diff --git a/aws/resource_aws_ssm_association.go b/aws/resource_aws_ssm_association.go
index e376c715f7d..d6d82021f2a 100644
--- a/aws/resource_aws_ssm_association.go
+++ b/aws/resource_aws_ssm_association.go
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ func resourceAwsSsmAssociation() *schema.Resource {
 			"targets": {
 				Type:     schema.TypeList,
 				Optional: true,
-				ForceNew: true,
 				Computed: true,
 				MaxItems: 5,
 				Elem: &schema.Resource{
@@ -213,6 +212,10 @@ func resourceAwsSsmAssocationUpdate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) er
 		associationInput.OutputLocation = expandSSMAssociationOutputLocation(d.Get("output_location").([]interface{}))
 	}
 
+	if d.HasChange("targets") {
+		associationInput.Targets = expandAwsSsmTargets(d)
+	}
+
 	_, err := ssmconn.UpdateAssociation(associationInput)
 	if err != nil {
 		return errwrap.Wrapf("[ERROR] Error updating SSM association: {{err}}", err)
diff --git a/aws/resource_aws_ssm_association_test.go b/aws/resource_aws_ssm_association_test.go
index 4186e29e456..5fa05de6fad 100644
--- a/aws/resource_aws_ssm_association_test.go
+++ b/aws/resource_aws_ssm_association_test.go
@@ -31,46 +31,65 @@ func TestAccAWSSSMAssociation_basic(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestAccAWSSSMAssociation_withTargets(t *testing.T) {
 	name := acctest.RandString(10)
+	oneTarget := `
+	targets {
+    key = "tag:Name"
+    values = ["acceptanceTest"]
+  }`
+	twoTargets := `
+	targets {
+    key = "tag:Name"
+    values = ["acceptanceTest"]
+  }
+  targets {
+    key = "tag:ExtraName"
+    values = ["acceptanceTest"]
+  }`
 	resource.Test(t, resource.TestCase{
 		PreCheck:     func() { testAccPreCheck(t) },
 		Providers:    testAccProviders,
 		CheckDestroy: testAccCheckAWSSSMAssociationDestroy,
 		Steps: []resource.TestStep{
 			{
-				Config: testAccAWSSSMAssociationBasicConfigWithTargets(name),
+				Config: testAccAWSSSMAssociationBasicConfigWithTargets(name, oneTarget),
 				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
 					testAccCheckAWSSSMAssociationExists("aws_ssm_association.foo"),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
+						"aws_ssm_association.foo", "targets.#", "1"),
 					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
 						"aws_ssm_association.foo", "targets.0.key", "tag:Name"),
 					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
 						"aws_ssm_association.foo", "targets.0.values.0", "acceptanceTest"),
 				),
 			},
-		},
-	})
-}
-
-func TestAccAWSSSMAssociation_withMultipleTargets(t *testing.T) {
-	name := acctest.RandString(10)
-	resource.Test(t, resource.TestCase{
-		PreCheck:     func() { testAccPreCheck(t) },
-		Providers:    testAccProviders,
-		CheckDestroy: testAccCheckAWSSSMAssociationDestroy,
-		Steps: []resource.TestStep{
 			{
-				Config: testAccAWSSSMAssociationBasicConfigWithMultipleTargets(name),
+				Config: testAccAWSSSMAssociationBasicConfigWithTargets(name, twoTargets),
 				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
 					testAccCheckAWSSSMAssociationExists("aws_ssm_association.foo"),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
+						"aws_ssm_association.foo", "targets.#", "2"),
 					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
 						"aws_ssm_association.foo", "targets.0.key", "tag:Name"),
 					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
 						"aws_ssm_association.foo", "targets.0.values.0", "acceptanceTest"),
 					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
-						"aws_ssm_association.foo", "targets.1.key", "tag:Environment"),
+						"aws_ssm_association.foo", "targets.1.key", "tag:ExtraName"),
 					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
 						"aws_ssm_association.foo", "targets.1.values.0", "acceptanceTest"),
 				),
 			},
+			{
+				Config: testAccAWSSSMAssociationBasicConfigWithTargets(name, oneTarget),
+				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
+					testAccCheckAWSSSMAssociationExists("aws_ssm_association.foo"),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
+						"aws_ssm_association.foo", "targets.#", "1"),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
+						"aws_ssm_association.foo", "targets.0.key", "tag:Name"),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
+						"aws_ssm_association.foo", "targets.0.values.0", "acceptanceTest"),
+				),
+			},
 		},
 	})
 }
@@ -359,10 +378,10 @@ resource "aws_ssm_association" "foo" {
 }`, rName)
 }
 
-func testAccAWSSSMAssociationBasicConfigWithTargets(rName string) string {
+func testAccAWSSSMAssociationBasicConfigWithTargets(rName, targetsStr string) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf(`
 resource "aws_ssm_document" "foo_document" {
-  name = "test_document_association-%s",
+  name = "test_document_association-%s"
   document_type = "Command"
   content = <<DOC
   {
@@ -386,51 +405,9 @@ DOC
 }
 
 resource "aws_ssm_association" "foo" {
-  name = "${aws_ssm_document.foo_document.name}",
-  targets {
-    key = "tag:Name"
-    values = ["acceptanceTest"]
-  }
-}`, rName)
-}
-
-func testAccAWSSSMAssociationBasicConfigWithMultipleTargets(rName string) string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf(`
-resource "aws_ssm_document" "foo_document" {
-  name = "test_document_association-%s",
-  document_type = "Command"
-  content = <<DOC
-  {
-    "schemaVersion": "1.2",
-    "description": "Check ip configuration of a Linux instance.",
-    "parameters": {
-
-    },
-    "runtimeConfig": {
-      "aws:runShellScript": {
-        "properties": [
-          {
-            "id": "0.aws:runShellScript",
-            "runCommand": ["ifconfig"]
-          }
-        ]
-      }
-    }
-  }
-DOC
-}
-
-resource "aws_ssm_association" "foo" {
-  name = "${aws_ssm_document.foo_document.name}",
-  targets {
-    key = "tag:Name"
-    values = ["acceptanceTest"]
-  }
-  targets {
-    key = "tag:Environment"
-    values = ["acceptanceTest"]
-  }
-}`, rName)
+  name = "${aws_ssm_document.foo_document.name}"
+  %s
+}`, rName, targetsStr)
 }
 
 func testAccAWSSSMAssociationBasicConfig(rName string) string {