diff --git a/terraform/context.go b/terraform/context.go
index 813a4c5ca..10d9c100f 100644
--- a/terraform/context.go
+++ b/terraform/context.go
@@ -592,6 +592,11 @@ func (c *Context) applyWalkFn() depgraph.WalkFunc {
 			handleHook(h.PreApply(r.Id, is, diff))
 		}
 
+		// We create a new instance if there was no ID
+		// previously or the diff requires re-creating the
+		// underlying instance
+		createNew := is.ID == "" || diff.RequiresNew()
+
 		// With the completed diff, apply!
 		log.Printf("[DEBUG] %s: Executing Apply", r.Id)
 		is, applyerr := r.Provider.Apply(r.Info, is, diff)
@@ -633,7 +638,7 @@ func (c *Context) applyWalkFn() depgraph.WalkFunc {
 		// Additionally, we need to be careful to not run this if there
 		// was an error during the provider apply.
 		tainted := false
-		if applyerr == nil && is.ID != "" && len(r.Provisioners) > 0 {
+		if applyerr == nil && createNew && len(r.Provisioners) > 0 {
 			for _, h := range c.hooks {
 				handleHook(h.PreProvisionResource(r.Id, is))
 			}
diff --git a/terraform/context_test.go b/terraform/context_test.go
index 28f23bb1f..e39f582c3 100644
--- a/terraform/context_test.go
+++ b/terraform/context_test.go
@@ -683,6 +683,83 @@ func TestContextApply_provisionerResourceRef(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// Provisioner should NOT run on a diff, only create
+func TestContextApply_Provisioner_Diff(t *testing.T) {
+	c := testConfig(t, "apply-provisioner-diff")
+	p := testProvider("aws")
+	pr := testProvisioner()
+	p.ApplyFn = testApplyFn
+	p.DiffFn = testDiffFn
+	pr.ApplyFn = func(rs *InstanceState, c *ResourceConfig) error {
+		return nil
+	}
+	ctx := testContext(t, &ContextOpts{
+		Config: c,
+		Providers: map[string]ResourceProviderFactory{
+			"aws": testProviderFuncFixed(p),
+		},
+		Provisioners: map[string]ResourceProvisionerFactory{
+			"shell": testProvisionerFuncFixed(pr),
+		},
+	})
+
+	if _, err := ctx.Plan(nil); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	state, err := ctx.Apply()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	actual := strings.TrimSpace(state.String())
+	expected := strings.TrimSpace(testTerraformApplyProvisionerDiffStr)
+	if actual != expected {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: \n%s", actual)
+	}
+
+	// Verify apply was invoked
+	if !pr.ApplyCalled {
+		t.Fatalf("provisioner not invoked")
+	}
+	pr.ApplyCalled = false
+
+	// Change the state to force a diff
+	mod := state.RootModule()
+	mod.Resources["aws_instance.bar"].Primary.Attributes["foo"] = "baz"
+
+	// Re-create context with state
+	ctx = testContext(t, &ContextOpts{
+		Config: c,
+		Providers: map[string]ResourceProviderFactory{
+			"aws": testProviderFuncFixed(p),
+		},
+		Provisioners: map[string]ResourceProvisionerFactory{
+			"shell": testProvisionerFuncFixed(pr),
+		},
+		State: state,
+	})
+
+	if _, err := ctx.Plan(nil); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	state2, err := ctx.Apply()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	actual = strings.TrimSpace(state2.String())
+	if actual != expected {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: \n%s", actual)
+	}
+
+	// Verify apply was NOT invoked
+	if pr.ApplyCalled {
+		t.Fatalf("provisioner invoked")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestContextApply_outputDiffVars(t *testing.T) {
 	c := testConfig(t, "apply-good")
 	p := testProvider("aws")
diff --git a/terraform/terraform_test.go b/terraform/terraform_test.go
index c8df4c2a1..54c4ac927 100644
--- a/terraform/terraform_test.go
+++ b/terraform/terraform_test.go
@@ -153,6 +153,13 @@ aws_instance.bar:
   type = aws_instance
 `
 
+const testTerraformApplyProvisionerDiffStr = `
+aws_instance.bar:
+  ID = foo
+  foo = bar
+  type = aws_instance
+`
+
 const testTerraformApplyDestroyStr = `
 <no state>
 `
diff --git a/terraform/test-fixtures/apply-provisioner-diff/main.tf b/terraform/test-fixtures/apply-provisioner-diff/main.tf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ac4f38e97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/terraform/test-fixtures/apply-provisioner-diff/main.tf
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+resource "aws_instance" "bar" {
+    foo = "bar"
+    provisioner "shell" {}
+}