diff --git a/builtin/providers/aws/config.go b/builtin/providers/aws/config.go
index 33c9d2cae..b5ce7184b 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/aws/config.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/aws/config.go
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	Insecure         bool
 
 	SkipCredsValidation     bool
+	SkipRegionValidation    bool
 	SkipRequestingAccountId bool
 	SkipMetadataApiCheck    bool
 	S3ForcePathStyle        bool
@@ -153,10 +154,14 @@ type AWSClient struct {
 func (c *Config) Client() (interface{}, error) {
 	// Get the auth and region. This can fail if keys/regions were not
 	// specified and we're attempting to use the environment.
-	log.Println("[INFO] Building AWS region structure")
-	err := c.ValidateRegion()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+	if c.SkipRegionValidation {
+		log.Println("[INFO] Skipping region validation")
+	} else {
+		log.Println("[INFO] Building AWS region structure")
+		err := c.ValidateRegion()
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 	}
 
 	var client AWSClient
diff --git a/builtin/providers/aws/provider.go b/builtin/providers/aws/provider.go
index 390d17e2c..101a67233 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/aws/provider.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/aws/provider.go
@@ -120,6 +120,13 @@ func Provider() terraform.ResourceProvider {
 				Description: descriptions["skip_credentials_validation"],
 			},
 
+			"skip_region_validation": {
+				Type:        schema.TypeBool,
+				Optional:    true,
+				Default:     false,
+				Description: descriptions["skip_region_validation"],
+			},
+
 			"skip_requesting_account_id": {
 				Type:        schema.TypeBool,
 				Optional:    true,
@@ -441,6 +448,9 @@ func init() {
 		"skip_credentials_validation": "Skip the credentials validation via STS API. " +
 			"Used for AWS API implementations that do not have STS available/implemented.",
 
+		"skip_region_validation": "Skip static validation of region name. " +
+			"Used by users of alternative AWS-like APIs or users w/ access to regions that are not public (yet).",
+
 		"skip_requesting_account_id": "Skip requesting the account ID. " +
 			"Used for AWS API implementations that do not have IAM/STS API and/or metadata API.",
 
@@ -475,6 +485,7 @@ func providerConfigure(d *schema.ResourceData) (interface{}, error) {
 		KinesisEndpoint:         d.Get("kinesis_endpoint").(string),
 		Insecure:                d.Get("insecure").(bool),
 		SkipCredsValidation:     d.Get("skip_credentials_validation").(bool),
+		SkipRegionValidation:    d.Get("skip_region_validation").(bool),
 		SkipRequestingAccountId: d.Get("skip_requesting_account_id").(bool),
 		SkipMetadataApiCheck:    d.Get("skip_metadata_api_check").(bool),
 		S3ForcePathStyle:        d.Get("s3_force_path_style").(bool),
diff --git a/website/source/docs/providers/aws/index.html.markdown b/website/source/docs/providers/aws/index.html.markdown
index 1ec614186..a812348ee 100644
--- a/website/source/docs/providers/aws/index.html.markdown
+++ b/website/source/docs/providers/aws/index.html.markdown
@@ -188,6 +188,10 @@ The following arguments are supported in the `provider` block:
   validation via the STS API. Useful for AWS API implementations that do
   not have STS available or implemented.
 
+* `skip_region_validation` - (Optional) Skip validation of provided region name.
+  Useful for AWS-like implementations that use their own region names
+  or to bypass the validation for regions that aren't publicly available yet.
+
 * `skip_requesting_account_id` - (Optional) Skip requesting the account
   ID.  Useful for AWS API implementations that do not have the IAM, STS
   API, or metadata API.  When set to `true`, prevents you from managing