diff --git a/sdks/java/io/google-cloud-platform/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/gcp/spanner/SpannerAccessor.java b/sdks/java/io/google-cloud-platform/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/gcp/spanner/SpannerAccessor.java
index e84324a81455..2a95791f6c80 100644
--- a/sdks/java/io/google-cloud-platform/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/gcp/spanner/SpannerAccessor.java
+++ b/sdks/java/io/google-cloud-platform/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/gcp/spanner/SpannerAccessor.java
@@ -185,6 +185,10 @@ private static SpannerAccessor createAndConnect(SpannerConfig spannerConfig) {
     }
     String userAgentString = USER_AGENT_PREFIX + "/" + ReleaseInfo.getReleaseInfo().getVersion();
     builder.setHeaderProvider(FixedHeaderProvider.create("user-agent", userAgentString));
+    String databaseRole = spannerConfig.getDatabaseRole();
+    if (databaseRole != null && !databaseRole.isEmpty()) {
+      builder.setDatabaseRole(databaseRole);
+    }
     SpannerOptions options = builder.build();
 
     Spanner spanner = options.getService();
diff --git a/sdks/java/io/google-cloud-platform/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/gcp/spanner/SpannerConfig.java b/sdks/java/io/google-cloud-platform/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/gcp/spanner/SpannerConfig.java
index 05c8c8926d9c..c10af8429ece 100644
--- a/sdks/java/io/google-cloud-platform/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/gcp/spanner/SpannerConfig.java
+++ b/sdks/java/io/google-cloud-platform/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/gcp/spanner/SpannerConfig.java
@@ -73,6 +73,8 @@ public abstract class SpannerConfig implements Serializable {
 
   public abstract @Nullable ValueProvider<RpcPriority> getRpcPriority();
 
+  public abstract @Nullable String getDatabaseRole();
+
   @VisibleForTesting
   abstract @Nullable ServiceFactory<Spanner, SpannerOptions> getServiceFactory();
 
@@ -145,6 +147,8 @@ abstract Builder setExecuteStreamingSqlRetrySettings(
 
     abstract Builder setRpcPriority(ValueProvider<RpcPriority> rpcPriority);
 
+    abstract Builder setDatabaseRole(String databaseRole);
+
     public abstract SpannerConfig build();
   }
 
@@ -256,4 +260,9 @@ public SpannerConfig withRpcPriority(ValueProvider<RpcPriority> rpcPriority) {
     checkNotNull(rpcPriority, "withRpcPriority(rpcPriority) called with null input.");
     return toBuilder().setRpcPriority(rpcPriority).build();
   }
+
+  /** Specifies the Cloud Spanner database role. */
+  public SpannerConfig withDatabaseRole(String databaseRole) {
+    return toBuilder().setDatabaseRole(databaseRole).build();
+  }
 }
diff --git a/sdks/java/io/google-cloud-platform/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/gcp/spanner/SpannerAccessorTest.java b/sdks/java/io/google-cloud-platform/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/gcp/spanner/SpannerAccessorTest.java
index 8ce5d681b84d..ef9f59a2d6e2 100644
--- a/sdks/java/io/google-cloud-platform/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/gcp/spanner/SpannerAccessorTest.java
+++ b/sdks/java/io/google-cloud-platform/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/gcp/spanner/SpannerAccessorTest.java
@@ -99,4 +99,46 @@ public void testRefCountedSpannerAccessorDifferentDbsOnlyOnce() {
         .getDatabaseClient(eq(DatabaseId.of("project", "test2", "test2")));
     verify(serviceFactory.mockSpanner(), times(2)).close();
   }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testCreateWithValidDatabaseRole() {
+    SpannerConfig config1 =
+        SpannerConfig.create()
+            .toBuilder()
+            .setServiceFactory(serviceFactory)
+            .setProjectId(StaticValueProvider.of("project"))
+            .setInstanceId(StaticValueProvider.of("test1"))
+            .setDatabaseId(StaticValueProvider.of("test1"))
+            .setDatabaseRole("test-role")
+            .build();
+
+    SpannerAccessor acc1 = SpannerAccessor.getOrCreate(config1);
+    acc1.close();
+
+    // getDatabaseClient and close() only called once.
+    verify(serviceFactory.mockSpanner(), times(1))
+        .getDatabaseClient(DatabaseId.of("project", "test1", "test1"));
+    verify(serviceFactory.mockSpanner(), times(1)).close();
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testCreateWithEmptyDatabaseRole() {
+    SpannerConfig config1 =
+        SpannerConfig.create()
+            .toBuilder()
+            .setServiceFactory(serviceFactory)
+            .setProjectId(StaticValueProvider.of("project"))
+            .setInstanceId(StaticValueProvider.of("test1"))
+            .setDatabaseId(StaticValueProvider.of("test1"))
+            .setDatabaseRole("")
+            .build();
+
+    SpannerAccessor acc1 = SpannerAccessor.getOrCreate(config1);
+    acc1.close();
+
+    // getDatabaseClient and close() only called once.
+    verify(serviceFactory.mockSpanner(), times(1))
+        .getDatabaseClient(DatabaseId.of("project", "test1", "test1"));
+    verify(serviceFactory.mockSpanner(), times(1)).close();
+  }
 }