+              self.accessKeyId = data.Credentials.AccessKeyId;
+              self.secretAccessKey = data.Credentials.SecretAccessKey;
+              self.sessionToken = data.Credentials.SessionToken;
+              self.expireTime = data.Credentials.Expiration;
+              callback(null);
+              sourceProfileName = '';
+            }
+          });
+          if (!sourceProfileName) {
+            return;
           }
-        });
+        }
+        (function() {
+          var j = setInterval(function() {
+            if (i <= 0) {
+              errs.forEach(function(err) { callback(err); });
+              clearInterval(j);
+            }
+          }, 0);
+        })();
         return;
       }
 
@@ -176,7 +206,7 @@ AWS.SharedIniFileCredentials = AWS.util.inherit(AWS.Credentials, {
   /**
    * @api private
    */
-  loadRoleProfile: function loadRoleProfile(creds, roleProfile, callback) {
+  loadRoleProfile: function loadRoleProfile(creds, roleProfile, credentials, callback) {
     if (this.disableAssumeRole) {
       throw AWS.util.error(
         new Error('Role assumption profiles are disabled. ' +
@@ -232,7 +262,7 @@ AWS.SharedIniFileCredentials = AWS.util.inherit(AWS.Credentials, {
       );
     }
 
-    var sourceCredentials = new AWS.SharedIniFileCredentials(
+    var sourceCredentials = new credentials(
       AWS.util.merge(this.options || {}, {
         profile: sourceProfileName,
         preferStaticCredentials: true
diff --git a/test/credentials.spec.js b/test/credentials.spec.js
index 6d290c6c28..4a6de9224b 100644
--- a/test/credentials.spec.js
+++ b/test/credentials.spec.js
@@ -1324,6 +1324,65 @@ const exp = require('constants');
         });
       });
 
+      it('will use credential_process in the base profile', function(done) {
+        var mock = [
+          '[default]',
+          'role_arn = arn',
+          'source_profile = base',
+          '[base]',
+          'credential_process=federated_cli_mock',
+        ].join('\n');
+        helpers.spyOn(AWS.util, 'readFileSync').andReturn(mock);
+
+        var child_process = require('child_process');
+        mockProcess = '{"Version": 1,"AccessKeyId": "akid","SecretAccessKey": "secret","SessionToken": "session","Expiration": ""}';
+        helpers.spyOn(child_process, 'exec').andCallFake(function (_, _, cb) {
+          cb(undefined, mockProcess, undefined);
+        });
+
+        var expiration = new Date(Date.now() + 1000);
+        var STSPrototype = (new STS()).constructor.prototype;
+        var spy = helpers.spyOn(STSPrototype, 'assumeRole').andCallFake(
+          function(roleParams, callback) {
+            if (this.config.credentials.accessKeyId === 'akid' &&
+                this.config.credentials.secretAccessKey === 'secret' &&
+                this.config.credentials.sessionToken === 'session') {
+              callback(null, {
+                Credentials: {
+                  AccessKeyId: 'KEY',
+                  SecretAccessKey: 'SECRET',
+                  SessionToken: 'TOKEN',
+                  Expiration: expiration
+                }
+              });
+            }
+            callback(new Error('INVALID CREDENTIAL'));
+          }
+        );
+
+        var creds = new AWS.SharedIniFileCredentials({
+          callback: function (err) {
+            expect(err).to.be.null;
+            expect(spy.calls.length).to.equal(2);
+            expect(spy.calls[0].arguments[0].RoleArn).to.equal('arn');
+            expect(spy.calls[0].object.config.credentials.profile).to.equal('base');
+            expect(spy.calls[0].object.config.credentials.accessKeyId).to.be.undefined;
+            expect(spy.calls[0].object.config.credentials.secretAccessKey).to.be.undefined;
+            expect(spy.calls[0].object.config.credentials.sessionToken).to.be.undefined;
+            expect(spy.calls[1].arguments[0].RoleArn).to.equal('arn');
+            expect(spy.calls[1].object.config.credentials.profile).to.equal('base');
+            expect(spy.calls[1].object.config.credentials.accessKeyId).to.equal('akid');
+            expect(spy.calls[1].object.config.credentials.secretAccessKey).to.equal('secret');
+            expect(spy.calls[1].object.config.credentials.sessionToken).to.equal('session');
+            expect(creds.accessKeyId).to.equal('KEY');
+            expect(creds.secretAccessKey).to.equal('SECRET');
+            expect(creds.sessionToken).to.equal('TOKEN');
+            expect(creds.expireTime).to.equal(expiration);
+            done();
+          }
+        });
+      });
+
       describe('mfa serial callback', function() {
 
         beforeEach(function() {