diff --git a/aws/resource_aws_cloudwatch_event_target.go b/aws/resource_aws_cloudwatch_event_target.go
index ddd44846418..dcbda53dd62 100644
--- a/aws/resource_aws_cloudwatch_event_target.go
+++ b/aws/resource_aws_cloudwatch_event_target.go
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ func resourceAwsCloudWatchEventTarget() *schema.Resource {
 							Type:         schema.TypeInt,
 							Optional:     true,
 							ValidateFunc: validation.IntBetween(1, math.MaxInt32),
+							Default:      1,
 						},
 						"task_definition_arn": {
 							Type:         schema.TypeString,
diff --git a/aws/resource_aws_cloudwatch_event_target_test.go b/aws/resource_aws_cloudwatch_event_target_test.go
index 422de8d158f..02ab7a85a4e 100644
--- a/aws/resource_aws_cloudwatch_event_target_test.go
+++ b/aws/resource_aws_cloudwatch_event_target_test.go
@@ -247,6 +247,32 @@ func TestAccAWSCloudWatchEventTarget_ecs(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestAccAWSCloudWatchEventTarget_ecsWithBlankTaskCount(t *testing.T) {
+	var target events.Target
+	rName := acctest.RandomWithPrefix("tf_ecs_target")
+
+	resource.ParallelTest(t, resource.TestCase{
+		PreCheck:     func() { testAccPreCheck(t) },
+		Providers:    testAccProviders,
+		CheckDestroy: testAccCheckAWSCloudWatchEventTargetDestroy,
+		Steps: []resource.TestStep{
+			{
+				Config: testAccAWSCloudWatchEventTargetConfigEcsWithBlankTaskCount(rName),
+				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
+					testAccCheckCloudWatchEventTargetExists("aws_cloudwatch_event_target.test", &target),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr("aws_cloudwatch_event_target.test", "ecs_target.0.task_count", "1"),
+				),
+			},
+			{
+				ResourceName:      "aws_cloudwatch_event_target.test",
+				ImportState:       true,
+				ImportStateIdFunc: testAccAWSCloudWatchEventTargetImportStateIdFunc("aws_cloudwatch_event_target.test"),
+				ImportStateVerify: true,
+			},
+		},
+	})
+}
+
 func TestAccAWSCloudWatchEventTarget_batch(t *testing.T) {
 	var target events.Target
 	rName := acctest.RandomWithPrefix("tf_batch_target")
@@ -698,6 +724,107 @@ EOF
 `, rName, rName, rName, rName, rName)
 }
 
+func testAccAWSCloudWatchEventTargetConfigEcsWithBlankTaskCount(rName string) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf(`
+resource "aws_cloudwatch_event_rule" "schedule" {
+  name        = "%[1]s"
+  description = "schedule_ecs_test"
+
+  schedule_expression = "rate(5 minutes)"
+}
+
+resource "aws_vpc" "vpc" {
+  cidr_block = "10.1.0.0/16"
+}
+
+resource "aws_subnet" "subnet" {
+  vpc_id     = "${aws_vpc.vpc.id}"
+  cidr_block = "10.1.1.0/24"
+}
+
+resource "aws_cloudwatch_event_target" "test" {
+  arn      = "${aws_ecs_cluster.test.id}"
+  rule     = "${aws_cloudwatch_event_rule.schedule.id}"
+  role_arn = "${aws_iam_role.test_role.arn}"
+
+  ecs_target {
+    task_definition_arn = "${aws_ecs_task_definition.task.arn}"
+    launch_type         = "FARGATE"
+
+    network_configuration {
+      subnets = ["${aws_subnet.subnet.id}"]
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+resource "aws_iam_role" "test_role" {
+  name = "%[1]s"
+
+  assume_role_policy = <<EOF
+{
+  "Version": "2012-10-17",
+  "Statement": [
+    {
+      "Action": "sts:AssumeRole",
+      "Principal": {
+        "Service": "events.amazonaws.com"
+      },
+      "Effect": "Allow",
+      "Sid": ""
+    }
+  ]
+}
+EOF
+}
+
+resource "aws_iam_role_policy" "test_policy" {
+  name = "%[1]s"
+  role = "${aws_iam_role.test_role.id}"
+
+  policy = <<EOF
+{
+    "Version": "2012-10-17",
+    "Statement": [
+        {
+            "Effect": "Allow",
+            "Action": [
+                "ecs:RunTask"
+            ],
+            "Resource": [
+                "*"
+            ]
+        }
+    ]
+}
+EOF
+}
+
+resource "aws_ecs_cluster" "test" {
+  name = "%[1]s"
+}
+
+resource "aws_ecs_task_definition" "task" {
+  family                   = "%[1]s"
+  cpu                      = 256
+  memory                   = 512
+  requires_compatibilities = ["FARGATE"]
+  network_mode             = "awsvpc"
+
+  container_definitions = <<EOF
+[
+  {
+    "name": "first",
+    "image": "service-first",
+    "cpu": 10,
+    "memory": 512,
+    "essential": true
+  }
+]
+EOF
+}
+`, rName)
+}
+
 func testAccAWSCloudWatchEventTargetConfigBatch(rName string) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf(`
 resource "aws_cloudwatch_event_rule" "cloudwatch_event_rule" {