diff --git a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_kinesis_stream.go b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_kinesis_stream.go
index 100fd08da..5fe18b7cc 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_kinesis_stream.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_kinesis_stream.go
@@ -32,6 +32,20 @@ func resourceAwsKinesisStream() *schema.Resource {
 				ForceNew: true,
 			},
 
+			"retention_period": &schema.Schema{
+				Type:     schema.TypeInt,
+				Optional: true,
+				Default:  24,
+				ValidateFunc: func(v interface{}, k string) (ws []string, errors []error) {
+					value := v.(int)
+					if value < 24 || value > 168 {
+						errors = append(errors, fmt.Errorf(
+							"%q must be between 24 and 168 hours", k))
+					}
+					return
+				},
+			},
+
 			"arn": &schema.Schema{
 				Type:     schema.TypeString,
 				Optional: true,
@@ -93,6 +107,10 @@ func resourceAwsKinesisStreamUpdate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) er
 	d.SetPartial("tags")
 	d.Partial(false)
 
+	if err := setKinesisRetentionPeriod(conn, d); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	return resourceAwsKinesisStreamRead(d, meta)
 }
 
@@ -114,6 +132,7 @@ func resourceAwsKinesisStreamRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) erro
 	}
 	d.Set("arn", state.arn)
 	d.Set("shard_count", state.shardCount)
+	d.Set("retention_period", state.retentionPeriod)
 
 	// set tags
 	describeTagsOpts := &kinesis.ListTagsForStreamInput{
@@ -160,10 +179,63 @@ func resourceAwsKinesisStreamDelete(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) er
 	return nil
 }
 
+func setKinesisRetentionPeriod(conn *kinesis.Kinesis, d *schema.ResourceData) error {
+	sn := d.Get("name").(string)
+
+	oraw, nraw := d.GetChange("retention_period")
+	o := oraw.(int)
+	n := nraw.(int)
+
+	if n == 0 {
+		log.Printf("[DEBUG] Kinesis Stream (%q) Retention Period Not Changed", sn)
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	if n > o {
+		log.Printf("[DEBUG] Increasing %s Stream Retention Period to %d", sn, n)
+		_, err := conn.IncreaseStreamRetentionPeriod(&kinesis.IncreaseStreamRetentionPeriodInput{
+			StreamName:           aws.String(sn),
+			RetentionPeriodHours: aws.Int64(int64(n)),
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+	} else {
+		log.Printf("[DEBUG] Decreasing %s Stream Retention Period to %d", sn, n)
+		_, err := conn.DecreaseStreamRetentionPeriod(&kinesis.DecreaseStreamRetentionPeriodInput{
+			StreamName:           aws.String(sn),
+			RetentionPeriodHours: aws.Int64(int64(n)),
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
+	stateConf := &resource.StateChangeConf{
+		Pending:    []string{"UPDATING"},
+		Target:     []string{"ACTIVE"},
+		Refresh:    streamStateRefreshFunc(conn, sn),
+		Timeout:    5 * time.Minute,
+		Delay:      10 * time.Second,
+		MinTimeout: 3 * time.Second,
+	}
+
+	_, err := stateConf.WaitForState()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf(
+			"Error waiting for Kinesis Stream (%s) to become active: %s",
+			sn, err)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 type kinesisStreamState struct {
-	arn        string
-	status     string
-	shardCount int
+	arn             string
+	status          string
+	shardCount      int
+	retentionPeriod int64
 }
 
 func readKinesisStreamState(conn *kinesis.Kinesis, sn string) (kinesisStreamState, error) {
@@ -176,6 +248,7 @@ func readKinesisStreamState(conn *kinesis.Kinesis, sn string) (kinesisStreamStat
 		state.arn = aws.StringValue(page.StreamDescription.StreamARN)
 		state.status = aws.StringValue(page.StreamDescription.StreamStatus)
 		state.shardCount += len(page.StreamDescription.Shards)
+		state.retentionPeriod = aws.Int64Value(page.StreamDescription.RetentionPeriodHours)
 		return !last
 	})
 	return state, err
diff --git a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_kinesis_stream_test.go b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_kinesis_stream_test.go
index 82c0b64fa..d5cc8c8d9 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_kinesis_stream_test.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_kinesis_stream_test.go
@@ -17,13 +17,15 @@ import (
 func TestAccAWSKinesisStream_basic(t *testing.T) {
 	var stream kinesis.StreamDescription
 
