diff --git a/builtin/providers/azure/resource_azure_dns_server.go b/builtin/providers/azure/resource_azure_dns_server.go
index 0f9db9eec..dd4e380dc 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/azure/resource_azure_dns_server.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/azure/resource_azure_dns_server.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
 
+	"github.com/Azure/azure-sdk-for-go/management"
 	"github.com/Azure/azure-sdk-for-go/management/virtualnetwork"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/helper/schema"
 )
@@ -46,7 +47,12 @@ func resourceAzureDnsServerCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) erro
 	defer azureClient.mutex.Unlock()
 	netConf, err := vnetClient.GetVirtualNetworkConfiguration()
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Failed to get the current network configuration from Azure: %s", err)
+		if management.IsResourceNotFoundError(err) {
+			// if no network configuration exists yet; create one now:
+			netConf = virtualnetwork.NetworkConfiguration{}
+		} else {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Failed to get the current network configuration from Azure: %s", err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	log.Println("[DEBUG] Adding new DNS server definition to Azure.")
diff --git a/builtin/providers/azure/resource_azure_local_network.go b/builtin/providers/azure/resource_azure_local_network.go
index c0cc74d61..5c2f4f3d8 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/azure/resource_azure_local_network.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/azure/resource_azure_local_network.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
 
+	"github.com/Azure/azure-sdk-for-go/management"
 	"github.com/Azure/azure-sdk-for-go/management/virtualnetwork"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/helper/schema"
 )
@@ -54,7 +55,12 @@ func resourceAzureLocalNetworkConnectionCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta inte
 	defer azureClient.mutex.Unlock()
 	netConf, err := vnetClient.GetVirtualNetworkConfiguration()
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Failed to get the current network configuration from Azure: %s", err)
+		if management.IsResourceNotFoundError(err) {
+			// if no network config exists yet; create a new one now:
+			netConf = virtualnetwork.NetworkConfiguration{}
+		} else {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Failed to get the current network configuration from Azure: %s", err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	// get provided configuration:
diff --git a/builtin/providers/azure/resource_azure_virtual_network.go b/builtin/providers/azure/resource_azure_virtual_network.go
index cc195e742..dcb008f07 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/azure/resource_azure_virtual_network.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/azure/resource_azure_virtual_network.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package azure
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
-	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/Azure/azure-sdk-for-go/management"
 	"github.com/Azure/azure-sdk-for-go/management/virtualnetwork"
@@ -88,7 +87,8 @@ func resourceAzureVirtualNetworkCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{})
 
 	nc, err := vnetClient.GetVirtualNetworkConfiguration()
 	if err != nil {
-		if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "ResourceNotFound") {
+		if management.IsResourceNotFoundError(err) {
+			// if no network config exists yet; create a new one now:
 			nc = virtualnetwork.NetworkConfiguration{}
 		} else {
 			return fmt.Errorf(virtualNetworkRetrievalError, err)