An aqueous adhesive composition which comprises 0.5 to 30 parts by weight, as solids, of an aqueous cationic polyamide polyamine epichlorohydrin resin solution per 100 parts by weight, as solids, of an aqueous, cationic or nonionic polymer dispersion exhibits not only excellent water resistance despite their room-temperature drying properties, when applied to various kinds of substrates but also exceptionally improved storage stability.The aqueous cationic or nonionic polymer dispersion may be a dispersion of polymerized ethylenically unsaturated monomers.