+	config := fmt.Sprintf(testAccKinesisStreamConfig, rand.New(rand.NewSource(time.Now().UnixNano())).Int())
+
 	resource.Test(t, resource.TestCase{
 		PreCheck:     func() { testAccPreCheck(t) },
 		Providers:    testAccProviders,
 		CheckDestroy: testAccCheckKinesisStreamDestroy,
 		Steps: []resource.TestStep{
 			resource.TestStep{
-				Config: testAccKinesisStreamConfig,
+				Config: config,
 				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
 					testAccCheckKinesisStreamExists("aws_kinesis_stream.test_stream", &stream),
 					testAccCheckAWSKinesisStreamAttributes(&stream),
@@ -33,6 +35,52 @@ func TestAccAWSKinesisStream_basic(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestAccAWSKinesisStream_retentionPeriod(t *testing.T) {
+	var stream kinesis.StreamDescription
+
+	ri := rand.New(rand.NewSource(time.Now().UnixNano())).Int()
+	config := fmt.Sprintf(testAccKinesisStreamConfig, ri)
+	updateConfig := fmt.Sprintf(testAccKinesisStreamConfigUpdateRetentionPeriod, ri)
+	decreaseConfig := fmt.Sprintf(testAccKinesisStreamConfigDecreaseRetentionPeriod, ri)
+
+	resource.Test(t, resource.TestCase{
+		PreCheck:     func() { testAccPreCheck(t) },
+		Providers:    testAccProviders,
+		CheckDestroy: testAccCheckKinesisStreamDestroy,
+		Steps: []resource.TestStep{
+			resource.TestStep{
+				Config: config,
+				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
+					testAccCheckKinesisStreamExists("aws_kinesis_stream.test_stream", &stream),
+					testAccCheckAWSKinesisStreamAttributes(&stream),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
+						"aws_kinesis_stream.test_stream", "retention_period", "24"),
+				),
+			},
+
+			resource.TestStep{
+				Config: updateConfig,
+				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
+					testAccCheckKinesisStreamExists("aws_kinesis_stream.test_stream", &stream),
+					testAccCheckAWSKinesisStreamAttributes(&stream),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
+						"aws_kinesis_stream.test_stream", "retention_period", "100"),
+				),
+			},
+
+			resource.TestStep{
+				Config: decreaseConfig,
+				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
+					testAccCheckKinesisStreamExists("aws_kinesis_stream.test_stream", &stream),
+					testAccCheckAWSKinesisStreamAttributes(&stream),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
+						"aws_kinesis_stream.test_stream", "retention_period", "28"),
+				),
+			},
+		},
+	})
+}
+
 func testAccCheckKinesisStreamExists(n string, stream *kinesis.StreamDescription) resource.TestCheckFunc {
 	return func(s *terraform.State) error {
 		rs, ok := s.RootModule().Resources[n]
@@ -103,7 +151,7 @@ func testAccCheckKinesisStreamDestroy(s *terraform.State) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-var testAccKinesisStreamConfig = fmt.Sprintf(`
+var testAccKinesisStreamConfig = `
 resource "aws_kinesis_stream" "test_stream" {
 	name = "terraform-kinesis-test-%d"
 	shard_count = 2
@@ -111,4 +159,26 @@ resource "aws_kinesis_stream" "test_stream" {
 		Name = "tf-test"
 	}
 }
-`, rand.New(rand.NewSource(time.Now().UnixNano())).Int())
+`
+
+var testAccKinesisStreamConfigUpdateRetentionPeriod = `
+resource "aws_kinesis_stream" "test_stream" {
+	name = "terraform-kinesis-test-%d"
+	shard_count = 2
+	retention_period = 100
+	tags {
+		Name = "tf-test"
+	}
+}
+`
+
+var testAccKinesisStreamConfigDecreaseRetentionPeriod = `
+resource "aws_kinesis_stream" "test_stream" {
+	name = "terraform-kinesis-test-%d"
+	shard_count = 2
+	retention_period = 28
+	tags {
+		Name = "tf-test"
+	}
+}
+`
diff --git a/website/source/docs/providers/aws/r/kinesis_stream.html.markdown b/website/source/docs/providers/aws/r/kinesis_stream.html.markdown
index b46752a00..90220bffb 100644
--- a/website/source/docs/providers/aws/r/kinesis_stream.html.markdown
+++ b/website/source/docs/providers/aws/r/kinesis_stream.html.markdown
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ For more details, see the [Amazon Kinesis Documentation][1].
 resource "aws_kinesis_stream" "test_stream" {
 	name = "terraform-kinesis-test"
 	shard_count = 1
+	retention_period = 48
 	tags {
 		Environment = "test"
 	}
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ AWS account and region the Stream is created in.
 * `shard_count` – (Required) The number of shards that the stream will use.
 Amazon has guidlines for specifying the Stream size that should be referenced 
 when creating a Kinesis stream. See [Amazon Kinesis Streams][2] for more.
+* `retention_period` - (Optional) Length of time data records are accessible after they are added to the stream. The maximum value of a stream's retention period is 168 hours. Minimum value is 24. Default is 24.
 * `tags` - (Optional) A mapping of tags to assign to the resource.
 
 ## Attributes Reference