diff --git a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_route53_zone_association.go b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_route53_zone_association.go
index ab8b5ad76..084246b75 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_route53_zone_association.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_route53_zone_association.go
@@ -27,9 +27,9 @@ func resourceAwsRoute53ZoneAssociation() *schema.Resource {
 				Required: true,
 			},
 
-			"region": &schema.Schema{
+			"vpc_region": &schema.Schema{
 				Type:     schema.TypeString,
-				Required: true,
+				Optional: true,
 			},
 
 			"association_id": &schema.Schema{
@@ -47,10 +47,13 @@ func resourceAwsRoute53ZoneAssociationCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interf
 		HostedZoneID: aws.String(d.Get("zone_id").(string)),
 		VPC: &route53.VPC{
 			VPCID:     aws.String(d.Get("vpc_id").(string)),
-			VPCRegion: aws.String(d.Get("region").(string)),
+			VPCRegion: aws.String(meta.(*AWSClient).region),
 		},
 		Comment: aws.String("Managed by Terraform"),
 	}
+	if w := d.Get("vpc_region"); w != nil {
+		req.VPC.VPCRegion = aws.String(w.(string))
+	}
 
 	log.Printf("[DEBUG] Associating Route53 Private Zone %s with VPC %s", *req.HostedZoneID, *req.VPC.VPCID)
 	resp, err := r53.AssociateVPCWithHostedZone(req)
@@ -106,10 +109,13 @@ func resourceAwsRoute53ZoneAssociationDelete(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interf
 		HostedZoneID: aws.String(d.Get("zone_id").(string)),
 		VPC: &route53.VPC{
 			VPCID:     aws.String(d.Get("vpc_id").(string)),
-			VPCRegion: aws.String(d.Get("region").(string)),
+			VPCRegion: aws.String(meta.(*AWSClient).region),
 		},
 		Comment: aws.String("Managed by Terraform"),
 	}
+	if w := d.Get("vpc_region"); w != nil {
+		req.VPC.VPCRegion = aws.String(w.(string))
+	}
 
 	_, err := r53.DisassociateVPCFromHostedZone(req)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_route53_zone_association_test.go b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_route53_zone_association_test.go
index f9f1d8ff1..691e2cb92 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_route53_zone_association_test.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_route53_zone_association_test.go
@@ -77,25 +77,25 @@ func testAccCheckRoute53ZoneAssociationExists(n string, zone *route53.HostedZone
 }
 
 const testAccRoute53ZoneAssociationConfig = `
-resource "aws_vpc" "mosakos" {
+resource "aws_vpc" "foo" {
 	cidr_block = "10.6.0.0/16"
-
 	enable_dns_hostnames = true
 	enable_dns_support = true
 }
 
-resource "aws_route53_zone" "main" {
-	name = "mosakos.com"
-
-	tags {
-		foo  = "bar"
-		Name = "tf-route53-tag-test"
-	}
+resource "aws_vpc" "bar" {
+	cidr_block = "10.7.0.0/16"
+	enable_dns_hostnames = true
+	enable_dns_support = true
 }
 
-resource "aws_route53_zone_association" "main" {
-	vpc_id  = "${aws_vpc.mosakos.id}"
-	zone_id = "${aws_route53_zone.main.id}"
-	region  = "us-west-2"
+resource "aws_route53_zone" "foo" {
+	name = "foo.com"
+	vpc_id = "${aws_vpc.foo.id}"
+}
+
+resource "aws_route53_zone_association" "foobar" {
+	zone_id = "${aws_route53_zone.foo.id}"
+	vpc_id  = "${aws_vpc.bar.id}"
 }
 `