diff --git a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_db_subnet_group.go b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_db_subnet_group.go
index 1af99d85b..233533396 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_db_subnet_group.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_db_subnet_group.go
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ func resourceAwsDbSubnetGroupRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) erro
 
 func resourceAwsDbSubnetGroupUpdate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error {
 	conn := meta.(*AWSClient).rdsconn
-	if d.HasChange("subnet_ids") {
+	if d.HasChange("subnet_ids") || d.HasChange("description") {
 		_, n := d.GetChange("subnet_ids")
 		if n == nil {
 			n = new(schema.Set)