diff --git a/terraform/transform_noop.go b/terraform/transform_noop.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..982f755ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/terraform/transform_noop.go
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+package terraform
+
+import (
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/dag"
+)
+
+// GraphNodeNoopPrunable can be implemented by nodes that can be
+// pruned if they are noops.
+type GraphNodeNoopPrunable interface {
+	Noop(*NoopOpts) bool
+}
+
+// NoopOpts are the options available to determine if your node is a noop.
+type NoopOpts struct {
+	Graph  *Graph
+	Vertex dag.Vertex
+	Diff   *ModuleDiff
+	State  *ModuleState
+}
+
+// PruneNoopTransformer is a graph transform that prunes nodes that
+// consider themselves no-ops. This is done to both simplify the graph
+// as well as to remove graph nodes that might otherwise cause problems
+// during the graph run. Therefore, this transformer isn't completely
+// an optimization step, and can instead be considered critical to
+// Terraform operations.
+//
+// Example of the above case: variables for modules interpolate their values.
+// Interpolation will fail on destruction (since attributes are being deleted),
+// but variables shouldn't even eval if there is nothing that will consume
+// the variable. Therefore, variables can note that they can be omitted
+// safely in this case.
+//
+// The PruneNoopTransformer will prune nodes depth first, and will automatically
+// create connect through the dependencies of pruned nodes. For example,
+// if we have a graph A => B => C (A depends on B, etc.), and B decides to
+// be removed, we'll still be left with A => C; the edge will be properly
+// connected.
+type PruneNoopTransformer struct {
+	Diff  *Diff
+	State *State
+}
+
+func (t *PruneNoopTransformer) Transform(g *Graph) error {
+	// Find the leaves.
+	leaves := make([]dag.Vertex, 0, 10)
+	for _, v := range g.Vertices() {
+		if g.DownEdges(v).Len() == 0 {
+			leaves = append(leaves, v)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Do a depth first walk from the leaves and remove things.
+	return g.ReverseDepthFirstWalk(leaves, func(v dag.Vertex, depth int) error {
+		// We need a prunable
+		pn, ok := v.(GraphNodeNoopPrunable)
+		if !ok {
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		// Start building the noop opts
+		path := g.Path
+		if pn, ok := v.(GraphNodeSubPath); ok {
+			path = pn.Path()
+		}
+
+		var modDiff *ModuleDiff
+		var modState *ModuleState
+		if t.Diff != nil {
+			modDiff = t.Diff.ModuleByPath(path)
+		}
+		if t.State != nil {
+			modState = t.State.ModuleByPath(path)
+		}
+
+		// Determine if its a noop. If it isn't, just return
+		noop := pn.Noop(&NoopOpts{
+			Graph:  g,
+			Vertex: v,
+			Diff:   modDiff,
+			State:  modState,
+		})
+		if !noop {
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		// It is a noop! We first preserve edges.
+		up := g.UpEdges(v).List()
+		for _, downV := range g.DownEdges(v).List() {
+			for _, upV := range up {
+				g.Connect(dag.BasicEdge(upV, downV))
+			}
+		}
+
+		// Then remove it
+		g.Remove(v)
+
+		return nil
+	})
+}
diff --git a/terraform/transform_noop_test.go b/terraform/transform_noop_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..65db95fda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/terraform/transform_noop_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+package terraform
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/dag"
+)
+
+func TestPruneNoopTransformer(t *testing.T) {
+	g := Graph{Path: RootModulePath}
+
+	a := &testGraphNodeNoop{NameValue: "A"}
+	b := &testGraphNodeNoop{NameValue: "B", Value: true}
+	c := &testGraphNodeNoop{NameValue: "C"}
+
+	g.Add(a)
+	g.Add(b)
+	g.Add(c)
+	g.Connect(dag.BasicEdge(a, b))
+	g.Connect(dag.BasicEdge(b, c))
+
+	{
+		tf := &PruneNoopTransformer{}
+		if err := tf.Transform(&g); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	actual := strings.TrimSpace(g.String())
+	expected := strings.TrimSpace(testTransformPruneNoopStr)
+	if actual != expected {
+		t.Fatalf("bad:\n\n%s", actual)
+	}
+}
+
+const testTransformPruneNoopStr = `
+A
+  C
+C
+`
+
+type testGraphNodeNoop struct {
+	NameValue string
+	Value     bool
+}
+
+func (v *testGraphNodeNoop) Name() string {
+	return v.NameValue
+}
+
+func (v *testGraphNodeNoop) Noop(*NoopOpts) bool {
+	return v.Value
+}