diff --git a/command/state_pull.go b/command/state_pull.go
index 6724f6628..0ac531aa1 100644
--- a/command/state_pull.go
+++ b/command/state_pull.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ func (c *StatePullCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		return 1
 	}
 
-	// Get the state
+	// Get the state manager for the current workspace
 	env := c.Workspace()
 	stateMgr, err := b.StateMgr(env)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -47,24 +47,20 @@ func (c *StatePullCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		return 1
 	}
 
-	state := stateMgr.State()
-	if state == nil {
-		// Output on "error" so it shows up on stderr
-		c.Ui.Error("Empty state (no state)")
-		return 0
+	// Get a statefile object representing the latest snapshot
+	stateFile := statemgr.Export(stateMgr)
+
+	if stateFile != nil { // we produce no output if the statefile is nil
+		var buf bytes.Buffer
+		err = statefile.Write(stateFile, &buf)
+		if err != nil {
+			c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to write state: %s", err))
+			return 1
+		}
+
+		c.Ui.Output(buf.String())
 	}
 
-	// Get the state file.
-	stateFile := statemgr.StateFile(stateMgr, state)
-
-	var buf bytes.Buffer
-	err = statefile.Write(stateFile, &buf)
-	if err != nil {
-		c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to write state: %s", err))
-		return 1
-	}
-
-	c.Ui.Output(buf.String())
 	return 0
 }
 
diff --git a/command/state_pull_test.go b/command/state_pull_test.go
index 7338f8493..8c7680601 100644
--- a/command/state_pull_test.go
+++ b/command/state_pull_test.go
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func TestStatePull_noState(t *testing.T) {
 	defer testFixCwd(t, tmp, cwd)
 
 	p := testProvider()
-	ui := new(cli.MockUi)
+	ui := cli.NewMockUi()
 	c := &StatePullCommand{
 		Meta: Meta{
 			testingOverrides: metaOverridesForProvider(p),
diff --git a/command/state_push.go b/command/state_push.go
index 9de232abc..2aa39bd8f 100644
--- a/command/state_push.go
+++ b/command/state_push.go
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ func (c *StatePushCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		return 1
 	}
 
-	// Get the state
+	// Get the state manager for the currently-selected workspace
 	env := c.Workspace()
 	stateMgr, err := b.StateMgr(env)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -81,23 +81,17 @@ func (c *StatePushCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to refresh destination state: %s", err))
 		return 1
 	}
-	dstState := stateMgr.State()
 
-	// If we're not forcing, then perform safety checks
-	if !flagForce && !dstState.Empty() {
-		dstStateFile := statemgr.StateFile(stateMgr, dstState)
-
-		if dstStateFile.Lineage != srcStateFile.Lineage {
-			c.Ui.Error(strings.TrimSpace(errStatePushLineage))
-			return 1
-		}
-		if dstStateFile.Serial > srcStateFile.Serial {
-			c.Ui.Error(strings.TrimSpace(errStatePushSerialNewer))
-			return 1
-		}
+	if srcStateFile == nil {
+		// We'll push a new empty state instead
+		srcStateFile = statemgr.NewStateFile()
 	}
 
-	// Overwrite it
+	// Import it, forcing through the lineage/serial if requested and possible.
+	if err := statemgr.Import(srcStateFile, stateMgr, flagForce); err != nil {
+		c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to write state: %s", err))
+		return 1
+	}
 	if err := stateMgr.WriteState(srcStateFile.State); err != nil {
 		c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to write state: %s", err))
 		return 1
diff --git a/command/test-fixtures/state-push-bad-lineage/local-state.tfstate b/command/test-fixtures/state-push-bad-lineage/local-state.tfstate
index 4023b53e0..fe06c362c 100644
--- a/command/test-fixtures/state-push-bad-lineage/local-state.tfstate
+++ b/command/test-fixtures/state-push-bad-lineage/local-state.tfstate
@@ -1,5 +1,17 @@
 {
     "version": 3,
     "serial": 1,
-    "lineage": "mismatch"
+    "lineage": "mismatch",
+    "modules": [
+        {
+            "path": ["root"],
+            "outputs": {
+                "foo": {
+                    "type": "string",
+                    "value": "bar"
+                }
+            },
+            "resources": {}
+        }
+    ]
 }
diff --git a/command/test-fixtures/state-push-bad-lineage/replace.tfstate b/command/test-fixtures/state-push-bad-lineage/replace.tfstate
index 0e3b7013a..dad6859ea 100644
--- a/command/test-fixtures/state-push-bad-lineage/replace.tfstate
+++ b/command/test-fixtures/state-push-bad-lineage/replace.tfstate
@@ -1,5 +1,17 @@
 {
     "version": 3,
     "serial": 2,
-    "lineage": "hello"
+    "lineage": "hello",
+    "modules": [
+        {
+            "path": ["root"],
+            "outputs": {
+                "foo": {
+                    "type": "string",
+                    "value": "baz"
+                }
+            },
+            "resources": {}
+        }
+    ]
 }
diff --git a/states/statemgr/helper.go b/states/statemgr/helper.go
index 5feb09e94..7eef70efc 100644
--- a/states/statemgr/helper.go
+++ b/states/statemgr/helper.go
@@ -15,28 +15,10 @@ func NewStateFile() *statefile.File {
 	return &statefile.File{
 		Lineage:          NewLineage(),
 		TerraformVersion: version.SemVer,
+		State:            states.NewState(),
 	}
 }
 
-// StateFile is a special helper to obtain a statefile representation
-// of a state snapshot that can be written later by a call
-func StateFile(mgr Storage, state *states.State) *statefile.File {
-	ret := &statefile.File{
-		State:            state.DeepCopy(),
-		TerraformVersion: version.SemVer,
-	}
-
-	// If the given manager uses snapshot metadata then we'll save that
-	// in our file so we can check it again during WritePlannedStateUpdate.
-	if mr, ok := mgr.(PersistentMeta); ok {
-		m := mr.StateSnapshotMeta()
-		ret.Lineage = m.Lineage
-		ret.Serial = m.Serial
-	}
-
-	return ret
-}
-
 // RefreshAndRead refreshes the persistent snapshot in the given state manager
 // and then returns it.
 //