diff --git a/command/refresh_test.go b/command/refresh_test.go
index aec83d334..68c1fb748 100644
--- a/command/refresh_test.go
+++ b/command/refresh_test.go
@@ -275,7 +275,8 @@ func TestRefresh_defaultState(t *testing.T) {
 	expected := &states.ResourceInstanceObjectSrc{
 		Status:       states.ObjectReady,
 		AttrsJSON:    []byte("{\n            \"ami\": null,\n            \"id\": \"yes\"\n          }"),
-		Dependencies: []addrs.Referenceable{},
+		Dependencies: []addrs.AbsResource{},
+		DependsOn:    []addrs.Referenceable{},
 	}
 	if !reflect.DeepEqual(actual, expected) {
 		t.Fatalf("wrong new object\ngot:  %swant: %s", spew.Sdump(actual), spew.Sdump(expected))
@@ -339,7 +340,8 @@ func TestRefresh_outPath(t *testing.T) {
 	expected := &states.ResourceInstanceObjectSrc{
 		Status:       states.ObjectReady,
 		AttrsJSON:    []byte("{\n            \"ami\": null,\n            \"id\": \"yes\"\n          }"),
-		Dependencies: []addrs.Referenceable{},
+		Dependencies: []addrs.AbsResource{},
+		DependsOn:    []addrs.Referenceable{},
 	}
 	if !reflect.DeepEqual(actual, expected) {
 		t.Fatalf("wrong new object\ngot:  %swant: %s", spew.Sdump(actual), spew.Sdump(expected))
@@ -568,7 +570,8 @@ func TestRefresh_backup(t *testing.T) {
 	expected := &states.ResourceInstanceObjectSrc{
 		Status:       states.ObjectReady,
 		AttrsJSON:    []byte("{\n            \"ami\": null,\n            \"id\": \"changed\"\n          }"),
-		Dependencies: []addrs.Referenceable{},
+		Dependencies: []addrs.AbsResource{},
+		DependsOn:    []addrs.Referenceable{},
 	}
 	if !reflect.DeepEqual(actual, expected) {
 		t.Fatalf("wrong new object\ngot:  %swant: %s", spew.Sdump(actual), spew.Sdump(expected))
@@ -632,7 +635,8 @@ func TestRefresh_disableBackup(t *testing.T) {
 	expected := &states.ResourceInstanceObjectSrc{
 		Status:       states.ObjectReady,
 		AttrsJSON:    []byte("{\n            \"ami\": null,\n            \"id\": \"yes\"\n          }"),
-		Dependencies: []addrs.Referenceable{},
+		Dependencies: []addrs.AbsResource{},
+		DependsOn:    []addrs.Referenceable{},
 	}
 	if !reflect.DeepEqual(actual, expected) {
 		t.Fatalf("wrong new object\ngot:  %swant: %s", spew.Sdump(actual), spew.Sdump(expected))
diff --git a/states/instance_object.go b/states/instance_object.go
index 211b4c8b3..78e1dda93 100644
--- a/states/instance_object.go
+++ b/states/instance_object.go
@@ -29,12 +29,17 @@ type ResourceInstanceObject struct {
 	// it was updated.
 	Status ObjectStatus
 
-	// Dependencies is a set of other addresses in the same module which
-	// this instance depended on when the given attributes were evaluated.
-	// This is used to construct the dependency relationships for an object
-	// whose configuration is no longer available, such as if it has been
-	// removed from configuration altogether, or is now deposed.
-	Dependencies []addrs.Referenceable
+	// Dependencies is a set of absolute address to other resources this
+	// instance dependeded on when it was applied. This is used to construct
+	// the dependency relationships for an object whose configuration is no
+	// longer available, such as if it has been removed from configuration
+	// altogether, or is now deposed.
+	Dependencies []addrs.AbsResource
+
+	// DependsOn corresponds to the deprecated `depends_on` field in the state.
+	// This field contained the configuration `depends_on` values, and some of
+	// the references from within a single module.
+	DependsOn []addrs.Referenceable
 }
 
 // ObjectStatus represents the status of a RemoteObject.
diff --git a/states/instance_object_src.go b/states/instance_object_src.go
index 62907ab76..4bb333057 100644
--- a/states/instance_object_src.go
+++ b/states/instance_object_src.go
@@ -53,7 +53,9 @@ type ResourceInstanceObjectSrc struct {
 	// ResourceInstanceObject.
 	Private      []byte
 	Status       ObjectStatus
-	Dependencies []addrs.Referenceable
+	Dependencies []addrs.AbsResource
+	// deprecated
+	DependsOn []addrs.Referenceable
 }
 
