diff --git a/terraform/context.go b/terraform/context.go
index 39e37129a..eb12e102d 100644
--- a/terraform/context.go
+++ b/terraform/context.go
@@ -893,19 +893,23 @@ func (c *Context) planDestroyWalkFn(result *Plan) depgraph.WalkFunc {
 }
 
 func (c *Context) refreshWalkFn() depgraph.WalkFunc {
-	cb := func(r *Resource, tainted bool, inst **InstanceState) error {
-		if *inst == nil || (*inst).ID == "" {
+	cb := func(r *Resource) error {
+		is := r.State.Primary
+		if r.Tainted {
+			is = r.State.Tainted[r.TaintedIndex]
+		}
+
+		if is == nil || is.ID == "" {
 			log.Printf("[DEBUG] %s: Not refreshing, ID is empty", r.Id)
 			return nil
 		}
-		state := *inst
 
 		for _, h := range c.hooks {
-			handleHook(h.PreRefresh(r.Id, state))
+			handleHook(h.PreRefresh(r.Id, is))
 		}
 
 		info := &InstanceInfo{Type: r.State.Type}
-		is, err := r.Provider.Refresh(info, state)
+		is, err := r.Provider.Refresh(info, is)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -914,8 +918,11 @@ func (c *Context) refreshWalkFn() depgraph.WalkFunc {
 			is.init()
 		}
 
-		// Update the state
-		*inst = is
+		if r.Tainted {
+			r.State.Tainted[r.TaintedIndex] = is
+		} else {
+			r.State.Primary = is
+		}
 
 		// TODO: Handle other modules
 		c.sl.Lock()
@@ -930,7 +937,7 @@ func (c *Context) refreshWalkFn() depgraph.WalkFunc {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	return c.genericWalkFn(instanceWalk(cb))
+	return c.genericWalkFn(cb)
 }
 
 func (c *Context) validateWalkFn(rws *[]string, res *[]error) depgraph.WalkFunc {
diff --git a/terraform/context_test.go b/terraform/context_test.go
index e155bef17..d5858d64c 100644
--- a/terraform/context_test.go
+++ b/terraform/context_test.go
@@ -2235,6 +2235,7 @@ func TestContextRefresh_tainted(t *testing.T) {
 				Path: rootModulePath,
 				Resources: map[string]*ResourceState{
 					"aws_instance.web": &ResourceState{
+						Type: "aws_instance",
 						Tainted: []*InstanceState{
 							&InstanceState{
 								ID: "bar",
@@ -2262,16 +2263,14 @@ func TestContextRefresh_tainted(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
 	}
-	originalMod := state.RootModule()
-	mod := s.RootModule()
 	if !p.RefreshCalled {
 		t.Fatal("refresh should be called")
 	}
-	if !reflect.DeepEqual(p.RefreshState, originalMod.Resources["aws_instance.web"].Tainted[0]) {
-		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v %#v", p.RefreshState, originalMod.Resources["aws_instance.web"].Tainted[0])
-	}
-	if !reflect.DeepEqual(mod.Resources["aws_instance.web"].Tainted[0], p.RefreshReturn) {
-		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", mod.Resources)
+
+	actual := strings.TrimSpace(s.String())
+	expected := strings.TrimSpace(testContextRefreshTaintedStr)
+	if actual != expected {
+		t.Fatalf("bad:\n\n%s\n\n%s", actual, expected)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -2476,3 +2475,9 @@ root
   root -> aws_instance.bar
   root -> aws_instance.foo
 `
+
+const testContextRefreshTaintedStr = `
+aws_instance.web: (1 tainted)
+  ID = <not created>
+  Tainted ID 1 = foo
+`
diff --git a/terraform/state.go b/terraform/state.go
index 18cfa6200..b0cd16c54 100644
--- a/terraform/state.go
+++ b/terraform/state.go
@@ -364,6 +364,12 @@ func (s *ResourceState) GoString() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("*%#v", *s)
 }
 
+func (s *ResourceState) String() string {
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	buf.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("Type = %s", s.Type))
+	return buf.String()
+}
+
 // InstanceState is used to track the unique state information belonging
 // to a given instance.
 type InstanceState struct {
@@ -451,7 +457,7 @@ func (i *InstanceState) GoString() string {
 func (i *InstanceState) String() string {
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
 
-	if i.ID == "" {
+	if i == nil || i.ID == "" {
 		return "<not created>"
 	}