diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 22dc09e1cfb..9f4c7d73070 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,8 +8,7 @@ ENHANCEMENTS:
 * resource/aws_waf_rate_based_rule: Update rate based rule limit for WAF ([#9946](https://github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-aws/pull/9946))
 * resource/aws_wafregional_rate_based_rule: Update rate based rule limit for WAF ([#9946](https://github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-aws/pull/9946))
 
-BUG FIXES: 
-* resource/aws_acm_certificate: Final retries after timeouts reading and deleting certificates [GH-9863]
+BUG FIXES:
 * ecs_task_definition_equivalency: Fix a crash if environment name is missing [GH-10074]
 
 ## 2.28.1 (September 12, 2019)
@@ -348,7 +347,7 @@ ENHANCEMENTS:
 
 BUG FIXES:
 
-* resource/aws_appautoscaling_policy: Properly support importing of dynamodb policies [[#8397](https://github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-aws/issues/8397)] 
+* resource/aws_appautoscaling_policy: Properly support importing of dynamodb policies [[#8397](https://github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-aws/issues/8397)]
 * resource/aws_cloudwatch_event_permissions: Clean up error handling when reading event permissions ([#9065](https://github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-aws/issues/9065))
 * resource/aws_cloudwatch_event_rule: Retry error handling when creating and updating event rules ([#9065](https://github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-aws/issues/9065))
 * resource/aws_cloudwatch_log_destination: Clean up error handling when putting log destination ([#9065](https://github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-aws/issues/9065))
@@ -478,7 +477,7 @@ ENHANCEMENTS:
 * resource/aws_backup_vault: Support resource import ([#9041](https://github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-aws/issues/9041))
 * resource/aws_codepipeline: Add `tags` argument ([#8993](https://github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-aws/issues/8993))
 * resource/aws_codepipeline_webhook: Add `tags` argument ([#8993](https://github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-aws/issues/8993))
-* resource/aws_ecs_task_definition: Add `proxy_configuration` configuration block (support AppMesh proxying) [[#8780](https://github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-aws/issues/8780)] 
+* resource/aws_ecs_task_definition: Add `proxy_configuration` configuration block (support AppMesh proxying) [[#8780](https://github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-aws/issues/8780)]
 * resource/aws_instance: Prevent panic when `credit_specification` configuration block is missing arguments ([#9003](https://github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-aws/issues/9003))
 * resource/aws_organizations_organization: Add `non_master_accounts` attribute ([#8926](https://github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-aws/issues/8926))
 * resource/aws_secretsmanager_secret: Tag on create (support tag limiting IAM policies) ([#9023](https://github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-aws/issues/9023))
@@ -639,7 +638,7 @@ ENHANCEMENTS:
 * resource/aws_elastic_beanstalk_application: Add `tags` argument and `arn` attribute ([#8614](https://github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-aws/issues/8614))
 * resource/aws_elastic_beanstalk_application_version: Add `tags` argument and `arn` attribute ([#8614](https://github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-aws/issues/8614))
 * resource/aws_emr_cluster: Add `master_instance_group` and `core_instance_group` configuration blocks (deprecates other instance group configuration methods) ([#8459](https://github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-aws/issues/8459))
-* resource/aws_emr_instance_group: Add support for `autoscaling_policy`, `bid_price`, and resource import [[#8078](https://github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-aws/issues/8078)] 
+* resource/aws_emr_instance_group: Add support for `autoscaling_policy`, `bid_price`, and resource import [[#8078](https://github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-aws/issues/8078)]
 * resource/aws_kinesis_analytics_application: Add `tags` argument ([#8643](https://github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-aws/issues/8643))
 * resource/aws_lambda_function: Support `nodejs10.x` in `runtime` validation ([#8622](https://github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-aws/issues/8622))
 * resource/aws_organizations_account: Add parent_id argument (support moving accounts) ([#8583](https://github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-aws/issues/8583))
diff --git a/aws/resource_aws_acm_certificate.go b/aws/resource_aws_acm_certificate.go
index 748f1dcbb52..53da3da8343 100644
--- a/aws/resource_aws_acm_certificate.go
+++ b/aws/resource_aws_acm_certificate.go
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ func resourceAwsAcmCertificateCreateImported(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interf
 	acmconn := meta.(*AWSClient).acmconn
 	resp, err := resourceAwsAcmCertificateImport(acmconn, d, false)
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error importing certificate: %s", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("Error importing certificate: %s", err)
 	}
 
