diff --git a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_ebs_volume.go b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_ebs_volume.go
index 550a9c696bf4..691cd85d1229 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_ebs_volume.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_ebs_volume.go
@@ -203,15 +203,27 @@ func resourceAwsEbsVolumeRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error {
 func resourceAwsEbsVolumeDelete(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error {
 	conn := meta.(*AWSClient).ec2conn
 
-	request := &ec2.DeleteVolumeInput{
-		VolumeId: aws.String(d.Id()),
-	}
+	return resource.Retry(5*time.Minute, func() *resource.RetryError {
+		request := &ec2.DeleteVolumeInput{
+			VolumeId: aws.String(d.Id()),
+		}
+		_, err := conn.DeleteVolume(request)
+		if err == nil {
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		ebsErr, ok := err.(awserr.Error)
+		if ebsErr.Code() == "VolumeInUse" {
+			return resource.RetryableError(fmt.Errorf("EBS VolumeInUse - trying again while it detaches"))
+		}
+
+		if !ok {
+			return resource.NonRetryableError(err)
+		}
+
+		return resource.NonRetryableError(err)
+	})
 
-	_, err := conn.DeleteVolume(request)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Error deleting EC2 volume %s: %s", d.Id(), err)
-	}
-	return nil
 }
 
 func readVolume(d *schema.ResourceData, volume *ec2.Volume) error {
diff --git a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_volume_attachment.go b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_volume_attachment.go
index c586e0d2fe00..bde1a7c1f53d 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_volume_attachment.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_volume_attachment.go
@@ -21,25 +21,30 @@ func resourceAwsVolumeAttachment() *schema.Resource {
 		Delete: resourceAwsVolumeAttachmentDelete,
 
 		Schema: map[string]*schema.Schema{
-			"device_name": &schema.Schema{
+			"device_name": {
 				Type:     schema.TypeString,
 				Required: true,
 				ForceNew: true,
 			},
 
-			"instance_id": &schema.Schema{
+			"instance_id": {
 				Type:     schema.TypeString,
 				Required: true,
 				ForceNew: true,
 			},
 
-			"volume_id": &schema.Schema{
+			"volume_id": {
 				Type:     schema.TypeString,
 				Required: true,
 				ForceNew: true,
 			},
 
-			"force_detach": &schema.Schema{
+			"force_detach": {
+				Type:     schema.TypeBool,
+				Optional: true,
+				Computed: true,
+			},
+			"skip_destroy": {
 				Type:     schema.TypeBool,
 				Optional: true,
 				Computed: true,
@@ -156,6 +161,12 @@ func resourceAwsVolumeAttachmentRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) e
 func resourceAwsVolumeAttachmentDelete(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error {
 	conn := meta.(*AWSClient).ec2conn
 
+	if _, ok := d.GetOk("skip_destroy"); ok {
+		log.Printf("[INFO] Found skip_destroy to be true, removing attachment %q from state", d.Id())
+		d.SetId("")
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	vID := d.Get("volume_id").(string)
 	iID := d.Get("instance_id").(string)
 
diff --git a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_volume_attachment_test.go b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_volume_attachment_test.go
index 72dbeebb838b..0b99d1ffad5d 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_volume_attachment_test.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_volume_attachment_test.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ func TestAccAWSVolumeAttachment_basic(t *testing.T) {
 		Providers:    testAccProviders,
 		CheckDestroy: testAccCheckVolumeAttachmentDestroy,
 		Steps: []resource.TestStep{
-			resource.TestStep{
+			{
 				Config: testAccVolumeAttachmentConfig,
 				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
 					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
@@ -36,6 +36,32 @@ func TestAccAWSVolumeAttachment_basic(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestAccAWSVolumeAttachment_skipDestroy(t *testing.T) {
+	var i ec2.Instance
+	var v ec2.Volume
+
+	resource.Test(t, resource.TestCase{
+		PreCheck:     func() { testAccPreCheck(t) },
+		Providers:    testAccProviders,
+		CheckDestroy: testAccCheckVolumeAttachmentDestroy,
+		Steps: []resource.TestStep{
+			{
+				Config: testAccVolumeAttachmentConfigSkipDestroy,
+				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
+						"aws_volume_attachment.ebs_att", "device_name", "/dev/sdh"),
+					testAccCheckInstanceExists(
+						"aws_instance.web", &i),
+					testAccCheckVolumeExists(
+						"aws_ebs_volume.example", &v),
+					testAccCheckVolumeAttachmentExists(
+						"aws_volume_attachment.ebs_att", &i, &v),
+				),
+			},
+		},
+	})
+}
+
 func testAccCheckVolumeAttachmentExists(n string, i *ec2.Instance, v *ec2.Volume) resource.TestCheckFunc {
 	return func(s *terraform.State) error {
 		rs, ok := s.RootModule().Resources[n]
@@ -91,3 +117,44 @@ resource "aws_volume_attachment" "ebs_att" {
 	instance_id = "${aws_instance.web.id}"
 }
 `
+
+const testAccVolumeAttachmentConfigSkipDestroy = `
+resource "aws_instance" "web" {
+	ami = "ami-21f78e11"
+  	availability_zone = "us-west-2a"
+	instance_type = "t1.micro"
+	tags {
+		Name = "HelloWorld"
+	}
+}
+
+resource "aws_ebs_volume" "example" {
+  	availability_zone = "us-west-2a"
+	size = 1
+	tags {
+		Name = "TestVolume"
+	}
+}
+
+data "aws_ebs_volume" "ebs_volume" {
+    filter {
+	name = "size"
+	values = ["${aws_ebs_volume.example.size}"]
+    }
+    filter {
+	name = "availability-zone"
+	values = ["${aws_ebs_volume.example.availability_zone}"]
+    }
+    filter {
+	name = "tag:Name"
+	values = ["TestVolume"]
+    }
+}
+
+resource "aws_volume_attachment" "ebs_att" {
+  	device_name = "/dev/sdh"
+	volume_id = "${data.aws_ebs_volume.ebs_volume.id}"
+	instance_id = "${aws_instance.web.id}"
+	skip_destroy = true
+}
+`
diff --git a/website/source/docs/providers/aws/r/volume_attachment.html.markdown b/website/source/docs/providers/aws/r/volume_attachment.html.markdown
index a9a71f5b1b5c..406cbf181489 100644
--- a/website/source/docs/providers/aws/r/volume_attachment.html.markdown
+++ b/website/source/docs/providers/aws/r/volume_attachment.html.markdown
@@ -49,6 +49,11 @@ example, `/dev/sdh` or `xvdh`)
 volume to detach. Useful if previous attempts failed, but use this option only 
 as a last resort, as this can result in **data loss**. See 
 [Detaching an Amazon EBS Volume from an Instance][1] for more information.
+* `skip_destroy` - (Optional, Boolean) Set this to true if you do not wish 
+to detach the volume from the instance to which it is attached at destroy 
+time, and instead just remove the attachment from Terraform state. This is 
+useful when destroying an instance which has volumes created by some other 
+means attached.
 
 ## Attributes Reference