diff --git a/backend/backend.go b/backend/backend.go
index c92087d5d..0394ae291 100644
--- a/backend/backend.go
+++ b/backend/backend.go
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ package backend
 import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/addrs"
@@ -20,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/states/statemgr"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/terraform"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/tfdiags"
+	"github.com/mitchellh/go-homedir"
 	"github.com/zclconf/go-cty/cty"
 )
 
@@ -287,3 +290,31 @@ const (
 func (r OperationResult) ExitStatus() int {
 	return int(r)
 }
+
+// If the argument is a path, Read loads it and returns the contents,
+// otherwise the argument is assumed to be the desired contents and is simply
+// returned.
+func ReadPathOrContents(poc string) (string, error) {
+	if len(poc) == 0 {
+		return poc, nil
+	}
+
+	path := poc
+	if path[0] == '~' {
+		var err error
+		path, err = homedir.Expand(path)
+		if err != nil {
+			return path, err
+		}
+	}
+
+	if _, err := os.Stat(path); err == nil {
+		contents, err := ioutil.ReadFile(path)
+		if err != nil {
+			return string(contents), err
+		}
+		return string(contents), nil
+	}
+
+	return poc, nil
+}
diff --git a/helper/pathorcontents/read_test.go b/backend/backend_test.go
similarity index 72%
rename from helper/pathorcontents/read_test.go
rename to backend/backend_test.go
index c3016e5c5..c94b8622b 100644
--- a/helper/pathorcontents/read_test.go
+++ b/backend/backend_test.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-package pathorcontents
+package backend
 
 import (
 	"io"
@@ -11,8 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/mitchellh/go-homedir"
 )
 
-func TestRead_Path(t *testing.T) {
-	isPath := true
+func TestReadPathOrContents_Path(t *testing.T) {
 	f, cleanup := testTempFile(t)
 	defer cleanup()
 
@@ -21,21 +20,17 @@ func TestRead_Path(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	f.Close()
 
-	contents, wasPath, err := Read(f.Name())
+	contents, err := ReadPathOrContents(f.Name())
 
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
 	}
-	if wasPath != isPath {
-		t.Fatalf("expected wasPath: %t, got %t", isPath, wasPath)
-	}
 	if contents != "foobar" {
 		t.Fatalf("expected contents %s, got %s", "foobar", contents)
 	}
 }
 
-func TestRead_TildePath(t *testing.T) {
-	isPath := true
+func TestReadPathOrContents_TildePath(t *testing.T) {
 	home, err := homedir.Dir()
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
@@ -50,14 +45,11 @@ func TestRead_TildePath(t *testing.T) {
 
 	r := strings.NewReplacer(home, "~")
 	homePath := r.Replace(f.Name())
-	contents, wasPath, err := Read(homePath)
+	contents, err := ReadPathOrContents(homePath)
 
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
 	}
-	if wasPath != isPath {
-		t.Fatalf("expected wasPath: %t, got %t", isPath, wasPath)
-	}
 	if contents != "foobar" {
 		t.Fatalf("expected contents %s, got %s", "foobar", contents)
 	}
@@ -72,7 +64,6 @@ func TestRead_PathNoPermission(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Skip("This test is invalid when running as root, since root can read every file")
 	}
 
-	isPath := true
 	f, cleanup := testTempFile(t)
 	defer cleanup()
 
@@ -85,48 +76,37 @@ func TestRead_PathNoPermission(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	contents, wasPath, err := Read(f.Name())
+	contents, err := ReadPathOrContents(f.Name())
 
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Fatal("Expected error, got none!")
 	}
-	if wasPath != isPath {
-		t.Fatalf("expected wasPath: %t, got %t", isPath, wasPath)
-	}
 	if contents != "" {
 		t.Fatalf("expected contents %s, got %s", "", contents)
 	}
 }
 
-func TestRead_Contents(t *testing.T) {
-	isPath := false
+func TestReadPathOrContents_Contents(t *testing.T) {
 	input := "hello"
 
-	contents, wasPath, err := Read(input)
+	contents, err := ReadPathOrContents(input)
 
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
 	}
-	if wasPath != isPath {
-		t.Fatalf("expected wasPath: %t, got %t", isPath, wasPath)
-	}
 	if contents != input {
 		t.Fatalf("expected contents %s, got %s", input, contents)
 	}
 }
 
-func TestRead_TildeContents(t *testing.T) {
-	isPath := false
+func TestReadPathOrContents_TildeContents(t *testing.T) {
 	input := "~/hello/notafile"
 
-	contents, wasPath, err := Read(input)
+	contents, err := ReadPathOrContents(input)
 
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
 	}
-	if wasPath != isPath {
-		t.Fatalf("expected wasPath: %t, got %t", isPath, wasPath)
-	}
 	if contents != input {
 		t.Fatalf("expected contents %s, got %s", input, contents)
 	}
diff --git a/backend/remote-state/gcs/backend.go b/backend/remote-state/gcs/backend.go
index 750be3f2f..1ad3078b9 100644
--- a/backend/remote-state/gcs/backend.go
+++ b/backend/remote-state/gcs/backend.go
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import (
 
 	"cloud.google.com/go/storage"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/backend"
-	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/helper/pathorcontents"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/helper/schema"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/httpclient"
 	"golang.org/x/oauth2"
@@ -148,7 +147,7 @@ func (b *Backend) configure(ctx context.Context) error {
 		var account accountFile
 
 		// to mirror how the provider works, we accept the file path or the contents
-		contents, _, err := pathorcontents.Read(creds)
+		contents, err := backend.ReadPathOrContents(creds)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("Error loading credentials: %s", err)
 		}
@@ -183,7 +182,7 @@ func (b *Backend) configure(ctx context.Context) error {
 	}
 
 	if key != "" {
-		kc, _, err := pathorcontents.Read(key)
+		kc, err := backend.ReadPathOrContents(key)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("Error loading encryption key: %s", err)
 		}
diff --git a/helper/pathorcontents/read.go b/helper/pathorcontents/read.go
deleted file mode 100644
index d0d4847da..000000000
--- a/helper/pathorcontents/read.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,40 +0,0 @@
-// Helpers for dealing with file paths and their contents
-package pathorcontents
-
-import (
-	"io/ioutil"
-	"os"
-
-	"github.com/mitchellh/go-homedir"
-)
-
-// If the argument is a path, Read loads it and returns the contents,
-// otherwise the argument is assumed to be the desired contents and is simply
-// returned.
-//
-// The boolean second return value can be called `wasPath` - it indicates if a
-// path was detected and a file loaded.
-func Read(poc string) (string, bool, error) {
-	if len(poc) == 0 {
-		return poc, false, nil
-	}
-
-	path := poc
-	if path[0] == '~' {
-		var err error
-		path, err = homedir.Expand(path)
-		if err != nil {
-			return path, true, err
-		}
-	}
-
-	if _, err := os.Stat(path); err == nil {
-		contents, err := ioutil.ReadFile(path)
-		if err != nil {
-			return string(contents), true, err
-		}
-		return string(contents), true, nil
-	}
-
-	return poc, false, nil
-}