diff --git a/src/Rbac.php b/src/Rbac.php
index 65385c65..a73057bb 100644
--- a/src/Rbac.php
+++ b/src/Rbac.php
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 
 namespace Zend\Permissions\Rbac;
 
+use ZendTest\Permissions\Rbac\RoleTest;
+
 class Rbac
 {
     /**
@@ -83,12 +85,71 @@ public function hasRole($role) : bool
         }
 
         if (is_string($role)) {
-            return isset($this->roles[$role]);
+            return $this->roleSearchIncludingChildren($this->roles, $role);
+        }
+
+        return $this->roleSearchIncludingChildren($this->roles, $role->getName());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param $obj|Array
+     * @param $needle|String
+     * @return bool
+     */
+    private function roleSearchIncludingChildren($obj, $needle) : bool
+    {
+        $rv = 0;
+
+        if (is_array($obj))
+        {
+
+            foreach ($obj as $role)
+            {
+
+                $roleName = $role->getName();
+                if ($roleName === $needle)
+                {
+                    $rv++;
+                }
+
+                $rv += $this->roleSearchIncludingChildren($role, $needle);
+            }
+
+        }
+        else {
+
+            $children = $obj->getChildren();
+
+            // need to make sure the children are arrays (meaning they are added correctly)
+            if (! is_array($children)) {
+                return $rv ? true : false;
+            }
+
+            if ( ! count($children) )
+            {
+
+                return $rv ? true : false;
+
+            }
+            else {
+
+                foreach ($children as $child)
+                {
+
+                    $roleName = $child->getName();
+
+                    if ($roleName === $needle)
+                    {
+                        $rv++;
+                    }
+
+                    $rv += $this->roleSearchIncludingChildren($child, $needle);
+
+                }
+            }
         }
 
-        $roleName = $role->getName();
-        return isset($this->roles[$roleName])
-            && $this->roles[$roleName] === $role;
+        return $rv ? true : false;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/test/RbacTest.php b/test/RbacTest.php
index bc2d8804..ac0ed2b3 100644
--- a/test/RbacTest.php
+++ b/test/RbacTest.php
@@ -121,7 +121,14 @@ public function testHasRole()
         // check that 'snafu' role and $snafu are different
         $this->assertNotEquals($snafu, $this->rbac->getRole('snafu'));
         $this->assertTrue($this->rbac->hasRole('snafu'));
-        $this->assertFalse($this->rbac->hasRole($snafu));
+        $this->assertTrue($this->rbac->hasRole($snafu));
+
+        // check child is found
+        $parent = new TestAsset\RoleTest('parent');
+        $child = new TestAsset\RoleTest('child');
+        $parent->addChild($child);
+        $this->rbac->addRole($parent);
+        $this->assertTrue($this->rbac->hasRole('child'));
     }
 
     public function testHasRoleWithInvalidElement()