diff --git a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_db_instance.go b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_db_instance.go
index c7fe72868..b033ee453 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_db_instance.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_db_instance.go
@@ -322,7 +322,8 @@ func resourceAwsDbInstanceCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error
 			DBInstanceIdentifier:    aws.String(d.Get("identifier").(string)),
 			DBSnapshotIdentifier:    aws.String(d.Get("snapshot_identifier").(string)),
 			AutoMinorVersionUpgrade: aws.Bool(d.Get("auto_minor_version_upgrade").(bool)),
-			Tags: tags,
+			Tags:               tags,
+			CopyTagsToSnapshot: aws.Bool(d.Get("copy_tags_to_snapshot").(bool)),
 		}
 
 		if attr, ok := d.GetOk("availability_zone"); ok {
@@ -439,7 +440,8 @@ func resourceAwsDbInstanceCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error
 			EngineVersion:           aws.String(d.Get("engine_version").(string)),
 			StorageEncrypted:        aws.Bool(d.Get("storage_encrypted").(bool)),
 			AutoMinorVersionUpgrade: aws.Bool(d.Get("auto_minor_version_upgrade").(bool)),
-			Tags: tags,
+			Tags:               tags,
+			CopyTagsToSnapshot: aws.Bool(d.Get("copy_tags_to_snapshot").(bool)),
 		}
 
 		attr := d.Get("backup_retention_period")
@@ -586,7 +588,7 @@ func resourceAwsDbInstanceRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error {
 	// list tags for resource
 	// set tags
 	conn := meta.(*AWSClient).rdsconn
-	arn, err := buildRDSARN(d, meta)
+	arn, err := buildRDSARN(d.Id(), meta)
 	if err != nil {
 		name := "<empty>"
 		if v.DBName != nil && *v.DBName != "" {
@@ -825,7 +827,7 @@ func resourceAwsDbInstanceUpdate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error
 		}
 	}
 
-	if arn, err := buildRDSARN(d, meta); err == nil {
+	if arn, err := buildRDSARN(d.Id(), meta); err == nil {
 		if err := setTagsRDS(conn, d, arn); err != nil {
 			return err
 		} else {
@@ -888,7 +890,7 @@ func resourceAwsDbInstanceStateRefreshFunc(
 	}
 }
 
-func buildRDSARN(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) (string, error) {
+func buildRDSARN(identifier string, meta interface{}) (string, error) {
 	iamconn := meta.(*AWSClient).iamconn
 	region := meta.(*AWSClient).region
 	// An zero value GetUserInput{} defers to the currently logged in user
@@ -898,6 +900,6 @@ func buildRDSARN(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) (string, error) {
 	}
 	userARN := *resp.User.Arn
 	accountID := strings.Split(userARN, ":")[4]
-	arn := fmt.Sprintf("arn:aws:rds:%s:%s:db:%s", region, accountID, d.Id())
+	arn := fmt.Sprintf("arn:aws:rds:%s:%s:db:%s", region, accountID, identifier)
 	return arn, nil
 }
diff --git a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_db_instance_test.go b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_db_instance_test.go
index 10a68cf2c..3fc10c423 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_db_instance_test.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_db_instance_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package aws
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
+	"strings"
 
 	"math/rand"
 	"testing"
@@ -216,7 +217,36 @@ func testAccCheckAWSDBInstanceSnapshot(s *terraform.State) error {
 			if newerr.Code() == "DBSnapshotNotFound" {
 				return fmt.Errorf("Snapshot %s not found", snapshot_identifier)
 			}
-		} else {
+		} else { // snapshot was found
+			// verify we have the tags copied to the snapshot
+			instanceARN, err := buildRDSARN(snapshot_identifier, testAccProvider.Meta())
+			// tags have a different ARN, just swapping :db: for :snapshot:
+			tagsARN := strings.Replace(instanceARN, ":db:", ":snapshot:", 1)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("Error building ARN for tags check with ARN (%s): %s", tagsARN, err)
+			}
+			resp, err := conn.ListTagsForResource(&rds.ListTagsForResourceInput{
+				ResourceName: aws.String(tagsARN),
+			})
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("Error retrieving tags for ARN (%s): ", tagsARN, err)
+			}
+
+			if resp.TagList == nil || len(resp.TagList) == 0 {
+				return fmt.Errorf("Tag list is nil or zero: %s", resp.TagList)
+			}
+
+			var found bool
+			for _, t := range resp.TagList {
+				if *t.Key == "Name" && *t.Value == "tf-tags-db" {
+					found = true
+				}
+			}
+			if !found {
+				return fmt.Errorf("Expected to find tag Name (%s), but wasn't found. Tags: %s", "tf-tags-db", resp.TagList)
+			}
+			// end tag search
+
 			log.Printf("[INFO] Deleting the Snapshot %s", snapshot_identifier)
 			_, snapDeleteErr := conn.DeleteDBSnapshot(
 				&rds.DeleteDBSnapshotInput{
@@ -225,7 +255,7 @@ func testAccCheckAWSDBInstanceSnapshot(s *terraform.State) error {
 			if snapDeleteErr != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-		}
+		} // end snapshot was found
 	}
 
 	return nil
@@ -391,7 +421,11 @@ resource "aws_db_instance" "snapshot" {
 	parameter_group_name = "default.mysql5.6"
 
 	skip_final_snapshot = false
+	copy_tags_to_snapshot = true
 	final_snapshot_identifier = "foobarbaz-test-terraform-final-snapshot-1"
+	tags {
+		Name = "tf-tags-db"
+	}
 }`, acctest.RandInt())
 }
 
diff --git a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_rds_cluster_instance.go b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_rds_cluster_instance.go
index 39e144a35..14cbd8ebf 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_rds_cluster_instance.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_rds_cluster_instance.go
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ func resourceAwsRDSClusterInstanceRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{})
 	d.Set("publicly_accessible", db.PubliclyAccessible)
 
 	// Fetch and save tags
-	arn, err := buildRDSARN(d, meta)
+	arn, err := buildRDSARN(d.Id(), meta)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Printf("[DEBUG] Error building ARN for RDS Cluster Instance (%s), not setting Tags", *db.DBInstanceIdentifier)
 	} else {
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ func resourceAwsRDSClusterInstanceRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{})
 func resourceAwsRDSClusterInstanceUpdate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error {
 	conn := meta.(*AWSClient).rdsconn
 
-	if arn, err := buildRDSARN(d, meta); err == nil {
+	if arn, err := buildRDSARN(d.Id(), meta); err == nil {
 		if err := setTagsRDS(conn, d, arn); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}