diff --git a/terraform/context.go b/terraform/context.go
index 4856f71d9..3572508c0 100644
--- a/terraform/context.go
+++ b/terraform/context.go
@@ -372,8 +372,7 @@ func (c *Context) computeResourceVariable(
 			v.FullKey())
 	}
 
-	primary := r.Primary()
-	attr, ok := primary.Attributes[v.Field]
+	attr, ok := r.Primary.Attributes[v.Field]
 	if ok {
 		return attr, nil
 	}
@@ -386,7 +385,7 @@ func (c *Context) computeResourceVariable(
 	if len(parts) > 1 {
 		for i := 1; i < len(parts); i++ {
 			key := fmt.Sprintf("%s.#", strings.Join(parts[:i], "."))
-			if attr, ok := primary.Attributes[key]; ok {
+			if attr, ok := r.Primary.Attributes[key]; ok {
 				return attr, nil
 			}
 		}
@@ -440,8 +439,7 @@ func (c *Context) computeResourceMultiVariable(
 			continue
 		}
 
-		primary := r.Primary()
-		attr, ok := primary.Attributes[v.Field]
+		attr, ok := r.Primary.Attributes[v.Field]
 		if !ok {
 			continue
 		}
@@ -546,8 +544,8 @@ func (c *Context) applyWalkFn() depgraph.WalkFunc {
 		}
 
 		// If we do not have any connection info, initialize
-		if r.State.ConnInfo == nil {
-			r.State.ConnInfo = make(map[string]string)
+		if r.State.Primary.Ephemeral.ConnInfo == nil {
+			r.State.Primary.Ephemeral.init()
 		}
 
 		// Remove any output values from the diff
diff --git a/terraform/state.go b/terraform/state.go
index 65d9eadb0..ed77c2b71 100644
--- a/terraform/state.go
+++ b/terraform/state.go
@@ -140,20 +140,18 @@ type ResourceState struct {
 	// worry about it.
 	Dependencies []string `json:"depends_on,omitempty"`
 
-	// Instances is used to track all of the underlying instances
-	// have been created as part of this logical resource. In the
-	// standard case, there is only a single underlying instance.
-	// However, in pathological cases, it is possible for the number
-	// of instances to accumulate. The first instance in the list is
-	// the "primary" and the others should be removed on subsequent
-	// apply operations.
-	Instances []*InstanceState `json:"instances"`
-}
+	// Primary is the current active instance for this resource.
+	// It can be replaced but only after a successful creation.
+	// This is the instances on which providers will act.
+	Primary *InstanceState `json:"primary"`
 
-// Primary is used to return the primary instance. This is the
-// active instance that should be used for attribute interpolation
-func (r *ResourceState) Primary() *InstanceState {
-	return r.Instances[0]
+	// Tainted is used to track any underlying instances that
+	// have been created but are in a bad or unknown state and
+	// need to be cleaned up subsequently.  In the
+	// standard case, there is only at most a single instance.
+	// However, in pathological cases, it is possible for the number
+	// of instances to accumulate.
+	Tainted []*InstanceState `json:"tainted,omitempty"`
 }
 
 func (r *ResourceState) deepcopy() *ResourceState {
@@ -227,6 +225,12 @@ type EphemeralState struct {
 	ConnInfo map[string]string `json:"-"`
 }
 
+func (e *EphemeralState) init() {
+	if e.ConnInfo == nil {
+		e.ConnInfo = make(map[string]string)
+	}
+}
+
 func (e *EphemeralState) deepcopy() *EphemeralState {
 	n := &EphemeralState{
 		ConnInfo: make(map[string]string, len(n.ConnInfo)),