diff --git a/terraform/resource_provider.go b/terraform/resource_provider.go
index d530561d1..027bda634 100644
--- a/terraform/resource_provider.go
+++ b/terraform/resource_provider.go
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ type ResourceProvider interface {
 	// given. This is useful for setting things like access keys.
 	//
 	// Configure returns an error if it occurred.
-	Configure(config map[string]interface{}) error
+	Configure(*ResourceConfig) error
 
 	// Resources returns all the available resource types that this provider
 	// knows how to manage.
@@ -25,7 +25,14 @@ type ResourceProvider interface {
 	// a diff.
 	Diff(
 		*ResourceState,
-		map[string]interface{}) (*ResourceDiff, error)
+		*ResourceConfig) (*ResourceDiff, error)
+}
+
+// ResourceConfig holds the configuration given for a resource. This is
+// done instead of a raw `map[string]interface{}` type so that rich
+// methods can be added to it to make dealing with it easier.
+type ResourceConfig struct {
+	Raw map[string]interface{}
 }
 
 // ResourceType is a type of resource that a resource provider can manage.
diff --git a/terraform/resource_provider_mock.go b/terraform/resource_provider_mock.go
index 1c83da9cb..4c9c1cb9c 100644
--- a/terraform/resource_provider_mock.go
+++ b/terraform/resource_provider_mock.go
@@ -7,19 +7,19 @@ type MockResourceProvider struct {
 	Meta interface{}
 
 	ConfigureCalled      bool
-	ConfigureConfig      map[string]interface{}
+	ConfigureConfig      *ResourceConfig
 	ConfigureReturnError error
 	DiffCalled           bool
 	DiffState            *ResourceState
-	DiffDesired          map[string]interface{}
-	DiffFn               func(*ResourceState, map[string]interface{}) (*ResourceDiff, error)
+	DiffDesired          *ResourceConfig
+	DiffFn               func(*ResourceState, *ResourceConfig) (*ResourceDiff, error)
 	DiffReturn           *ResourceDiff
 	DiffReturnError      error
 	ResourcesCalled      bool
 	ResourcesReturn      []ResourceType
 }
 
-func (p *MockResourceProvider) Configure(c map[string]interface{}) error {
+func (p *MockResourceProvider) Configure(c *ResourceConfig) error {
 	p.ConfigureCalled = true
 	p.ConfigureConfig = c
 	return p.ConfigureReturnError
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ func (p *MockResourceProvider) Configure(c map[string]interface{}) error {
 
 func (p *MockResourceProvider) Diff(
 	state *ResourceState,
-	desired map[string]interface{}) (*ResourceDiff, error) {
+	desired *ResourceConfig) (*ResourceDiff, error) {
 	p.DiffCalled = true
 	p.DiffState = state
 	p.DiffDesired = desired
diff --git a/terraform/terraform.go b/terraform/terraform.go
index 519c7654a..2b3a51ff3 100644
--- a/terraform/terraform.go
+++ b/terraform/terraform.go
@@ -150,7 +150,9 @@ func (t *Terraform) diffWalkFn(
 		}
 		l.RUnlock()
 
-		diff, err := p.Provider.Diff(rs, r.RawConfig.Config())
+		diff, err := p.Provider.Diff(rs, &ResourceConfig{
+			Raw: r.RawConfig.Config(),
+		})
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -188,7 +190,9 @@ func (t *terraformProvider) init(vars map[string]string) (err error) {
 			c = t.Config.RawConfig.Config()
 		}
 
-		err = t.Provider.Configure(c)
+		err = t.Provider.Configure(&ResourceConfig{
+			Raw: c,
+		})
 	})
 
 	return
diff --git a/terraform/terraform_test.go b/terraform/terraform_test.go
index f703820fc..501fcd48b 100644
--- a/terraform/terraform_test.go
+++ b/terraform/terraform_test.go
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ func TestTerraformDiff_providerInit(t *testing.T) {
 	if !p.ConfigureCalled {
 		t.Fatal("configure should be called")
 	}
-	if p.ConfigureConfig["foo"].(string) != "2" {
+	if p.ConfigureConfig.Raw["foo"].(string) != "2" {
 		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", p.ConfigureConfig)
 	}
 }
@@ -273,10 +273,10 @@ func testProviderFunc(n string, rs []string) ResourceProviderFactory {
 	return func() (ResourceProvider, error) {
 		diffFn := func(
 			_ *ResourceState,
-			c map[string]interface{}) (*ResourceDiff, error) {
+			c *ResourceConfig) (*ResourceDiff, error) {
 			var diff ResourceDiff
 			diff.Attributes = make(map[string]*ResourceAttrDiff)
-			for k, v := range c {
+			for k, v := range c.Raw {
 				if _, ok := v.(string); !ok {
 					continue
 				}