 	d.SetId(*resp.CertificateArn)
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ func resourceAwsAcmCertificateCreateImported(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interf
 		_, err := acmconn.AddTagsToCertificate(params)
 
 		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("error requesting certificate: %s", err)
+			return fmt.Errorf("Error requesting certificate: %s", err)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ func resourceAwsAcmCertificateCreateRequested(d *schema.ResourceData, meta inter
 	resp, err := acmconn.RequestCertificate(params)
 
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error requesting certificate: %s", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("Error requesting certificate: %s", err)
 	}
 
 	d.SetId(*resp.CertificateArn)
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ func resourceAwsAcmCertificateCreateRequested(d *schema.ResourceData, meta inter
 		_, err := acmconn.AddTagsToCertificate(params)
 
 		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("error requesting certificate: %s", err)
+			return fmt.Errorf("Error requesting certificate: %s", err)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -243,70 +243,58 @@ func resourceAwsAcmCertificateRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) err
 		CertificateArn: aws.String(d.Id()),
 	}
 
-	resp, err := acmconn.DescribeCertificate(params)
-	if err != nil {
-		if !isAWSErr(err, acm.ErrCodeResourceNotFoundException, "") {
-			d.SetId("")
-			return nil
+	return resource.Retry(time.Duration(1)*time.Minute, func() *resource.RetryError {
+		resp, err := acmconn.DescribeCertificate(params)
+
+		if err != nil {
+			if isAWSErr(err, acm.ErrCodeResourceNotFoundException, "") {
+				d.SetId("")
+				return nil
+			}
+			return resource.NonRetryableError(fmt.Errorf("Error describing certificate: %s", err))
 		}
-		return fmt.Errorf("error describing certificate: %s", err)
-	}
 
-	if resp == nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("empty response received when describing ACM certificate")
-	}
-	d.Set("domain_name", resp.Certificate.DomainName)
-	d.Set("arn", resp.Certificate.CertificateArn)
-	d.Set("certificate_authority_arn", resp.Certificate.CertificateAuthorityArn)
+		d.Set("domain_name", resp.Certificate.DomainName)
+		d.Set("arn", resp.Certificate.CertificateArn)
+		d.Set("certificate_authority_arn", resp.Certificate.CertificateAuthorityArn)
 
-	if err := d.Set("subject_alternative_names", cleanUpSubjectAlternativeNames(resp.Certificate)); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error setting subject alternative nates: %s", err)
-	}
+		if err := d.Set("subject_alternative_names", cleanUpSubjectAlternativeNames(resp.Certificate)); err != nil {
+			return resource.NonRetryableError(err)
+		}
 
-	var domainValidationOptions []map[string]interface{}
-	var emailValidationOptions []string
-	err = resource.Retry(time.Duration(1)*time.Minute, func() *resource.RetryError {
-		var err error
-		domainValidationOptions, emailValidationOptions, err = convertValidationOptions(resp.Certificate)
+		domainValidationOptions, emailValidationOptions, err := convertValidationOptions(resp.Certificate)
 
 		if err != nil {
 			return resource.RetryableError(err)
 		}
-		return nil
-	})
-	if isResourceTimeoutError(err) {
-		domainValidationOptions, emailValidationOptions, err = convertValidationOptions(resp.Certificate)
-	}
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error getting validation options for ACM certificate: %s", err)
-	}
 
