diff --git a/deploy-cluster-aws/awsdeploy.sh b/deploy-cluster-aws/awsdeploy.sh
index 5a9fc8ed..5c9de41e 100755
--- a/deploy-cluster-aws/awsdeploy.sh
+++ b/deploy-cluster-aws/awsdeploy.sh
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@ echo "WHAT_TO_DEPLOY = "$WHAT_TO_DEPLOY
 echo "USE_KEYPAIRS_FILE = "$USE_KEYPAIRS_FILE
 echo "IMAGE_ID = "$IMAGE_ID
 echo "INSTANCE_TYPE = "$INSTANCE_TYPE
+echo "USING_EBS = "$USING_EBS
+echo "EBS_VOLUME_SIZE = "$EBS_VOLUME_SIZE
+echo "EBS_OPTIMIZED = "$EBS_OPTIMIZED
 
 # Check for AWS private key file (.pem file)
 if [ ! -f "pem/bigchaindb.pem" ]; then
@@ -146,6 +149,7 @@ if [ "$WHAT_TO_DEPLOY" == "servers" ]; then
     # definition of init_bigchaindb() in fabfile.py to see why.
     fab init_bigchaindb
     fab set_shards:$NUM_NODES
+    echo "To set the replication factor to 3, do: fab set_replicas:3"
     echo "To start BigchainDB on all the nodes, do: fab start_bigchaindb"
 else
     # Deploying clients
diff --git a/deploy-cluster-aws/example_deploy_conf.py b/deploy-cluster-aws/example_deploy_conf.py
index 3e1ee2c9..f1da94e9 100644
--- a/deploy-cluster-aws/example_deploy_conf.py
+++ b/deploy-cluster-aws/example_deploy_conf.py
@@ -49,3 +49,19 @@ IMAGE_ID="ami-accff2b1"
 # Examples: "m3.2xlarge", "c3.8xlarge", "c4.8xlarge"
 # For all options, see https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/instance-types/
 INSTANCE_TYPE="m3.2xlarge"
+
+# USING_EBS is True if you want to attach an Amazon EBS volume
+USING_EBS=False
+
+# EBS_VOLUME_SIZE is the size of the EBS volume to attach, in GiB
+# Since we assume 'gp2' volumes (for now), the possible range is 1 to 16384
+# If USING_EBS=False, EBS_VOLUME_SIZE is irrelevant and not used
+EBS_VOLUME_SIZE=30
+
+# EBS_OPTIMIZED is True or False, depending on whether you want
+# EBS-optimized instances. See:
+# https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/EBSOptimized.html
+# Not all instance types support EBS optimization.
+# Setting EBS_OPTIMIZED=True may cost more, but not always.
+# If USING_EBS=False, EBS_OPTIMIZED is irrelevant and not used
+EBS_OPTIMIZED=False
diff --git a/deploy-cluster-aws/launch_ec2_nodes.py b/deploy-cluster-aws/launch_ec2_nodes.py
index c5c6c5f1..8e0c2d9b 100644
--- a/deploy-cluster-aws/launch_ec2_nodes.py
+++ b/deploy-cluster-aws/launch_ec2_nodes.py
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ from awscommon import get_naeips
 
 
 SETTINGS = ['NUM_NODES', 'BRANCH', 'WHAT_TO_DEPLOY', 'USE_KEYPAIRS_FILE',
-            'IMAGE_ID', 'INSTANCE_TYPE']
+            'IMAGE_ID', 'INSTANCE_TYPE', 'USING_EBS', 'EBS_VOLUME_SIZE',
+            'EBS_OPTIMIZED']
 
 
 class SettingsTypeError(TypeError):
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@ if not isinstance(WHAT_TO_DEPLOY, str):
     raise SettingsTypeError('WHAT_TO_DEPLOY should be a string')
 
 if not isinstance(USE_KEYPAIRS_FILE, bool):
-    msg = 'USE_KEYPAIRS_FILE should a boolean (True or False)'
+    msg = 'USE_KEYPAIRS_FILE should be a boolean (True or False)'
     raise SettingsTypeError(msg)
 
 if not isinstance(IMAGE_ID, str):
@@ -85,6 +86,15 @@ if not isinstance(IMAGE_ID, str):
 if not isinstance(INSTANCE_TYPE, str):
     raise SettingsTypeError('INSTANCE_TYPE should be a string')
 
