diff --git a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_security_group_rule.go b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_security_group_rule.go
index 7a7034f98..e1de49803 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_security_group_rule.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_security_group_rule.go
@@ -110,6 +110,14 @@ func resourceAwsSecurityGroupRuleCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// Verify that either 'cidr_blocks', 'self', or 'source_security_group_id' is set
+	// If they are not set the AWS API will silently fail. This causes TF to hit a timeout
+	// at 5-minutes waiting for the security group rule to appear, when it was never actually
+	// created.
+	if err := validateAwsSecurityGroupRule(d); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	ruleType := d.Get("type").(string)
 	isVPC := sg.VpcId != nil && *sg.VpcId != ""
 
@@ -194,9 +202,8 @@ information and instructions for recovery. Error message: %s`, sg_id, awsErr.Mes
 	})
 
 	if retErr != nil {
-		log.Printf("[DEBUG] Error finding matching %s Security Group Rule (%s) for Group %s -- NO STATE WILL BE SAVED",
+		return fmt.Errorf("Error finding matching %s Security Group Rule (%s) for Group %s",
 			ruleType, id, sg_id)
-		return nil
 	}
 
 	d.SetId(id)
@@ -595,3 +602,15 @@ func setFromIPPerm(d *schema.ResourceData, sg *ec2.SecurityGroup, rule *ec2.IpPe
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+// Validates that either 'cidr_blocks', 'self', or 'source_security_group_id' is set
+func validateAwsSecurityGroupRule(d *schema.ResourceData) error {
+	_, blocksOk := d.GetOk("cidr_blocks")
+	_, sourceOk := d.GetOk("source_security_group_id")
+	_, selfOk := d.GetOk("self")
+	if !blocksOk && !sourceOk && !selfOk {
+		return fmt.Errorf(
+			"One of ['cidr_blocks', 'self', 'source_security_group_id'] must be set to create an AWS Security Group Rule")
+	}
+	return nil
+}