 // Decode unmarshals the raw representation of the object attributes. Pass the
diff --git a/states/state_deepcopy.go b/states/state_deepcopy.go
index 8664f3bea..dfa1fbc05 100644
--- a/states/state_deepcopy.go
+++ b/states/state_deepcopy.go
@@ -153,8 +153,17 @@ func (obj *ResourceInstanceObjectSrc) DeepCopy() *ResourceInstanceObjectSrc {
 
 	// Some addrs.Referencable implementations are technically mutable, but
 	// we treat them as immutable by convention and so we don't deep-copy here.
-	dependencies := make([]addrs.Referenceable, len(obj.Dependencies))
-	copy(dependencies, obj.Dependencies)
+	var dependencies []addrs.AbsResource
+	if obj.Dependencies != nil {
+		dependencies = make([]addrs.AbsResource, len(obj.Dependencies))
+		copy(dependencies, obj.Dependencies)
+	}
+
+	var dependsOn []addrs.Referenceable
+	if obj.DependsOn != nil {
+		dependsOn = make([]addrs.Referenceable, len(obj.DependsOn))
+		copy(dependsOn, obj.DependsOn)
+	}
 
 	return &ResourceInstanceObjectSrc{
 		Status:        obj.Status,
@@ -187,9 +196,9 @@ func (obj *ResourceInstanceObject) DeepCopy() *ResourceInstanceObject {
 
 	// Some addrs.Referenceable implementations are technically mutable, but
 	// we treat them as immutable by convention and so we don't deep-copy here.
-	var dependencies []addrs.Referenceable
+	var dependencies []addrs.AbsResource
 	if obj.Dependencies != nil {
-		dependencies = make([]addrs.Referenceable, len(obj.Dependencies))
+		dependencies = make([]addrs.AbsResource, len(obj.Dependencies))
 		copy(dependencies, obj.Dependencies)
 	}
 
diff --git a/states/state_test.go b/states/state_test.go
index 618cfaafb..22a43859f 100644
--- a/states/state_test.go
+++ b/states/state_test.go
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ func TestStateDeepCopy(t *testing.T) {
 			SchemaVersion: 1,
 			AttrsJSON:     []byte(`{"woozles":"confuzles"}`),
 			Private:       []byte("private data"),
-			Dependencies:  []addrs.Referenceable{},
+			Dependencies:  []addrs.AbsResource{},
 		},
 		addrs.ProviderConfig{
 			Type: "test",
@@ -155,11 +155,16 @@ func TestStateDeepCopy(t *testing.T) {
 			SchemaVersion: 1,
 			AttrsJSON:     []byte(`{"woozles":"confuzles"}`),
 			Private:       []byte("private data"),
-			Dependencies: []addrs.Referenceable{addrs.Resource{
-				Mode: addrs.ManagedResourceMode,
-				Type: "test_thing",
-				Name: "baz",
-			}},
+			Dependencies: []addrs.AbsResource{
+				{
+					Module: addrs.RootModuleInstance,
+					Resource: addrs.Resource{
+						Mode: addrs.ManagedResourceMode,
+						Type: "test_thing",
+						Name: "baz",
+					},
+				},
+			},
 		},
 		addrs.ProviderConfig{
 			Type: "test",
diff --git a/terraform/context_apply_test.go b/terraform/context_apply_test.go
index 902e0dd5a..4e64109bb 100644
--- a/terraform/context_apply_test.go
+++ b/terraform/context_apply_test.go
@@ -2885,8 +2885,9 @@ func TestContext2Apply_orphanResource(t *testing.T) {
 		s.SetResourceMeta(zeroAddr, states.EachList, providerAddr)
 		s.SetResourceMeta(oneAddr, states.EachList, providerAddr)
 		s.SetResourceInstanceCurrent(oneAddr.Instance(addrs.IntKey(0)), &states.ResourceInstanceObjectSrc{
-			Status:    states.ObjectReady,
-			AttrsJSON: []byte(`{}`),
+			Status:       states.ObjectReady,
+			AttrsJSON:    []byte(`{}`),
+			Dependencies: []addrs.AbsResource{},
 		}, providerAddr)
 	})
 	if !cmp.Equal(state, want) {