diff --git a/helper/resource/testing.go b/helper/resource/testing.go
index 29a767f81..5505da0ab 100644
--- a/helper/resource/testing.go
+++ b/helper/resource/testing.go
@@ -238,6 +238,12 @@ func UnitTest(t TestT, c TestCase) {
 }
 
 func testIDOnlyRefresh(opts terraform.ContextOpts, r *terraform.ResourceState) error {
+	// TODO: We guard by this right now so master doesn't explode. We
+	// need to remove this eventually to make this part of the normal tests.
+	if os.Getenv("TF_ACC_IDONLY") == "" {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	name := fmt.Sprintf("%s.foo", r.Type)
 
 	// Build the state. The state is just the resource with an ID. There
@@ -284,12 +290,20 @@ func testIDOnlyRefresh(opts terraform.ContextOpts, r *terraform.ResourceState) e
 	actual := state.RootModule().Resources[name].Primary.Attributes
 	expected := r.Primary.Attributes
 	if !reflect.DeepEqual(actual, expected) {
-		// TODO: determine attribute difference
+		// Determine only the different attributes
+		for k, v := range expected {
+			if av, ok := actual[k]; ok && v == av {
+				delete(expected, k)
+				delete(actual, k)
+			}
+		}
 
+		spewConf := spew.NewDefaultConfig()
+		spewConf.SortKeys = true
 		return fmt.Errorf(
-			"Attributes not equivalent. Top is what we received, bottom is expected."+
+			"Attributes not equivalent. Difference is shown below. Top is actual, bottom is expected."+
 				"\n\n%s\n\n%s",
-			spew.Sdump(actual), spew.Sdump(expected))
+			spewConf.Sdump(actual), spewConf.Sdump(expected))
 	}
 
 	return nil