diff --git a/lib/player.js b/lib/player.js
index 2e5bc92365b..4dc6945db9b 100644
--- a/lib/player.js
+++ b/lib/player.js
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ goog.require('shaka.media.SegmentReference');
 goog.require('shaka.media.StreamingEngine');
 goog.require('shaka.net.NetworkingEngine');
 goog.require('shaka.text.SimpleTextDisplayer');
+goog.require('shaka.util.ArrayUtils');
 goog.require('shaka.util.CancelableChain');
 goog.require('shaka.util.ConfigUtils');
 goog.require('shaka.util.Error');
@@ -2327,7 +2328,7 @@ shaka.Player.prototype.chooseStreams_ =
   }
 
   // Check if any of the active streams is no longer available
-  // or is using the wrong language.
+  // or is using the wrong language/role.
   var activeStreams = this.streamingEngine_.getActiveStreams();
   // activePeriod may reasonably be null before StreamingEngine is streaming.
   var activePeriod = this.streamingEngine_.getActivePeriod();
@@ -2346,7 +2347,9 @@ shaka.Player.prototype.chooseStreams_ =
     for (var type in activeStreams) {
       var stream = activeStreams[type];
       if (stream.type == ContentType.AUDIO &&
-          stream.language != variants[0].language) {
+          (stream.language != variants[0].language ||
+          !shaka.util.ArrayUtils.equal(stream.roles,
+              variants[0].audio.roles))) {
         needsUpdate.push(type);
       } else if (stream.type == ContentType.TEXT && textStreams.length > 0 &&
                  stream.language != textStreams[0].language) {
diff --git a/test/player_unit.js b/test/player_unit.js
index 8c6fec56a41..df49a8e3dd5 100644
--- a/test/player_unit.js
+++ b/test/player_unit.js
@@ -1033,7 +1033,7 @@ describe('Player', function() {
           .addVariant(3)
             .bandwidth(200)
             .language('en')
-            .addAudio(2).bandwidth(100)
+            .addAudio(2).bandwidth(100).roles(['secondary'])
             .addVideo(4).bandwidth(100).size(100, 200)
             .frameRate(1000000 / 42000)
           .addVariant(4)
@@ -1122,7 +1122,7 @@ describe('Player', function() {
           audioCodec: 'mp4a.40.2',
           videoCodec: 'avc1.4d401f',
           primary: false,
-          roles: [],
+          roles: ['secondary'],
           videoId: 4,
           audioId: 2,
           channelsCount: null,
@@ -1145,7 +1145,7 @@ describe('Player', function() {
           audioCodec: 'mp4a.40.2',
           videoCodec: 'avc1.4d401f',
           primary: false,
-          roles: [],
+          roles: ['secondary'],
           videoId: 5,
           audioId: 2,
           channelsCount: null,
@@ -1285,6 +1285,25 @@ describe('Player', function() {
               ContentType.AUDIO, variant2.audio, false);
         });
 
+    it('switches audio if tracks have different roles ', function() {
+          chooseStreams();
+          canSwitch();
+
+          var period = manifest.periods[0];
+          var variant1 = period.variants[0];
+          var variant2 = period.variants[2];
+          expect(shaka.util.ArrayUtils.equal(
+            variant1.audio.roles, variant2.audio.roles)).toBe(false);
+
+          player.selectVariantTrack(variantTracks[0]);
+          streamingEngine.switch.calls.reset();
+
+          player.selectVariantTrack(variantTracks[2]);
+
+          expect(streamingEngine.switch).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+              ContentType.AUDIO, variant2.audio, false);
+        });
+
     it('doesn\'t switch video if old and new variants ' +
        'have the same video track', function() {
           chooseStreams();