diff --git a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_s3_bucket_object.go b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_s3_bucket_object.go
index 9d46952d0..8a2e8370b 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_s3_bucket_object.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_s3_bucket_object.go
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
 	"os"
+	"io"
+        "bytes"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/helper/schema"
 
@@ -34,10 +36,18 @@ func resourceAwsS3BucketObject() *schema.Resource {
 
 			"source": &schema.Schema{
 				Type:     schema.TypeString,
-				Required: true,
+				Optional: true,
 				ForceNew: true,
+				ConflictsWith: []string{"content"},
 			},
 
+                        "content": &schema.Schema{
+                                Type:     schema.TypeString,
+                                Optional: true,
+                                ForceNew: true,
+				ConflictsWith: []string{"source"},
+                        },
+
 			"etag": &schema.Schema{
 				Type:     schema.TypeString,
 				Computed: true,
@@ -51,19 +61,28 @@ func resourceAwsS3BucketObjectPut(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) erro
 
 	bucket := d.Get("bucket").(string)
 	key := d.Get("key").(string)
-	source := d.Get("source").(string)
+	var body io.ReadSeeker
 
-	file, err := os.Open(source)
+	if v, ok := d.GetOk("source"); ok {
+		source := v.(string)
+		file, err := os.Open(source)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Error opening S3 bucket object source (%s): %s", source, err)
+		}
 
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Error opening S3 bucket object source (%s): %s", source, err)
+		body = file
+	} else if v, ok := d.GetOk("content"); ok {
+		content := v.(string)
+		body = bytes.NewReader([]byte(content))
+	} else {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Must specify \"source\" or \"content\" field")
 	}
 
 	resp, err := s3conn.PutObject(
 		&s3.PutObjectInput{
 			Bucket: aws.String(bucket),
 			Key:    aws.String(key),
-			Body:   file,
+			Body:   body,
 		})
 
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_s3_bucket_object_test.go b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_s3_bucket_object_test.go
index 4f947736a..6311dd7c3 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_s3_bucket_object_test.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_s3_bucket_object_test.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import (
 
 var tf, err = ioutil.TempFile("", "tf")
 
-func TestAccAWSS3BucketObject_basic(t *testing.T) {
+func TestAccAWSS3BucketObject_source(t *testing.T) {
 	// first write some data to the tempfile just so it's not 0 bytes.
 	ioutil.WriteFile(tf.Name(), []byte("{anything will do }"), 0644)
 	resource.Test(t, resource.TestCase{
@@ -29,7 +29,26 @@ func TestAccAWSS3BucketObject_basic(t *testing.T) {
 		CheckDestroy: testAccCheckAWSS3BucketObjectDestroy,
 		Steps: []resource.TestStep{
 			resource.TestStep{
-				Config: testAccAWSS3BucketObjectConfig,
+				Config: testAccAWSS3BucketObjectConfigSource,
+				Check:  testAccCheckAWSS3BucketObjectExists("aws_s3_bucket_object.object"),
+			},
+		},
+	})
+}
+
+func TestAccAWSS3BucketObject_content(t *testing.T) {
+	resource.Test(t, resource.TestCase{
+		PreCheck: func() {
+			if err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
+			testAccPreCheck(t)
+		},
+		Providers:    testAccProviders,
+		CheckDestroy: testAccCheckAWSS3BucketObjectDestroy,
+		Steps: []resource.TestStep{
+			resource.TestStep{
+				Config: testAccAWSS3BucketObjectConfigContent,
 				Check:  testAccCheckAWSS3BucketObjectExists("aws_s3_bucket_object.object"),
 			},
 		},
@@ -86,7 +105,7 @@ func testAccCheckAWSS3BucketObjectExists(n string) resource.TestCheckFunc {
 }
 
 var randomBucket = randInt
-var testAccAWSS3BucketObjectConfig = fmt.Sprintf(`
+var testAccAWSS3BucketObjectConfigSource = fmt.Sprintf(`
 resource "aws_s3_bucket" "object_bucket" {
 	bucket = "tf-object-test-bucket-%d"
 }
@@ -97,3 +116,17 @@ resource "aws_s3_bucket_object" "object" {
 	source = "%s"
 }
 `, randomBucket, tf.Name())
+
+
+var testAccAWSS3BucketObjectConfigContent = fmt.Sprintf(`
+resource "aws_s3_bucket" "object_bucket" {
+        bucket = "tf-object-test-bucket-%d"
+}
+
+resource "aws_s3_bucket_object" "object" {
+        bucket = "${aws_s3_bucket.object_bucket.bucket}"
+        key = "test-key"
+        content = "some_bucket_content"
+}
+`, randomBucket)
+