diff --git a/state/inmem.go b/state/inmem.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..82385a6df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/state/inmem.go
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+package state
+
+import (
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/terraform"
+)
+
+// InmemState is an in-memory state storage.
+type InmemState struct {
+	state *terraform.State
+}
+
+func (s *InmemState) State() *terraform.State {
+	return s.state
+}
+
+func (s *InmemState) RefreshState() error {
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (s *InmemState) WriteState(state *terraform.State) error {
+	s.state = state
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (s *InmemState) PersistState() error {
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/state/inmem_test.go b/state/inmem_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..885127122
--- /dev/null
+++ b/state/inmem_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+package state
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestInmemState(t *testing.T) {
+	TestState(t, &InmemState{state: TestStateInitial()})
+}
+
+func TestInmemState_impl(t *testing.T) {
+	var _ StateReader = new(InmemState)
+	var _ StateWriter = new(InmemState)
+	var _ StatePersister = new(InmemState)
+	var _ StateRefresher = new(InmemState)
+}
diff --git a/state/local.go b/state/local.go
index 355b9b53c..1840cae1a 100644
--- a/state/local.go
+++ b/state/local.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package state
 
 import (
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/terraform"
 )
@@ -49,6 +50,11 @@ func (s *LocalState) WriteState(state *terraform.State) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// Create all the directories
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(path), 0755); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	f, err := os.Create(path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/state/testing.go b/state/testing.go
index 6b3f6b4ef..3ada81e40 100644
--- a/state/testing.go
+++ b/state/testing.go
@@ -26,11 +26,12 @@ func TestState(t *testing.T, s interface{}) {
 
 	// current will track our current state
 	current := TestStateInitial()
-	current.Serial++
 
 	// Check that the initial state is correct
-	if !reflect.DeepEqual(reader.State(), current) {
-		t.Fatalf("not initial: %#v\n\n%#v", reader.State(), current)
+	state := reader.State()
+	current.Serial = state.Serial
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(state, current) {
+		t.Fatalf("not initial: %#v\n\n%#v", state, current)
 	}
 
 	// Write a new state and verify that we have it