diff --git a/builtin/providers/google/resource_compute_instance.go b/builtin/providers/google/resource_compute_instance.go
index 3b3e86ded..628dfec64 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/google/resource_compute_instance.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/google/resource_compute_instance.go
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ func resourceComputeInstance() *schema.Resource {
 						"auto_delete": &schema.Schema{
 							Type:     schema.TypeBool,
 							Optional: true,
+							Default:  true,
 							ForceNew: true,
 						},
 					},
@@ -283,11 +284,7 @@ func resourceComputeInstanceCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) err
 		disk.Type = "PERSISTENT"
 		disk.Mode = "READ_WRITE"
 		disk.Boot = i == 0
-		disk.AutoDelete = true
-
-		if v, ok := d.GetOk(prefix + ".auto_delete"); ok {
-			disk.AutoDelete = v.(bool)
-		}
+		disk.AutoDelete = d.Get(prefix + ".auto_delete").(bool)
 
 		// Load up the disk for this disk if specified
 		if v, ok := d.GetOk(prefix + ".disk"); ok {
diff --git a/builtin/providers/google/resource_compute_instance_template.go b/builtin/providers/google/resource_compute_instance_template.go
index 074e45695..fef3f0859 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/google/resource_compute_instance_template.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/google/resource_compute_instance_template.go
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ func resourceComputeInstanceTemplate() *schema.Resource {
 						"auto_delete": &schema.Schema{
 							Type:     schema.TypeBool,
 							Optional: true,
+							Default:  true,
 							ForceNew: true,
 						},
 
@@ -235,11 +236,7 @@ func buildDisks(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) []*compute.AttachedDis
 		disk.Mode = "READ_WRITE"
 		disk.Interface = "SCSI"
 		disk.Boot = i == 0
-		disk.AutoDelete = true
-
-		if v, ok := d.GetOk(prefix + ".auto_delete"); ok {
-			disk.AutoDelete = v.(bool)
-		}
+		disk.AutoDelete = d.Get(prefix + ".auto_delete").(bool)
 
 		if v, ok := d.GetOk(prefix + ".boot"); ok {
 			disk.Boot = v.(bool)