diff --git a/helper/resource/testing.go b/helper/resource/testing.go
index 27bfc9b5a..af3d2dda4 100644
--- a/helper/resource/testing.go
+++ b/helper/resource/testing.go
@@ -266,6 +266,15 @@ type TestStep struct {
 	// below.
 	PreConfig func()
 
+	// Taint is a list of resource addresses to taint prior to the execution of
+	// the step. Be sure to only include this at a step where the referenced
+	// address will be present in state, as it will fail the test if the resource
+	// is missing.
+	//
+	// This option is ignored on ImportState tests, and currently only works for
+	// resources in the root module path.
+	Taint []string
+
 	//---------------------------------------------------------------
 	// Test modes. One of the following groups of settings must be
 	// set to determine what the test step will do. Ideally we would've
diff --git a/helper/resource/testing_config.go b/helper/resource/testing_config.go
index 300a9ea6e..033f1266d 100644
--- a/helper/resource/testing_config.go
+++ b/helper/resource/testing_config.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package resource
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
 	"strings"
@@ -21,6 +22,14 @@ func testStep(
 	opts terraform.ContextOpts,
 	state *terraform.State,
 	step TestStep) (*terraform.State, error) {
+	// Pre-taint any resources that have been defined in Taint, as long as this
+	// is not a destroy step.
+	if !step.Destroy {
+		if err := testStepTaint(state, step); err != nil {
+			return state, err
+		}
+	}
+
 	mod, err := testModule(opts, step)
 	if err != nil {
 		return state, err
@@ -154,3 +163,19 @@ func testStep(
 	// Made it here? Good job test step!
 	return state, nil
 }
+
+func testStepTaint(state *terraform.State, step TestStep) error {
+	for _, p := range step.Taint {
+		m := state.RootModule()
+		if m == nil {
+			return errors.New("no state")
+		}
+		rs, ok := m.Resources[p]
+		if !ok {
+			return fmt.Errorf("resource %q not found in state", p)
+		}
+		log.Printf("[WARN] Test: Explicitly tainting resource %q", p)
+		rs.Taint()
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/helper/resource/testing_test.go b/helper/resource/testing_test.go
index 7002ea6f8..e9c55fb57 100644
--- a/helper/resource/testing_test.go
+++ b/helper/resource/testing_test.go
@@ -911,6 +911,85 @@ func mockSweeperFunc(s string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func TestTest_Taint(t *testing.T) {
+	mp := testProvider()
+	mp.DiffFn = func(
+		_ *terraform.InstanceInfo,
+		state *terraform.InstanceState,
+		_ *terraform.ResourceConfig,
+	) (*terraform.InstanceDiff, error) {
+		return &terraform.InstanceDiff{
+			DestroyTainted: state.Tainted,
+		}, nil
+	}
+
+	mp.ApplyFn = func(
+		info *terraform.InstanceInfo,
+		state *terraform.InstanceState,
+		diff *terraform.InstanceDiff,
+	) (*terraform.InstanceState, error) {
+		var id string
+		switch {
+		case diff.Destroy && !diff.DestroyTainted:
+			return nil, nil
+		case diff.DestroyTainted:
+			id = "tainted"
+		default:
+			id = "not_tainted"
+		}
+
+		return &terraform.InstanceState{
+			ID: id,
+		}, nil
+	}
+
+	mp.RefreshFn = func(
+		_ *terraform.InstanceInfo,
+		state *terraform.InstanceState,
+	) (*terraform.InstanceState, error) {
+		return state, nil
+	}
+
+	mt := new(mockT)
+	Test(mt, TestCase{
+		Providers: map[string]terraform.ResourceProvider{
+			"test": mp,
+		},
+		Steps: []TestStep{
+			TestStep{
+				Config: testConfigStr,
+				Check: func(s *terraform.State) error {
+					rs := s.RootModule().Resources["test_instance.foo"]
+					if rs.Primary.ID != "not_tainted" {
+						return fmt.Errorf("expected not_tainted, got %s", rs.Primary.ID)
+					}
+					return nil
+				},
+			},
+			TestStep{
+				Taint:  []string{"test_instance.foo"},
+				Config: testConfigStr,
+				Check: func(s *terraform.State) error {
+					rs := s.RootModule().Resources["test_instance.foo"]
+					if rs.Primary.ID != "tainted" {
+						return fmt.Errorf("expected tainted, got %s", rs.Primary.ID)
+					}
+					return nil
+				},
+			},
+			TestStep{
+				Taint:       []string{"test_instance.fooo"},
+				Config:      testConfigStr,
+				ExpectError: regexp.MustCompile("resource \"test_instance.fooo\" not found in state"),
+			},
+		},
+	})
+
+	if mt.failed() {
+		t.Fatalf("test failure: %s", mt.failMessage())
+	}
+}
+
 const testConfigStr = `
 resource "test_instance" "foo" {}
 `