diff --git a/internal/terraform/context_apply_deferred_test.go b/internal/terraform/context_apply_deferred_test.go
index dcdb1e289ca7..554d47253dd2 100644
--- a/internal/terraform/context_apply_deferred_test.go
+++ b/internal/terraform/context_apply_deferred_test.go
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ output "c" {
 					"a": cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
 						"name":           cty.StringVal("a"),
 						"upstream_names": cty.NullVal(cty.Set(cty.String)),
+						"defer_read":     cty.NullVal(cty.Bool),
 					}),
 					"<unknown>": cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
 						"name": cty.UnknownVal(cty.String).Refine().
@@ -132,10 +133,12 @@ output "c" {
 						"upstream_names": cty.SetVal([]cty.Value{
 							cty.StringVal("a"),
 						}),
+						"defer_read": cty.NullVal(cty.Bool),
 					}),
 					"c": cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
 						"name":           cty.StringVal("c"),
 						"upstream_names": cty.UnknownVal(cty.Set(cty.String)).RefineNotNull(),
+						"defer_read":     cty.NullVal(cty.Bool),
 					}),
 				},
 				wantActions: map[string]plans.Action{
@@ -147,12 +150,14 @@ output "c" {
 					"a": cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
 						"name":           cty.StringVal("a"),
 						"upstream_names": cty.NullVal(cty.Set(cty.String)),
+						"defer_read":     cty.NullVal(cty.Bool),
 					}),
 				},
 				wantOutputs: map[string]cty.Value{
 					"a": cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
 						"name":           cty.StringVal("a"),
 						"upstream_names": cty.NullVal(cty.Set(cty.String)),
+						"defer_read":     cty.NullVal(cty.Bool),
 					}),
 
 					// FIXME: The system is currently producing incorrect
@@ -207,6 +212,7 @@ output "c" {
 					"a": cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
 						"name":           cty.StringVal("a"),
 						"upstream_names": cty.NullVal(cty.Set(cty.String)),
+						"defer_read":     cty.NullVal(cty.Bool),
 					}),
 					// test.b is now planned for real, once for each instance
 					"b:1": cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
@@ -214,12 +220,14 @@ output "c" {
 						"upstream_names": cty.SetVal([]cty.Value{
 							cty.StringVal("a"),
 						}),
+						"defer_read": cty.NullVal(cty.Bool),
 					}),
 					"b:2": cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
 						"name": cty.StringVal("b:2"),
 						"upstream_names": cty.SetVal([]cty.Value{
 							cty.StringVal("a"),
 						}),
+						"defer_read": cty.NullVal(cty.Bool),
 					}),
 					// test.c gets re-planned, so we can finalize its values
 					// based on the new results from test.b.
@@ -230,6 +238,7 @@ output "c" {
 							cty.StringVal("b:1"),
 							cty.StringVal("b:2"),
 						}),
+						"defer_read": cty.NullVal(cty.Bool),
 					}),
 				},
 				wantActions: map[string]plans.Action{
@@ -249,12 +258,14 @@ output "c" {
 						"upstream_names": cty.SetVal([]cty.Value{
 							cty.StringVal("a"),
 						}),
+						"defer_read": cty.NullVal(cty.Bool),
 					}),
 					"b:2": cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
 						"name": cty.StringVal("b:2"),
 						"upstream_names": cty.SetVal([]cty.Value{
 							cty.StringVal("a"),
 						}),
+						"defer_read": cty.NullVal(cty.Bool),
 					}),
 					"c": cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
 						"name": cty.StringVal("c"),
@@ -263,6 +274,7 @@ output "c" {
 							cty.StringVal("b:1"),
 							cty.StringVal("b:2"),
 						}),
+						"defer_read": cty.NullVal(cty.Bool),
 					}),
 				},
 				wantOutputs: map[string]cty.Value{
@@ -271,6 +283,7 @@ output "c" {
 					"a": cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
 						"name":           cty.StringVal("a"),
 						"upstream_names": cty.NullVal(cty.Set(cty.String)),
+						"defer_read":     cty.NullVal(cty.Bool),
 					}),
 					"b": cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
 						"1": cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
@@ -278,12 +291,14 @@ output "c" {
 							"upstream_names": cty.SetVal([]cty.Value{
 								cty.StringVal("a"),
 							}),
+							"defer_read": cty.NullVal(cty.Bool),
 						}),
 						"2": cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
 							"name": cty.StringVal("b:2"),
 							"upstream_names": cty.SetVal([]cty.Value{
 								cty.StringVal("a"),
 							}),
+							"defer_read": cty.NullVal(cty.Bool),
 						}),
 					}),
 					"c": cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
@@ -293,6 +308,7 @@ output "c" {
 							cty.StringVal("b:1"),
 							cty.StringVal("b:2"),
 						}),
+						"defer_read": cty.NullVal(cty.Bool),
 					}),
 				},
 				complete: true,
@@ -309,18 +325,21 @@ output "c" {
 					"a": cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
 						"name":           cty.StringVal("a"),
 						"upstream_names": cty.NullVal(cty.Set(cty.String)),
+						"defer_read":     cty.NullVal(cty.Bool),
 					}),
 					"b:1": cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
 						"name": cty.StringVal("b:1"),
 						"upstream_names": cty.SetVal([]cty.Value{
 							cty.StringVal("a"),
 						}),
+						"defer_read": cty.NullVal(cty.Bool),
 					}),
 					"b:2": cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
 						"name": cty.StringVal("b:2"),
 						"upstream_names": cty.SetVal([]cty.Value{
 							cty.StringVal("a"),
 						}),
+						"defer_read": cty.NullVal(cty.Bool),
 					}),
 					"c": cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
 						"name": cty.StringVal("c"),
@@ -329,6 +348,7 @@ output "c" {
 							cty.StringVal("b:1"),
 							cty.StringVal("b:2"),
 						}),
+						"defer_read": cty.NullVal(cty.Bool),
 					}),
 				},
 				wantActions: map[string]plans.Action{
@@ -356,8 +376,13 @@ terraform {
 	experiments = [unknown_instances]
 }
 
