diff --git a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_opsworks_instance.go b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_opsworks_instance.go
index dc4051f01..bf1dbfdf3 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_opsworks_instance.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_opsworks_instance.go
@@ -510,8 +510,19 @@ func resourceAwsOpsworksInstanceRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) e
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// If nothing was found, then return no state
+	if len(resp.Instances) == 0 {
+		d.SetId("")
+		return nil
+	}
 	instance := resp.Instances[0]
+
+	if instance.InstanceId == nil {
+		d.SetId("")
+		return nil
+	}
 	instanceId := *instance.InstanceId
+
 	d.SetId(instanceId)
 	d.Set("agent_version", instance.AgentVersion)
 	d.Set("ami_id", instance.AmiId)
@@ -726,6 +737,10 @@ func resourceAwsOpsworksInstanceCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{})
 		return err
 	}
 
+	if resp.InstanceId == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Error launching instance: no instance returned in response")
+	}
+
 	instanceId := *resp.InstanceId
 	d.SetId(instanceId)
 	d.Set("id", instanceId)
diff --git a/website/source/docs/providers/aws/r/opsworks_instance.html.markdown b/website/source/docs/providers/aws/r/opsworks_instance.html.markdown
index 20b03c2dc..c855d559f 100644
--- a/website/source/docs/providers/aws/r/opsworks_instance.html.markdown
+++ b/website/source/docs/providers/aws/r/opsworks_instance.html.markdown
@@ -13,14 +13,17 @@ Provides an OpsWorks instance resource.
 ## Example Usage
 
 ```
-resource "aws_opsworks_instance" "my-instance" {
+aws_opsworks_instance" "my-instance" {
   stack_id = "${aws_opsworks_stack.my-stack.id}"
+
   layer_ids = [
     "${aws_opsworks_custom_layer.my-layer.id}",
   ]
+
   instance_type = "t2.micro"
-  os = "Amazon Linux 2015.09"
-  state = "stopped"
+  os            = "Amazon Linux 2015.09"
+  state         = "stopped"
+}
 ```
 
 ## Argument Reference