diff --git a/command/pull.go b/command/pull.go
index 135d9419c..e5976f2a5 100644
--- a/command/pull.go
+++ b/command/pull.go
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 
-	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/remote"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/state"
 )
 
 type PullCommand struct {
@@ -20,32 +20,50 @@ func (c *PullCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		return 1
 	}
 
-	// Recover the local state if any
-	local, _, err := remote.ReadLocalState()
+	// Read out our state
+	s, err := c.State()
 	if err != nil {
-		c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("%s", err))
+		c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to read state: %s", err))
 		return 1
 	}
-	if local == nil || local.Remote == nil {
+	localState := s.State()
+
+	// If remote state isn't enabled, it is a problem.
+	if !localState.IsRemote() {
 		c.Ui.Error("Remote state not enabled!")
 		return 1
 	}
 
-	// Attempt the state refresh
-	change, err := remote.RefreshState(local.Remote)
-	if err != nil {
+	// We need the CacheState structure in order to do anything
+	var cache *state.CacheState
+	if bs, ok := s.(*state.BackupState); ok {
+		if cs, ok := bs.Real.(*state.CacheState); ok {
+			cache = cs
+		}
+	}
+	if cache == nil {
 		c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf(
-			"Failed to refresh from remote state: %v", err))
+			"Failed to extract internal CacheState from remote state.\n" +
+				"This is an internal error, please report it as a bug."))
+		return 1
+	}
+
+	// Refresh the state
+	if err := cache.RefreshState(); err != nil {
+		c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf(
+			"Failed to refresh from remote state: %s", err))
 		return 1
 	}
 
 	// Use an error exit code if the update was not a success
+	change := cache.RefreshResult()
 	if !change.SuccessfulPull() {
 		c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("%s", change))
 		return 1
 	} else {
 		c.Ui.Output(fmt.Sprintf("%s", change))
 	}
+
 	return 0
 }
 
diff --git a/command/pull_test.go b/command/pull_test.go
index 28201b27c..d0bd08b86 100644
--- a/command/pull_test.go
+++ b/command/pull_test.go
@@ -7,9 +7,10 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
 
-	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/remote"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/terraform"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/cli"
 )
@@ -46,10 +47,19 @@ func TestPull_local(t *testing.T) {
 	defer srv.Close()
 
 	// Store the local state
-	buf := bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
-	terraform.WriteState(s, buf)
-	remote.EnsureDirectory()
-	remote.Persist(buf)
+	statePath := filepath.Join(tmp, DefaultDataDir, DefaultStateFilename)
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(statePath), 0755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+	f, err := os.Create(statePath)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+	err = terraform.WriteState(s, f)
+	f.Close()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
 
 	ui := new(cli.MockUi)
 	c := &PullCommand{
diff --git a/command/state.go b/command/state.go
index 5b033fab3..ecacfdd9a 100644
--- a/command/state.go
+++ b/command/state.go
@@ -70,10 +70,15 @@ func State(opts *StateOpts) (state.State, string, error) {
 			}
 		} else {
 			if result != nil {
-				// We already have a remote state... that is an error.
-				return nil, "", fmt.Errorf(
-					"Remote state found, but state file '%s' also present.",
-					opts.LocalPath)
+				if !local.State().Empty() {
+					// We already have a remote state... that is an error.
+					return nil, "", fmt.Errorf(
+						"Remote state found, but state file '%s' also present.",
+						opts.LocalPath)
+				}
+
+				// Empty state
+				local = nil
 			}
 		}
 		if err != nil {
@@ -81,10 +86,12 @@ func State(opts *StateOpts) (state.State, string, error) {
 				"Error reading local state: {{err}}", err)
 		}
 
-		result = local
-		resultPath = opts.LocalPath
-		if opts.LocalPathOut != "" {
-			resultPath = opts.LocalPathOut
+		if local != nil {
+			result = local
+			resultPath = opts.LocalPath
+			if opts.LocalPathOut != "" {
+				resultPath = opts.LocalPathOut
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/state/cache.go b/state/cache.go
index 386cc9f59..3322ab5ac 100644
--- a/state/cache.go
+++ b/state/cache.go
@@ -211,3 +211,23 @@ func (sc CacheRefreshResult) String() string {
 		return fmt.Sprintf("Unknown state change type: %d", sc)
 	}
 }
+
+// SuccessfulPull is used to clasify the CacheRefreshResult for
+// a refresh operation. This is different by operation, but can be used
+// to determine a proper exit code.
+func (sc CacheRefreshResult) SuccessfulPull() bool {
+	switch sc {
+	case CacheRefreshNoop:
+		return true
+	case CacheRefreshInit:
+		return true
+	case CacheRefreshUpdateLocal:
+		return true
+	case CacheRefreshLocalNewer:
+		return false
+	case CacheRefreshConflict:
+		return false
+	default:
+		return false
+	}
+}