diff --git a/command/apply_test.go b/command/apply_test.go
index 77667ae3e..72d52ddae 100644
--- a/command/apply_test.go
+++ b/command/apply_test.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/state"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/terraform"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/cli"
 )
@@ -550,7 +551,8 @@ func TestApply_plan(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestApply_plan_backup(t *testing.T) {
-	planPath := testPlanFile(t, testPlan(t))
+	plan := testPlan(t)
+	planPath := testPlanFile(t, plan)
 	statePath := testTempFile(t)
 	backupPath := testTempFile(t)
 
@@ -563,6 +565,12 @@ func TestApply_plan_backup(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 
+	// create a state file that needs to be backed up
+	err := (&state.LocalState{Path: statePath}).WriteState(plan.State)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
 	args := []string{
 		"-state-out", statePath,
 		"-backup", backupPath,
diff --git a/command/meta_backend_test.go b/command/meta_backend_test.go
index c9cff296a..e73fa6b31 100644
--- a/command/meta_backend_test.go
+++ b/command/meta_backend_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/helper/copy"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/state"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/terraform"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/cli"
 )
@@ -2208,6 +2209,12 @@ func TestMetaBackend_planLocalStatePath(t *testing.T) {
 	// Create an alternate output path
 	statePath := "foo.tfstate"
 
+	// put a initial state there that needs to be backed up
+	err := (&state.LocalState{Path: statePath}).WriteState(original)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
 	// Setup the meta
 	m := testMetaBackend(t, nil)
 	m.stateOutPath = statePath