diff --git a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_key_pair.go b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_key_pair.go
index 86e65421c..b9c406467 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_key_pair.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_key_pair.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package aws
 import (
 	"fmt"
 
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/helper/resource"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/helper/schema"
 
 	"github.com/awslabs/aws-sdk-go/aws"
@@ -19,7 +20,8 @@ func resourceAwsKeyPair() *schema.Resource {
 		Schema: map[string]*schema.Schema{
 			"key_name": &schema.Schema{
 				Type:     schema.TypeString,
-				Required: true,
+				Optional: true,
+				Computed: true,
 				ForceNew: true,
 			},
 			"public_key": &schema.Schema{
@@ -39,6 +41,9 @@ func resourceAwsKeyPairCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error {
 	conn := meta.(*AWSClient).ec2conn
 
 	keyName := d.Get("key_name").(string)
+	if keyName == "" {
+		keyName = resource.UniqueId()
+	}
 	publicKey := d.Get("public_key").(string)
 	req := &ec2.ImportKeyPairInput{
 		KeyName:           aws.String(keyName),
diff --git a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_key_pair_test.go b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_key_pair_test.go
index 33b4351c5..62c1b57cf 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_key_pair_test.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_key_pair_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package aws
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/awslabs/aws-sdk-go/aws"
@@ -29,6 +30,34 @@ func TestAccAWSKeyPair_normal(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestAccAWSKeyPair_generatedName(t *testing.T) {
+	var conf ec2.KeyPairInfo
+
+	resource.Test(t, resource.TestCase{
+		PreCheck:     func() { testAccPreCheck(t) },
+		Providers:    testAccProviders,
+		CheckDestroy: testAccCheckAWSKeyPairDestroy,
+		Steps: []resource.TestStep{
+			resource.TestStep{
+				Config: testAccAWSKeyPairConfig_generatedName,
+				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
+					testAccCheckAWSKeyPairExists("aws_key_pair.a_key_pair", &conf),
+					testAccCheckAWSKeyPairFingerprint("d7:ff:a6:63:18:64:9c:57:a1:ee:ca:a4:ad:c2:81:62", &conf),
+					func(s *terraform.State) error {
+						if conf.KeyName == nil {
+							return fmt.Errorf("bad: No SG name")
+						}
+						if !strings.HasPrefix(*conf.KeyName, "terraform-") {
+							return fmt.Errorf("No terraform- prefix: %s", *conf.KeyName)
+						}
+						return nil
+					},
+				),
+			},
+		},
+	})
+}
+
 func testAccCheckAWSKeyPairDestroy(s *terraform.State) error {
 	ec2conn := testAccProvider.Meta().(*AWSClient).ec2conn
 
@@ -106,3 +135,9 @@ resource "aws_key_pair" "a_key_pair" {
 	public_key = "ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAADAQABAAABAQD3F6tyPEFEzV0LX3X8BsXdMsQz1x2cEikKDEY0aIj41qgxMCP/iteneqXSIFZBp5vizPvaoIR3Um9xK7PGoW8giupGn+EPuxIA4cDM4vzOqOkiMPhz5XK0whEjkVzTo4+S0puvDZuwIsdiW9mxhJc7tgBNL0cYlWSYVkz4G/fslNfRPW5mYAM49f4fhtxPb5ok4Q2Lg9dPKVHO/Bgeu5woMc7RY0p1ej6D4CKFE6lymSDJpW0YHX/wqE9+cfEauh7xZcG0q9t2ta6F6fmX0agvpFyZo8aFbXeUBr7osSCJNgvavWbM/06niWrOvYX2xwWdhXmXSrbX8ZbabVohBK41 phodgson@thoughtworks.com"
 }
 `
+
+const testAccAWSKeyPairConfig_generatedName = `
+resource "aws_key_pair" "a_key_pair" {
+	public_key = "ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAADAQABAAABAQD3F6tyPEFEzV0LX3X8BsXdMsQz1x2cEikKDEY0aIj41qgxMCP/iteneqXSIFZBp5vizPvaoIR3Um9xK7PGoW8giupGn+EPuxIA4cDM4vzOqOkiMPhz5XK0whEjkVzTo4+S0puvDZuwIsdiW9mxhJc7tgBNL0cYlWSYVkz4G/fslNfRPW5mYAM49f4fhtxPb5ok4Q2Lg9dPKVHO/Bgeu5woMc7RY0p1ej6D4CKFE6lymSDJpW0YHX/wqE9+cfEauh7xZcG0q9t2ta6F6fmX0agvpFyZo8aFbXeUBr7osSCJNgvavWbM/06niWrOvYX2xwWdhXmXSrbX8ZbabVohBK41 phodgson@thoughtworks.com"
+}
+`