diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index ed4aaaf88..68c2fca1b 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ type Resource struct {
 // to allow customized behavior
 type ResourceLifecycle struct {
 	CreateBeforeDestroy bool `hcl:"create_before_destroy"`
+	PreventDestroy      bool `hcl:"prevent_destroy"`
 }
 
 // Provisioner is a configured provisioner step on a resource.
diff --git a/terraform/context_test.go b/terraform/context_test.go
index 6ff63d813..a1cc68c4f 100644
--- a/terraform/context_test.go
+++ b/terraform/context_test.go
@@ -504,6 +504,112 @@ func TestContext2Plan_nil(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestContext2Plan_preventDestroy_bad(t *testing.T) {
+	m := testModule(t, "plan-prevent-destroy-bad")
+	p := testProvider("aws")
+	p.DiffFn = testDiffFn
+	ctx := testContext2(t, &ContextOpts{
+		Module: m,
+		Providers: map[string]ResourceProviderFactory{
+			"aws": testProviderFuncFixed(p),
+		},
+		State: &State{
+			Modules: []*ModuleState{
+				&ModuleState{
+					Path: rootModulePath,
+					Resources: map[string]*ResourceState{
+						"aws_instance.foo": &ResourceState{
+							Type: "aws_instance",
+							Primary: &InstanceState{
+								ID: "i-abc123",
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	})
+
+	plan, err := ctx.Plan()
+
+	expectedErr := "aws_instance.foo: plan would destroy"
+	if !strings.Contains(fmt.Sprintf("%s", err), expectedErr) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected err would contain %q\nerr: %s\nplan: %s",
+			expectedErr, err, plan)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestContext2Plan_preventDestroy_good(t *testing.T) {
+	m := testModule(t, "plan-prevent-destroy-good")
+	p := testProvider("aws")
+	p.DiffFn = testDiffFn
+	ctx := testContext2(t, &ContextOpts{
+		Module: m,
+		Providers: map[string]ResourceProviderFactory{
+			"aws": testProviderFuncFixed(p),
+		},
+		State: &State{
+			Modules: []*ModuleState{
+				&ModuleState{
+					Path: rootModulePath,
+					Resources: map[string]*ResourceState{
+						"aws_instance.foo": &ResourceState{
+							Type: "aws_instance",
+							Primary: &InstanceState{
+								ID: "i-abc123",
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	})
+
+	plan, err := ctx.Plan()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+	if !plan.Diff.Empty() {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected empty plan, got %s", plan.String())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestContext2Plan_preventDestroy_destroyPlan(t *testing.T) {
+	m := testModule(t, "plan-prevent-destroy-good")
+	p := testProvider("aws")
+	p.DiffFn = testDiffFn
+	ctx := testContext2(t, &ContextOpts{
+		Module: m,
+		Providers: map[string]ResourceProviderFactory{
+			"aws": testProviderFuncFixed(p),
+		},
+		State: &State{
+			Modules: []*ModuleState{
+				&ModuleState{
+					Path: rootModulePath,
+					Resources: map[string]*ResourceState{
+						"aws_instance.foo": &ResourceState{
+							Type: "aws_instance",
+							Primary: &InstanceState{
+								ID: "i-abc123",
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		Destroy: true,
+	})
+
+	plan, err := ctx.Plan()
+
+	expectedErr := "aws_instance.foo: plan would destroy"
+	if !strings.Contains(fmt.Sprintf("%s", err), expectedErr) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected err would contain %q\nerr: %s\nplan: %s",
+			expectedErr, err, plan)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestContext2Plan_computed(t *testing.T) {
 	m := testModule(t, "plan-computed")
 	p := testProvider("aws")
diff --git a/terraform/eval_check_prevent_destroy.go b/terraform/eval_check_prevent_destroy.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7cab76d10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/terraform/eval_check_prevent_destroy.go
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+package terraform
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/config"
+)
+
+// EvalPreventDestroy is an EvalNode implementation that returns an
+// error if a resource has PreventDestroy configured and the diff
+// would destroy the resource.
+type EvalCheckPreventDestroy struct {
+	Resource *config.Resource
+	Diff     **InstanceDiff
+}
+
+func (n *EvalCheckPreventDestroy) Eval(ctx EvalContext) (interface{}, error) {
+	if n.Diff == nil || *n.Diff == nil || n.Resource == nil {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+
+	diff := *n.Diff
+	preventDestroy := n.Resource.Lifecycle.PreventDestroy
+
+	if diff.Destroy && preventDestroy {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf(preventDestroyErrStr, n.Resource.Id())
+	}
+
+	return nil, nil
+}
+
+const preventDestroyErrStr = `%s: plan would destroy, but resource has prevent_destroy set. To avoid this error, either disable prevent_destroy, or change your config so the plan does not destroy this resource.`
diff --git a/terraform/test-fixtures/plan-prevent-destroy-bad/main.tf b/terraform/test-fixtures/plan-prevent-destroy-bad/main.tf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..19077c1a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/terraform/test-fixtures/plan-prevent-destroy-bad/main.tf
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+resource "aws_instance" "foo" {
+  require_new = "yes"
+
+  lifecycle {
+    prevent_destroy = true
+  }
+}
diff --git a/terraform/test-fixtures/plan-prevent-destroy-good/main.tf b/terraform/test-fixtures/plan-prevent-destroy-good/main.tf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a88b9e3e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/terraform/test-fixtures/plan-prevent-destroy-good/main.tf
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+resource "aws_instance" "foo" {
+  lifecycle {
+    prevent_destroy = true
+  }
+}
diff --git a/terraform/transform_resource.go b/terraform/transform_resource.go
index 7a968885a..316883637 100644
--- a/terraform/transform_resource.go
+++ b/terraform/transform_resource.go
@@ -263,6 +263,10 @@ func (n *graphNodeExpandedResource) EvalTree() EvalNode {
 					Output:      &diff,
 					OutputState: &state,
 				},
+				&EvalCheckPreventDestroy{
+					Resource: n.Resource,
+					Diff:     &diff,
+				},
 				&EvalWriteState{
 					Name:         n.stateId(),
 					ResourceType: n.Resource.Type,
@@ -295,6 +299,10 @@ func (n *graphNodeExpandedResource) EvalTree() EvalNode {
 					State:  &state,
 					Output: &diff,
 				},
+				&EvalCheckPreventDestroy{
+					Resource: n.Resource,
+					Diff:     &diff,
+				},
 				&EvalWriteDiff{
 					Name: n.stateId(),
 					Diff: &diff,
diff --git a/website/source/docs/configuration/resources.html.md b/website/source/docs/configuration/resources.html.md
index c74f030c9..4e612428e 100644
--- a/website/source/docs/configuration/resources.html.md
+++ b/website/source/docs/configuration/resources.html.md
@@ -64,6 +64,10 @@ The `lifecycle` block allows the following keys to be set:
       instance is destroyed. As an example, this can be used to
       create an new DNS record before removing an old record.
 
+  * `prevent_destroy` (bool) - This flag provides extra protection against the
+      destruction of a given resource. When this is set to `true`, any plan
+      that includes a destroy of this resource will return an error message.
+
 -------------
 
 Within a resource, you can optionally have a **connection block**.