-	if err := d.Set("domain_validation_options", domainValidationOptions); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error setting domain validation options: %s", err)
-	}
-	if err := d.Set("validation_emails", emailValidationOptions); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error setting email validation options: %s", err)
-	}
+		if err := d.Set("domain_validation_options", domainValidationOptions); err != nil {
+			return resource.NonRetryableError(err)
+		}
+		if err := d.Set("validation_emails", emailValidationOptions); err != nil {
+			return resource.NonRetryableError(err)
+		}
 
-	d.Set("validation_method", resourceAwsAcmCertificateGuessValidationMethod(domainValidationOptions, emailValidationOptions))
+		d.Set("validation_method", resourceAwsAcmCertificateGuessValidationMethod(domainValidationOptions, emailValidationOptions))
 
-	if err := d.Set("options", flattenAcmCertificateOptions(resp.Certificate.Options)); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error setting certificate options: %s", err)
-	}
+		if err := d.Set("options", flattenAcmCertificateOptions(resp.Certificate.Options)); err != nil {
+			return resource.NonRetryableError(fmt.Errorf("error setting certificate options: %s", err))
+		}
 
-	input := &acm.ListTagsForCertificateInput{
-		CertificateArn: aws.String(d.Id()),
-	}
+		params := &acm.ListTagsForCertificateInput{
+			CertificateArn: aws.String(d.Id()),
+		}
 
-	tagResp, err := acmconn.ListTagsForCertificate(input)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error listing tags for certificate (%s): %s", d.Id(), err)
-	}
-	if err := d.Set("tags", tagsToMapACM(tagResp.Tags)); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error setting tags for certificate: %s", err)
-	}
+		tagResp, err := acmconn.ListTagsForCertificate(params)
+		if err != nil {
+			return resource.NonRetryableError(fmt.Errorf("error listing tags for certificate (%s): %s", d.Id(), err))
+		}
+		if err := d.Set("tags", tagsToMapACM(tagResp.Tags)); err != nil {
+			return resource.NonRetryableError(err)
+		}
 
-	return nil
+		return nil
+	})
 }
 func resourceAwsAcmCertificateGuessValidationMethod(domainValidationOptions []map[string]interface{}, emailValidationOptions []string) string {
 	// The DescribeCertificate Response doesn't have information on what validation method was used
@@ -326,7 +314,7 @@ func resourceAwsAcmCertificateUpdate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) e
 	if d.HasChange("private_key") || d.HasChange("certificate_body") || d.HasChange("certificate_chain") {
 		_, err := resourceAwsAcmCertificateImport(acmconn, d, true)
 		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("error updating certificate: %s", err)
+			return fmt.Errorf("Error updating certificate: %s", err)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -359,7 +347,7 @@ func convertValidationOptions(certificate *acm.CertificateDetail) ([]map[string]
 	case acm.CertificateTypeAmazonIssued:
 		if len(certificate.DomainValidationOptions) == 0 && aws.StringValue(certificate.Status) == acm.DomainStatusPendingValidation {
 			log.Printf("[DEBUG] No validation options need to retry.")
-			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("no validation options need to retry.")
+			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("No validation options need to retry.")
 		}
 		for _, o := range certificate.DomainValidationOptions {
 			if o.ResourceRecord != nil {
@@ -376,7 +364,7 @@ func convertValidationOptions(certificate *acm.CertificateDetail) ([]map[string]
 				}
 			} else if o.ValidationStatus == nil || aws.StringValue(o.ValidationStatus) == acm.DomainStatusPendingValidation {
 				log.Printf("[DEBUG] No validation options need to retry: %#v", o)
-				return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("no validation options need to retry: %#v", o)
+				return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("No validation options need to retry: %#v", o)
 			}
 		}
 	case acm.CertificateTypePrivate:
@@ -410,11 +398,9 @@ func resourceAwsAcmCertificateDelete(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) e
 		}
 		return nil
 	})
-	if isResourceTimeoutError(err) {
-		_, err = acmconn.DeleteCertificate(params)
-	}
+
 	if err != nil && !isAWSErr(err, acm.ErrCodeResourceNotFoundException, "") {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error deleting certificate: %s", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("Error deleting certificate: %s", err)
 	}
 
 	return nil