+if not isinstance(USING_EBS, bool):
+    raise SettingsTypeError('USING_EBS should be a boolean (True or False)')
+
+if not isinstance(EBS_VOLUME_SIZE, int):
+    raise SettingsTypeError('EBS_VOLUME_SIZE should be an int')
+
+if not isinstance(EBS_OPTIMIZED, bool):
+    raise SettingsTypeError('EBS_OPTIMIZED should be a boolean (True or False)')
+
 if NUM_NODES > 64:
     raise ValueError('NUM_NODES should be less than or equal to 64. '
                      'The AWS deployment configuration file sets it to {}'.
@@ -95,6 +105,12 @@ if WHAT_TO_DEPLOY not in ['servers', 'clients']:
                      'The AWS deployment configuration file sets it to {}'.
                      format(WHAT_TO_DEPLOY))
 
+# Since we assume 'gp2' volumes (for now), the possible range is 1 to 16384
+if EBS_VOLUME_SIZE > 16384:
+    raise ValueError('EBS_VOLUME_SIZE should be <= 16384. '
+                     'The AWS deployment configuration file sets it to {}'.
+                     format(EBS_VOLUME_SIZE))
+
 # Get an AWS EC2 "resource"
 # See http://boto3.readthedocs.org/en/latest/guide/resources.html
 ec2 = boto3.resource(service_name='ec2')
@@ -158,14 +174,40 @@ print('Commencing launch of {} instances on Amazon EC2...'.
 for _ in range(NUM_NODES):
     # Request the launch of one instance at a time
     # (so list_of_instances should contain only one item)
-    list_of_instances = ec2.create_instances(
-        ImageId=IMAGE_ID,
-        MinCount=1,
-        MaxCount=1,
-        KeyName='bigchaindb',
-        InstanceType=INSTANCE_TYPE,
-        SecurityGroupIds=['bigchaindb']
-    )
+    # See https://tinyurl.com/hbjewbb
+    if USING_EBS:
+        dm = {
+            'DeviceName': '/dev/sdp',
+            # Why /dev/sdp? See https://tinyurl.com/z2zqm6n
+            'Ebs': {
+                'VolumeSize': EBS_VOLUME_SIZE,  # GiB
+                'DeleteOnTermination': False,
+                'VolumeType': 'gp2',
+                'Encrypted': False
+            },
+            # 'NoDevice': 'device'
+            # Suppresses the specified device included
+            # in the block device mapping of the AMI.
+        }
+        list_of_instances = ec2.create_instances(
+            ImageId=IMAGE_ID,
+            MinCount=1,
+            MaxCount=1,
+            KeyName='bigchaindb',
+            InstanceType=INSTANCE_TYPE,
+            SecurityGroupIds=['bigchaindb'],
+            BlockDeviceMappings=[dm],
+            EbsOptimized=EBS_OPTIMIZED
+        )
+    else:  # not USING_EBS
+        list_of_instances = ec2.create_instances(
+            ImageId=IMAGE_ID,
+            MinCount=1,
+            MaxCount=1,
+            KeyName='bigchaindb',
+            InstanceType=INSTANCE_TYPE,
+            SecurityGroupIds=['bigchaindb']
+        )
 
     # Tag the just-launched instances (should be just one)
     for instance in list_of_instances:
diff --git a/docs/source/clusters-feds/deploy-on-aws.md b/docs/source/clusters-feds/deploy-on-aws.md
index da60c337..c870591d 100644
--- a/docs/source/clusters-feds/deploy-on-aws.md
+++ b/docs/source/clusters-feds/deploy-on-aws.md
@@ -103,6 +103,9 @@ WHAT_TO_DEPLOY="servers"
 USE_KEYPAIRS_FILE=False
 IMAGE_ID="ami-accff2b1"
 INSTANCE_TYPE="m3.2xlarge"
+USING_EBS=False
+EBS_VOLUME_SIZE=30
+EBS_OPTIMIZED=False
 ```
 
 If you're happy with those settings, then you can skip to the next step. Otherwise, you could make a copy of `example_deploy_conf.py` (e.g. `cp example_deploy_conf.py my_deploy_conf.py`) and then edit the copy using a text editor.
@@ -126,6 +129,8 @@ Step 3 is to launch the nodes ("instances") on AWS, to install all the necessary
 cd bigchaindb
 cd deploy-cluster-aws
 ./awsdeploy.sh my_deploy_conf.py
+# Only if you want to set the replication factor to 3
+fab set_replicas:3
 # Only if you want to start BigchainDB on all the nodes:
 fab start_bigchaindb
 ```