diff --git a/helper/schema/provider.go b/helper/schema/provider.go
index 6c6daff3d..a3edf82f7 100644
--- a/helper/schema/provider.go
+++ b/helper/schema/provider.go
@@ -234,9 +234,13 @@ func (p *Provider) ImportState(
 	data.SetType(info.Type)
 
 	// Call the import function
-	results, err := r.Importer.State(data, p.meta)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+	results := []*ResourceData{data}
+	if r.Importer.State != nil {
+		var err error
+		results, err = r.Importer.State(data, p.meta)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 	}
 
 	// Convert the results to InstanceState values and return it
diff --git a/helper/schema/provider_test.go b/helper/schema/provider_test.go
index ba339f699..3c8a93940 100644
--- a/helper/schema/provider_test.go
+++ b/helper/schema/provider_test.go
@@ -201,6 +201,30 @@ func TestProviderValidateResource(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestProviderImportState_default(t *testing.T) {
+	p := &Provider{
+		ResourcesMap: map[string]*Resource{
+			"foo": &Resource{
+				Importer: &ResourceImporter{},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	states, err := p.ImportState(&terraform.InstanceInfo{
+		Type: "foo",
+	}, "bar")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	if len(states) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", states)
+	}
+	if states[0].ID != "bar" {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", states)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestProviderImportState_setsId(t *testing.T) {
 	var val string
 	stateFunc := func(d *ResourceData, meta interface{}) ([]*ResourceData, error) {
diff --git a/helper/schema/resource_importer.go b/helper/schema/resource_importer.go
index b086adf9b..69d66afd9 100644
--- a/helper/schema/resource_importer.go
+++ b/helper/schema/resource_importer.go
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@ type ResourceImporter struct {
 	// The functions below must all be implemented for importing to work.
 
 	// State is called to convert an ID to one or more InstanceState to
-	// insert into the Terraform state.
+	// insert into the Terraform state. If this isn't specified, then
+	// the ID is passed straight through.
 	State StateFunc
 }