diff --git a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_route53_zone.go b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_route53_zone.go
index 9a25dfd5d..f9ad99f4c 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_route53_zone.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_route53_zone.go
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ func resourceAwsRoute53ZoneCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) erro
 		HostedZoneConfig: comment,
 		CallerReference:  aws.String(time.Now().Format(time.RFC3339Nano)),
 	}
-	if v := d.Get("vpc_id"); v != nil {
+	if v := d.Get("vpc_id"); v != "" {
 		req.VPC = &route53.VPC{
 			VPCID:     aws.String(v.(string)),
 			VPCRegion: aws.String(meta.(*AWSClient).region),
@@ -130,7 +130,15 @@ func resourceAwsRoute53ZoneRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error
 		}
 	} else {
 		d.Set("name_servers", nil);
-		//TODO Verify that the configure VPC is still associated
+		var associatedVPC *route53.VPC
+		for _, vpc := range zone.VPCs {
+			if (*vpc.VPCID == d.Get("vpc_id")) {
+				associatedVPC = vpc
+			}
+		}
+		if associatedVPC == nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("[DEBUG] VPC: %v is not associated with Zone: %v", d.Get("vpc_id"), d.Id())
+		}
 	}
 
 	// get tags
diff --git a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_route53_zone_test.go b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_route53_zone_test.go
index 6c59adcd7..e84cb1b1e 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_route53_zone_test.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_route53_zone_test.go
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ func testAccCheckRoute53ZoneAssociationExists(n string, zone *route53.GetHostedZ
 			}
 		}
 		if associatedVPC == nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("VPC: %v is not associated to Zone: %v")
+			return fmt.Errorf("VPC: %v is not associated to Zone: %v", n, cleanZoneID(*zone.HostedZone.ID))
 		}
 		return nil
 	}