diff --git a/lib/sis/enrollment_importer.rb b/lib/sis/enrollment_importer.rb
index 0878b52546c..9a357db0e3a 100644
--- a/lib/sis/enrollment_importer.rb
+++ b/lib/sis/enrollment_importer.rb
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ module SIS
       FasterCSV.foreach(csv[:fullpath], :headers => :first_row, :skip_blanks => true, :header_converters => :downcase) do |row|
         add_error(csv, "No course_id given for an enrollment") if row['course_id'].blank?
         add_error(csv, "No user_id given for an enrollment") if row['user_id'].blank?
-        add_error(csv, "Improper role \"#{row['role']}\" for an enrollment") unless row['role'] =~ /\Astudent|\Ateacher|\Ata/i
+        add_error(csv, "Improper role \"#{row['role']}\" for an enrollment") unless row['role'] =~ /\Astudent|\Ateacher|\Ata|\Aobserver/i
         add_error(csv, "Improper status \"#{row['status']}\" for an enrollment") unless row['status'] =~ /\Aactive|\Adeleted|\Acompleted/i
       end
     end
@@ -72,6 +72,13 @@ module SIS
           enrollment.type = 'StudentEnrollment'
         elsif row['role'] =~ /\Ata\z|assistant/i
           enrollment.type = 'TaEnrollment'
+        elsif row['role'] =~ /\Aobserver\z/i
+          enrollment.type = 'ObserverEnrollment'
+          if row['associated_user_id']
+            pseudo = Pseudonym.find_by_account_id_and_sis_user_id(@root_account.id, row['associated_user_id'])
+            associated_enrollment = pseudo && course.student_enrollments.find_by_user_id(pseudo.user_id)
+            enrollment.associated_user_id = associated_enrollment && associated_enrollment.user_id
+          end
         end
 
         if row['status']=~ /active/i
diff --git a/spec/lib/sis_csv_importer_spec.rb b/spec/lib/sis_csv_importer_spec.rb
index 83b4863fd56..84e82fe949d 100644
--- a/spec/lib/sis_csv_importer_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/sis_csv_importer_spec.rb
@@ -314,7 +314,8 @@ describe SIS::SisCsv do
         "user_id,login_id,first_name,last_name,email,status",
         "user_1,user1,User,Uno,user@example.com,active",
         "user_2,user2,User,Dos,user2@example.com,active",
-        "user_3,user4,User,Tres,user3@example.com,active"
+        "user_3,user4,User,Tres,user3@example.com,active",
+        "user_5,user5,User,Quatro,user5@example.com,active"
       )
       process_csv_data(
         "section_id,course_id,name,status,start_date,end_date",
@@ -322,15 +323,18 @@ describe SIS::SisCsv do
       )
       # the enrollments
       process_csv_data(
-        "course_id,user_id,role,section_name,status",
-        "test_1,user_1,teacher,S001,active",
-        "test_1,user_2,student,S001,active",
-        "test_1,user_3,ta,S001,active"
+        "course_id,user_id,role,section_name,status,associated_user_id",
+        "test_1,user_1,teacher,S001,active,",
+        "test_1,user_2,student,S001,active,",
+        "test_1,user_3,ta,S001,active,",
+        "test_1,user_5,observer,S001,active,user_2"
       )
       course = @account.courses.find_by_sis_source_id("test_1")
       course.teachers.first.name.should == "User Uno"
       course.students.first.name.should == "User Dos"
       course.tas.first.name.should == "User Tres"
+      course.observers.first.name.should == "User Quatro"
+      course.observer_enrollments.first.associated_user_id.should == course.students.first.id
     end
   end