diff --git a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_vpc_test.go b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_vpc_test.go
index ef86449a5..57de1cc71 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_vpc_test.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_vpc_test.go
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestAccVpc(t *testing.T) {
+	var vpc ec2.VPC
+
 	resource.Test(t, resource.TestCase{
 		PreCheck:     func() { testAccPreCheck(t) },
 		Providers:    testAccProviders,
@@ -18,8 +20,10 @@ func TestAccVpc(t *testing.T) {
 			resource.TestStep{
 				Config: testAccVpcConfig,
 				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
-					testAccCheckVpcExists("aws_vpc.foo"),
-					testAccCheckVpcCidr("aws_vpc.foo", "10.1.0.0/16"),
+					testAccCheckVpcExists("aws_vpc.foo", &vpc),
+					testAccCheckVpcCidr(&vpc, "10.1.0.0/16"),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
+						"aws_vpc.foo", "cidr_block", "10.1.0.0/16"),
 				),
 			},
 		},
@@ -57,27 +61,17 @@ func testAccCheckVpcDestroy(s *terraform.State) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func testAccCheckVpcCidr(n, expected string) resource.TestCheckFunc {
+func testAccCheckVpcCidr(vpc *ec2.VPC, expected string) resource.TestCheckFunc {
 	return func(s *terraform.State) error {
-		rs, ok := s.Resources[n]
-		if !ok {
-			return fmt.Errorf("Not found: %s", n)
-		}
-
-		v, ok := rs.Attributes["cidr_block"]
-		if !ok {
-			return fmt.Errorf("No cidr_block")
-		}
-
-		if v != expected {
-			return fmt.Errorf("Bad cidr: %s", v)
+		if vpc.CidrBlock != expected {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Bad cidr: %s", vpc.CidrBlock)
 		}
 
 		return nil
 	}
 }
 
-func testAccCheckVpcExists(n string) resource.TestCheckFunc {
+func testAccCheckVpcExists(n string, vpc *ec2.VPC) resource.TestCheckFunc {
 	return func(s *terraform.State) error {
 		rs, ok := s.Resources[n]
 		if !ok {
@@ -97,6 +91,8 @@ func testAccCheckVpcExists(n string) resource.TestCheckFunc {
 			return fmt.Errorf("VPC not found")
 		}
 
+		*vpc = resp.VPCs[0]
+
 		return nil
 	}
 }
diff --git a/helper/resource/testing.go b/helper/resource/testing.go
index 4222fbd0e..cccdef20c 100644
--- a/helper/resource/testing.go
+++ b/helper/resource/testing.go
@@ -236,6 +236,26 @@ func ComposeTestCheckFunc(fs ...TestCheckFunc) TestCheckFunc {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestCheckResourceAttr(name, key, value string) TestCheckFunc {
+	return func(s *terraform.State) error {
+		rs, ok := s.Resources[name]
+		if !ok {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Not found: %s", name)
+		}
+
+		if rs.Attributes[key] != value {
+			return fmt.Errorf(
+				"%s: Attribute '%s' expected %#v, got %#v",
+				name,
+				key,
+				value,
+				rs.Attributes[key])
+		}
+
+		return nil
+	}
+}
+
 // TestT is the interface used to handle the test lifecycle of a test.
 //
 // Users should just use a *testing.T object, which implements this.