diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 811b77ec7ea9..18c2e37e3fea 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ type Resource struct {
 type ResourceLifecycle struct {
 	CreateBeforeDestroy bool `mapstructure:"create_before_destroy"`
 	PreventDestroy      bool `mapstructure:"prevent_destroy"`
+	IgnoreUpdates       bool `mapstructure:"ignore_updates"`
 }
 
 // Provisioner is a configured provisioner step on a resource.
diff --git a/config/loader_test.go b/config/loader_test.go
index d239bd0b9ad3..65ba410b4147 100644
--- a/config/loader_test.go
+++ b/config/loader_test.go
@@ -440,6 +440,43 @@ func TestLoadFile_createBeforeDestroy(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestLoadFile_ignoreUpdates(t *testing.T) {
+	c, err := LoadFile(filepath.Join(fixtureDir, "ignore-updates.tf"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	if c == nil {
+		t.Fatal("config should not be nil")
+	}
+
+	actual := resourcesStr(c.Resources)
+	if actual != strings.TrimSpace(ignoreUpdatesResourcesStr) {
+		t.Fatalf("bad:\n%s", actual)
+	}
+
+	// Check for the flag value
+	r := c.Resources[0]
+	if r.Name != "web" && r.Type != "aws_instance" {
+		t.Fatalf("Bad: %#v", r)
+	}
+
+	// Should enable ignore updates
+	if !r.Lifecycle.IgnoreUpdates {
+		t.Fatalf("Bad: %#v", r)
+	}
+
+	r = c.Resources[1]
+	if r.Name != "bar" && r.Type != "aws_instance" {
+		t.Fatalf("Bad: %#v", r)
+	}
+
+	// Should not enable ignore updates
+	if r.Lifecycle.IgnoreUpdates {
+		t.Fatalf("Bad: %#v", r)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestLoad_preventDestroyString(t *testing.T) {
 	c, err := LoadFile(filepath.Join(fixtureDir, "prevent-destroy-string.tf"))
 	if err != nil {
@@ -676,3 +713,10 @@ aws_instance[bar] (x1)
 aws_instance[web] (x1)
   ami
 `
+
+const ignoreUpdatesResourcesStr = `
+aws_instance[bar] (x1)
+  ami
+aws_instance[web] (x1)
+  ami
+`
diff --git a/config/test-fixtures/ignore-updates.tf b/config/test-fixtures/ignore-updates.tf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..52ad76fd8211
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/test-fixtures/ignore-updates.tf
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+resource "aws_instance" "web" {
+    ami = "foo"
+    lifecycle {
+        ignore_updates = true
+    }
+}
+
+resource "aws_instance" "bar" {
+    ami = "foo"
+    lifecycle {
+        ignore_updates = false
+    }
+}
diff --git a/terraform/transform_resource.go b/terraform/transform_resource.go
index 0b56721b07a7..87c4b7e1ee55 100644
--- a/terraform/transform_resource.go
+++ b/terraform/transform_resource.go
@@ -395,6 +395,24 @@ func (n *graphNodeExpandedResource) EvalTree() EvalNode {
 					Then: EvalNoop{},
 				},
 
+				// We don't want to apply if the resource has the IgnoreUpdates lifecycle
+				&EvalIf{
+					If: func(ctx EvalContext) (bool, error) {
+						update := false
+						if diffApply != nil {
+							update = !diffApply.Empty()
+						}
+
+						ignoreUpdatesEnabled := n.Resource.Lifecycle.IgnoreUpdates && update
+
+						return ignoreUpdatesEnabled, nil
+					},
+					Then: &EvalWriteDiff{
+						Name: n.stateId(),
+						Diff: nil,
+					},
+				},
+
 				&EvalIf{
 					If: func(ctx EvalContext) (bool, error) {
 						destroy := false
diff --git a/website/source/docs/configuration/resources.html.md b/website/source/docs/configuration/resources.html.md
index 1ed50df98710..04f373ca40f3 100644
--- a/website/source/docs/configuration/resources.html.md
+++ b/website/source/docs/configuration/resources.html.md
@@ -68,6 +68,10 @@ The `lifecycle` block allows the following keys to be set:
       destruction of a given resource. When this is set to `true`, any plan
       that includes a destroy of this resource will return an error message.
 
+  * `ignore_updates` (bool) - This flag is used to allow ignoring
+      external changes to a resource. As an example, this can be used 
+      to ignore dynamic network interface assignments to a resource.
+
 -------------
 
 Within a resource, you can optionally have a **connection block**.
@@ -186,6 +190,8 @@ where `LIFECYCLE` is:
 ```
 lifecycle {
     [create_before_destroy = true|false]
+    [prevent_destroy = true|false]
+    [ignore_updates = true|false]
 }
 ```