diff --git a/helper/resource/testing_new.go b/helper/resource/testing_new.go
index 4426c02774..6dcb240681 100644
--- a/helper/resource/testing_new.go
+++ b/helper/resource/testing_new.go
@@ -107,8 +107,17 @@ func RunNewTest(t *testing.T, c TestCase, providers map[string]terraform.Resourc
 		if step.ImportState {
 			step.providers = providers
 			err := testStepNewImportState(t, c, wd, step, appliedCfg)
-			if err != nil {
-				t.Fatal(err)
+			if step.ExpectError != nil {
+				if err == nil {
+					t.Fatalf("Step %d/%d error running import: expected an error but got none", i+1, len(c.Steps))
+				}
+				if !step.ExpectError.MatchString(err.Error()) {
+					t.Fatalf("Step %d/%d error running import, expected an error with pattern (%s), no match on: %s", i+1, len(c.Steps), step.ExpectError.String(), err)
+				}
+			} else {
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Fatalf("Step %d/%d error running import: %s", i+1, len(c.Steps), err)
+				}
 			}
 			continue
 		}
diff --git a/helper/resource/testing_new_import_state.go b/helper/resource/testing_new_import_state.go
index 727a2de180..1fc09b7203 100644
--- a/helper/resource/testing_new_import_state.go
+++ b/helper/resource/testing_new_import_state.go
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ func testStepNewImportState(t *testing.T, c TestCase, wd *tftest.WorkingDir, ste
 		return importWd.Import(step.ResourceName, importId)
 	}, wd, c.ProviderFactories)
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Error running import: %v", err)
+		return err
 	}
 
 	var importState *terraform.State