+variable "defer_read" {
+	type = bool
+}
+
 resource "test" "a" {
-	name = "deferred_read"
+	name       = "a"
+	defer_read = var.defer_read
 }
 
 output "a" {
@@ -370,7 +395,9 @@ output "a" {
 				buildOpts: func(opts *PlanOpts) {
 					opts.Mode = plans.RefreshOnlyMode
 				},
-				inputs:      map[string]cty.Value{},
+				inputs: map[string]cty.Value{
+					"defer_read": cty.True,
+				},
 				wantPlanned: map[string]cty.Value{
 					// The all resources will be deferred, so shouldn't
 					// have any action at this stage.
@@ -387,8 +414,52 @@ output "a" {
 						"upstream_names": cty.NullVal(cty.Set(cty.String)),
 					}),
 				},
+				complete: false,
+			},
+			{
+				inputs: map[string]cty.Value{
+					"defer_read": cty.False,
+				},
+				wantPlanned: map[string]cty.Value{
+					"a": cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
+						"name":           cty.StringVal("a"),
+						"defer_read":     cty.False,
+						"upstream_names": cty.NullVal(cty.Set(cty.String)),
+					}),
+				},
+
+				wantActions: map[string]plans.Action{
+					`test.a`: plans.Create,
+				},
+				wantApplied: map[string]cty.Value{
+					"a": cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
+						"name":           cty.StringVal("a"),
+						"defer_read":     cty.False,
+						"upstream_names": cty.NullVal(cty.Set(cty.String)),
+					}),
+				},
+				wantOutputs: map[string]cty.Value{
+					"a": cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
+						"name":           cty.StringVal("a"),
+						"upstream_names": cty.NullVal(cty.Set(cty.String)),
+						"defer_read":     cty.False,
+					}),
+				},
 				complete: true,
 			},
+			{
+				inputs: map[string]cty.Value{
+					"defer_read": cty.True,
+				},
+				wantPlanned: map[string]cty.Value{
+					"a": cty.UnknownAsNull(cty.DynamicVal),
+				},
+
+				wantActions: map[string]plans.Action{},
+				wantApplied: map[string]cty.Value{},
+				wantOutputs: map[string]cty.Value{},
+				complete:    false,
+			},
 		},
 	}
 )
@@ -556,13 +627,17 @@ func (provider *deferredActionsProvider) Provider() providers.Interface {
 								Type:     cty.Set(cty.String),
 								Optional: true,
 							},
+							"defer_read": {
+								Type:     cty.Bool,
+								Optional: true,
+							},
 						},
 					},
 				},
 			},
 		},
 		ReadResourceFn: func(req providers.ReadResourceRequest) providers.ReadResourceResponse {
-			if key := req.PriorState.GetAttr("name"); key.IsKnown() && key.AsString() == "deferred_read" {
+			if key := req.PriorState.GetAttr("defer_read"); key.IsKnown() && key.True() {
 				return providers.ReadResourceResponse{
 					NewState: req.PriorState,
 					Deferred: &providers.Deferred{