diff --git a/terraform/graph_builder_apply.go b/terraform/graph_builder_apply.go
index f40827859..5b96d6af6 100644
--- a/terraform/graph_builder_apply.go
+++ b/terraform/graph_builder_apply.go
@@ -160,8 +160,16 @@ func (b *ApplyGraphBuilder) Steps() []GraphTransformer {
 			Schemas: b.Schemas,
 		},
 
-		// Create a destroy node for outputs to remove them from the state.
-		&DestroyOutputTransformer{Destroy: b.Destroy},
+		// Create a destroy node for root outputs to remove them from the
+		// state.  This does nothing unless invoked via the destroy command
+		// directly.  A destroy is identical to a normal apply, except for the
+		// fact that we also have configuration to evaluate. While the rest of
+		// the unused nodes can be programmatically pruned (via
+		// pruneUnusedNodesTransformer), root module outputs only have an
+		// implied dependency on remote state. This means that if they exist in
+		// the configuration, the only signal to remove them is via the destroy
+		// command itself.
+		&destroyRootOutputTransformer{Destroy: b.Destroy},
 
 		// We need to remove configuration nodes that are not used at all, as
 		// they may not be able to evaluate, especially during destroy.
diff --git a/terraform/node_output.go b/terraform/node_output.go
index ef5e6cd5e..729710f22 100644
--- a/terraform/node_output.go
+++ b/terraform/node_output.go
@@ -257,7 +257,6 @@ type NodeDestroyableOutput struct {
 var (
 	_ RemovableIfNotTargeted    = (*NodeDestroyableOutput)(nil)
 	_ GraphNodeTargetDownstream = (*NodeDestroyableOutput)(nil)
-	_ GraphNodeReferencer       = (*NodeDestroyableOutput)(nil)
 	_ GraphNodeEvalable         = (*NodeDestroyableOutput)(nil)
 	_ dag.GraphNodeDotter       = (*NodeDestroyableOutput)(nil)
 )
@@ -284,11 +283,6 @@ func (n *NodeDestroyableOutput) TargetDownstream(targetedDeps, untargetedDeps da
 	return true
 }
 
-// GraphNodeReferencer
-func (n *NodeDestroyableOutput) References() []*addrs.Reference {
-	return referencesForOutput(n.Config)
-}
-
 // GraphNodeEvalable
 func (n *NodeDestroyableOutput) EvalTree() EvalNode {
 	return &EvalDeleteOutput{
diff --git a/terraform/node_output_orphan.go b/terraform/node_output_orphan.go
deleted file mode 100644
index bb13234b6..000000000
--- a/terraform/node_output_orphan.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,53 +0,0 @@
-package terraform
-
-import (
-	"fmt"
-
-	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/addrs"
-)
-
-// NodeOutputOrphan represents an output that is an orphan.
-type NodeOutputOrphan struct {
-	Addr addrs.AbsOutputValue
-}
-
-var (
-	_ GraphNodeModuleInstance   = (*NodeOutputOrphan)(nil)
-	_ GraphNodeReferenceable    = (*NodeOutputOrphan)(nil)
-	_ GraphNodeReferenceOutside = (*NodeOutputOrphan)(nil)
-	_ GraphNodeEvalable         = (*NodeOutputOrphan)(nil)
-)
-
-func (n *NodeOutputOrphan) Name() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%s (orphan)", n.Addr.String())
-}
-
-// GraphNodeReferenceOutside implementation
-func (n *NodeOutputOrphan) ReferenceOutside() (selfPath, referencePath addrs.Module) {
-	return referenceOutsideForOutput(n.Addr)
-}
-
-// GraphNodeReferenceable
-func (n *NodeOutputOrphan) ReferenceableAddrs() []addrs.Referenceable {
-	return referenceableAddrsForOutput(n.Addr)
-}
-
-// GraphNodeModuleInstance
-func (n *NodeOutputOrphan) Path() addrs.ModuleInstance {
-	return n.Addr.Module
-}
-
-// GraphNodeModulePath
-func (n *NodeOutputOrphan) ModulePath() addrs.Module {
-	return n.Addr.Module.Module()
-}
-
-// GraphNodeEvalable
-func (n *NodeOutputOrphan) EvalTree() EvalNode {
-	return &EvalOpFilter{
-		Ops: []walkOperation{walkRefresh, walkApply, walkDestroy},
-		Node: &EvalDeleteOutput{
-			Addr: n.Addr,
-		},
-	}
-}
diff --git a/terraform/transform_orphan_output.go b/terraform/transform_orphan_output.go
index c67540934..ba1bce932 100644
--- a/terraform/transform_orphan_output.go
+++ b/terraform/transform_orphan_output.go
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ func (t *OrphanOutputTransformer) transform(g *Graph, ms *states.Module) error {
 			continue
 		}
 
-		g.Add(&NodeOutputOrphan{
+		g.Add(&NodeDestroyableOutput{
 			Addr: addrs.OutputValue{Name: name}.Absolute(moduleAddr),
 		})
 	}
diff --git a/terraform/transform_output.go b/terraform/transform_output.go
index 2582448c9..4d51dabd6 100644
--- a/terraform/transform_output.go
+++ b/terraform/transform_output.go
@@ -53,14 +53,14 @@ func (t *OutputTransformer) transform(g *Graph, c *configs.Config) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// DestroyOutputTransformer is a GraphTransformer that adds nodes to delete
+// destroyRootOutputTransformer is a GraphTransformer that adds nodes to delete
 // outputs during destroy. We need to do this to ensure that no stale outputs
 // are ever left in the state.
-type DestroyOutputTransformer struct {
+type destroyRootOutputTransformer struct {
 	Destroy bool
 }
 
-func (t *DestroyOutputTransformer) Transform(g *Graph) error {
+func (t *destroyRootOutputTransformer) Transform(g *Graph) error {
 	// Only clean root outputs on a full destroy
 	if !t.Destroy {
 		return nil