diff --git a/ec2-automate-backup/README.md b/ec2-automate-backup/README.md
index 3ea8a8f..776d93e 100644
--- a/ec2-automate-backup/README.md
+++ b/ec2-automate-backup/README.md
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ ec2-automate-backup requires one of the following two parameters be provided:
 
 `-u` - the -u flag will tag snapshots with additional data so that snapshots can be more easily located. Currently the two user tags created are Volume="ebs_volume" and Created="date." These can be easily modified in code.
 
+`-i <profile>` - Use a specific profile from your credential file
+
 # Potential Uses and Methods of Use:
 * To backup multiple EBS volumes use ec2-automate-backup as follows: `ec2-automate-backup.sh -v "vol-6d6a0527 vol-636a0112"`
 * To backup a selected group of EBS volumes on a daily schedule tag each volume you wish to backup with the tag "Backup=true" and run ec2-automate-backup using cron as follows: `0 0 * * * ec2-automate-backup.sh -s tag -t "Backup,Values=true"`
diff --git a/ec2-automate-backup/ec2-automate-backup.sh b/ec2-automate-backup/ec2-automate-backup.sh
index 2886db7..af08356 100755
--- a/ec2-automate-backup/ec2-automate-backup.sh
+++ b/ec2-automate-backup/ec2-automate-backup.sh
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ get_EBS_List() {
     *) echo "If you specify a selection_method (-s selection_method) for selecting EBS volumes you must select either \"volumeid\" (-s volumeid) or \"tag\" (-s tag)." 1>&2 ; exit 64 ;;
   esac
   #creates a list of all ebs volumes that match the selection string from above
-  ebs_backup_list=$(aws ec2 describe-volumes --region $region $ebs_selection_string --output text --query 'Volumes[*].VolumeId')
-  #takes the output of the previous command 
+  ebs_backup_list=$(aws ec2 describe-volumes --region $region $ebs_selection_string --output text --query 'Volumes[*].VolumeId' --profile $profile)
+  #takes the output of the previous command
   ebs_backup_list_result=$(echo $?)
   if [[ $ebs_backup_list_result -gt 0 ]]; then
     echo -e "An error occurred when running ec2-describe-volumes. The error returned is below:\n$ebs_backup_list_complete" 1>&2 ; exit 70
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ create_EBS_Snapshot_Tags() {
   if [[ -n $snapshot_tags ]]; then
     echo "Tagging Snapshot $ec2_snapshot_resource_id with the following Tags: $snapshot_tags"
     tags_argument="--tags $snapshot_tags"
-    aws_ec2_create_tag_result=$(aws ec2 create-tags --resources $ec2_snapshot_resource_id --region $region $tags_argument --output text 2>&1)
+    aws_ec2_create_tag_result=$(aws ec2 create-tags --resources $ec2_snapshot_resource_id --region $region $tags_argument --output text 2>&1 --profile $profile)
   fi
 }
 
@@ -112,11 +112,11 @@ esac
 purge_EBS_Snapshots() {
   # snapshot_purge_allowed is a string containing the SnapshotIDs of snapshots
   # that contain a tag with the key value/pair PurgeAllow=true
-  snapshot_purge_allowed=$(aws ec2 describe-snapshots --region $region --filters Name=tag:PurgeAllow,Values=true --output text --query 'Snapshots[*].SnapshotId')
-  
+  snapshot_purge_allowed=$(aws ec2 describe-snapshots --region $region --filters Name=tag:PurgeAllow,Values=true --output text --query 'Snapshots[*].SnapshotId' --profile $profile)
+
   for snapshot_id_evaluated in $snapshot_purge_allowed; do
     #gets the "PurgeAfterFE" date which is in UTC with UNIX Time format (or xxxxxxxxxx / %s)
-    purge_after_fe=$(aws ec2 describe-snapshots --region $region --snapshot-ids $snapshot_id_evaluated --output text | grep ^TAGS.*PurgeAfterFE | cut -f 3)
+    purge_after_fe=$(aws ec2 describe-snapshots --region $region --snapshot-ids $snapshot_id_evaluated --output text --profile $profile| grep ^TAGS.*PurgeAfterFE | cut -f 3)
     #if purge_after_date is not set then we have a problem. Need to alert user.
     if [[ -z $purge_after_fe ]]; then
       #Alerts user to the fact that a Snapshot was found with PurgeAllow=true but with no PurgeAfterFE date.
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ purge_EBS_Snapshots() {
       # and the snapshot can be safely purged
       if [[ $purge_after_fe < $current_date ]]; then
         echo "Snapshot \"$snapshot_id_evaluated\" with the PurgeAfterFE date of \"$purge_after_fe\" will be deleted."
-        aws_ec2_delete_snapshot_result=$(aws ec2 delete-snapshot --region $region --snapshot-id $snapshot_id_evaluated --output text 2>&1)
+        aws_ec2_delete_snapshot_result=$(aws ec2 delete-snapshot --region $region --snapshot-id $snapshot_id_evaluated --output text --profile $profile 2>&1)
       fi
     fi
   done
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ user_tags=false
 purge_snapshots=false
 #handles options processing
 
-while getopts :s:c:r:v:t:k:pnhu opt; do
+while getopts :s:c:r:v:t:k:i:pnhu opt; do
   case $opt in
     s) selection_method="$OPTARG" ;;
     c) cron_primer="$OPTARG" ;;
@@ -159,6 +159,7 @@ while getopts :s:c:r:v:t:k:pnhu opt; do
     v) volumeid="$OPTARG" ;;
     t) tag="$OPTARG" ;;
     k) purge_after_input="$OPTARG" ;;
+    i) profile="$OPTARG" ;;
     n) name_tag_create=true ;;
     h) hostname_tag_create=true ;;
     p) purge_snapshots=true ;;
@@ -186,6 +187,11 @@ if [[ -z $region ]]; then
   fi
 fi
 
+#if profile is not set then:
+if [[ -z $profile ]]; then
+    profile="default"
+fi
+
 #sets date variable
 current_date=$(date -u +%s)
 
@@ -205,10 +211,10 @@ get_EBS_List
 #the loop below is called once for each volume in $ebs_backup_list - the currently selected EBS volume is passed in as "ebs_selected"
 for ebs_selected in $ebs_backup_list; do
   ec2_snapshot_description="ec2ab_${ebs_selected}_$current_date"
-  ec2_snapshot_resource_id=$(aws ec2 create-snapshot --region $region --description $ec2_snapshot_description --volume-id $ebs_selected --output text --query SnapshotId 2>&1)
+  ec2_snapshot_resource_id=$(aws ec2 create-snapshot --region $region --description $ec2_snapshot_description --volume-id $ebs_selected --output text --query SnapshotId --profile $profile 2>&1)
   if [[ $? != 0 ]]; then
     echo -e "An error occurred when running ec2-create-snapshot. The error returned is below:\n$ec2_create_snapshot_result" 1>&2 ; exit 70
-  fi  
+  fi
   create_EBS_Snapshot_Tags
 done