diff --git a/aws/resource_aws_launch_configuration.go b/aws/resource_aws_launch_configuration.go
index 823ac7df37d..f95b7f0f0ab 100644
--- a/aws/resource_aws_launch_configuration.go
+++ b/aws/resource_aws_launch_configuration.go
@@ -6,16 +6,15 @@ import (
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
-	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws"
-	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws/awserr"
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/service/autoscaling"
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/service/ec2"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/helper/hashcode"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/helper/resource"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/helper/schema"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/helper/validation"
 )
 
 func resourceAwsLaunchConfiguration() *schema.Resource {
@@ -34,14 +33,14 @@ func resourceAwsLaunchConfiguration() *schema.Resource {
 				Computed:      true,
 				ForceNew:      true,
 				ConflictsWith: []string{"name_prefix"},
-				ValidateFunc:  validateMaxLength(255),
+				ValidateFunc:  validation.StringLenBetween(1, 255),
 			},
 
 			"name_prefix": {
 				Type:         schema.TypeString,
 				Optional:     true,
 				ForceNew:     true,
-				ValidateFunc: validateMaxLength(255 - resource.UniqueIDSuffixLength),
+				ValidateFunc: validation.StringLenBetween(1, 255-resource.UniqueIDSuffixLength),
 			},
 
 			"image_id": {
@@ -82,7 +81,7 @@ func resourceAwsLaunchConfiguration() *schema.Resource {
 						return ""
 					}
 				},
-				ValidateFunc: validateMaxLength(16384),
+				ValidateFunc: validation.StringLenBetween(1, 16384),
 			},
 
 			"security_groups": {
@@ -435,27 +434,23 @@ func resourceAwsLaunchConfigurationCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface
 	}
 	createLaunchConfigurationOpts.LaunchConfigurationName = aws.String(lcName)
 
-	log.Printf(
-		"[DEBUG] autoscaling create launch configuration: %s", createLaunchConfigurationOpts)
+	log.Printf("[DEBUG] autoscaling create launch configuration: %s", createLaunchConfigurationOpts)
 
 	// IAM profiles can take ~10 seconds to propagate in AWS:
 	// http://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/iam-roles-for-amazon-ec2.html#launch-instance-with-role-console
 	err = resource.Retry(90*time.Second, func() *resource.RetryError {
 		_, err := autoscalingconn.CreateLaunchConfiguration(&createLaunchConfigurationOpts)
 		if err != nil {
-			if awsErr, ok := err.(awserr.Error); ok {
-				if strings.Contains(awsErr.Message(), "Invalid IamInstanceProfile") {
-					return resource.RetryableError(err)
-				}
-				if strings.Contains(awsErr.Message(), "You are not authorized to perform this operation") {
-					return resource.RetryableError(err)
-				}
+			if isAWSErr(err, "ValidationError", "Invalid IamInstanceProfile") {
+				return resource.RetryableError(err)
+			}
+			if isAWSErr(err, "ValidationError", "You are not authorized to perform this operation") {
+				return resource.RetryableError(err)
 			}
 			return resource.NonRetryableError(err)
 		}
 		return nil
 	})
-
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Error creating launch configuration: %s", err)
 	}
@@ -488,6 +483,7 @@ func resourceAwsLaunchConfigurationRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}
 		return fmt.Errorf("Error retrieving launch configuration: %s", err)
 	}
 	if len(describConfs.LaunchConfigurations) == 0 {
+		log.Printf("[WARN] Launch Configuration (%s) not found, removing from state", d.Id())
 		d.SetId("")
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -532,8 +528,7 @@ func resourceAwsLaunchConfigurationDelete(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface
 			LaunchConfigurationName: aws.String(d.Id()),
 		})
 	if err != nil {
-		autoscalingerr, ok := err.(awserr.Error)
-		if ok && (autoscalingerr.Code() == "InvalidConfiguration.NotFound" || autoscalingerr.Code() == "ValidationError") {
+		if isAWSErr(err, "InvalidConfiguration.NotFound", "") {
 			log.Printf("[DEBUG] Launch configuration (%s) not found", d.Id())
 			return nil
 		}