diff --git a/command/import.go b/command/import.go
index a2f4d6c62a65..3767b1124b74 100644
--- a/command/import.go
+++ b/command/import.go
@@ -50,6 +50,23 @@ func (c *ImportCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		return 1
 	}
 
+	// Validate the provided resource address for syntax
+	addr, err := terraform.ParseResourceAddress(args[0])
+	if err != nil {
+		c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf(importCommandInvalidAddressFmt, err))
+		return 1
+	}
+	if !addr.HasResourceSpec() {
+		// module.foo target isn't allowed for import
+		c.Ui.Error(importCommandMissingResourceSpecMsg)
+		return 1
+	}
+	if addr.Mode != config.ManagedResourceMode {
+		// can't import to a data resource address
+		c.Ui.Error(importCommandResourceModeMsg)
+		return 1
+	}
+
 	// Load the module
 	var mod *module.Tree
 	if configPath != "" {
@@ -204,3 +221,20 @@ Options:
 func (c *ImportCommand) Synopsis() string {
 	return "Import existing infrastructure into Terraform"
 }
+
+const importCommandInvalidAddressFmt = `Error: %s
+
+For information on valid syntax, see:
+https://www.terraform.io/docs/internals/resource-addressing.html
+`
+
+const importCommandMissingResourceSpecMsg = `Error: resource address must include a full resource spec
+
+For information on valid syntax, see:
+https://www.terraform.io/docs/internals/resource-addressing.html
+`
+
+const importCommandResourceModeMsg = `Error: resource address must refer to a managed resource.
+
+Data resources cannot be imported.
+`
diff --git a/command/import_test.go b/command/import_test.go
index 08dc97c0b653..324d78616d20 100644
--- a/command/import_test.go
+++ b/command/import_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package command
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/terraform"
@@ -315,6 +316,96 @@ func TestImport_customProvider(t *testing.T) {
 	testStateOutput(t, statePath, testImportCustomProviderStr)
 }
 
+func TestImport_dataResource(t *testing.T) {
+	defer testChdir(t, testFixturePath("import-missing-resource-config"))()
+
+	statePath := testTempFile(t)
+
+	p := testProvider()
+	ui := new(cli.MockUi)
+	c := &ImportCommand{
+		Meta: Meta{
+			testingOverrides: metaOverridesForProvider(p),
+			Ui:               ui,
+		},
+	}
+
+	args := []string{
+		"-state", statePath,
+		"data.test_data_source.foo",
+		"bar",
+	}
+	code := c.Run(args)
+	if code != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("import succeeded; expected failure")
+	}
+
+	msg := ui.ErrorWriter.String()
+	if want := `resource address must refer to a managed resource`; !strings.Contains(msg, want) {
+		t.Errorf("incorrect message\nwant substring: %s\ngot:\n%s", want, msg)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestImport_invalidResourceAddr(t *testing.T) {
+	defer testChdir(t, testFixturePath("import-missing-resource-config"))()
+
+	statePath := testTempFile(t)
+
+	p := testProvider()
+	ui := new(cli.MockUi)
+	c := &ImportCommand{
+		Meta: Meta{
+			testingOverrides: metaOverridesForProvider(p),
+			Ui:               ui,
+		},
+	}
+
+	args := []string{
+		"-state", statePath,
+		"bananas",
+		"bar",
+	}
+	code := c.Run(args)
+	if code != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("import succeeded; expected failure")
+	}
+
+	msg := ui.ErrorWriter.String()
+	if want := `invalid resource address "bananas"`; !strings.Contains(msg, want) {
+		t.Errorf("incorrect message\nwant substring: %s\ngot:\n%s", want, msg)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestImport_targetIsModule(t *testing.T) {
+	defer testChdir(t, testFixturePath("import-missing-resource-config"))()
+
+	statePath := testTempFile(t)
+
+	p := testProvider()
+	ui := new(cli.MockUi)
+	c := &ImportCommand{
+		Meta: Meta{
+			testingOverrides: metaOverridesForProvider(p),
+			Ui:               ui,
+		},
+	}
+
+	args := []string{
+		"-state", statePath,
+		"module.foo",
+		"bar",
+	}
+	code := c.Run(args)
+	if code != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("import succeeded; expected failure")
+	}
+
+	msg := ui.ErrorWriter.String()
+	if want := `resource address must include a full resource spec`; !strings.Contains(msg, want) {
+		t.Errorf("incorrect message\nwant substring: %s\ngot:\n%s", want, msg)
+	}
+}
+
 const testImportStr = `
 test_instance.foo:
   ID = yay
diff --git a/command/test-fixtures/import-missing-resource-config/main.tf b/command/test-fixtures/import-missing-resource-config/main.tf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..d644bad31911
--- /dev/null
+++ b/command/test-fixtures/import-missing-resource-config/main.tf
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+provider "test" {
+
+}
+
+# No resource block present, so import fails