diff --git a/builtin/providers/test/resource_list_test.go b/builtin/providers/test/resource_list_test.go
index 4d78f35478..76c82f15a8 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/test/resource_list_test.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/test/resource_list_test.go
@@ -15,6 +15,27 @@ func TestResourceList_changed(t *testing.T) {
 		Steps: []resource.TestStep{
 			resource.TestStep{
 				Config: strings.TrimSpace(`
+resource "test_resource_list" "foo" {
+	list_block {
+		string = "a"
+		int = 1
+	}
+}
+				`),
+				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
+						"test_resource_list.foo", "list_block.#", "1",
+					),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
+						"test_resource_list.foo", "list_block.0.string", "a",
+					),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
+						"test_resource_list.foo", "list_block.0.int", "1",
+					),
+				),
+			},
+			resource.TestStep{
+				Config: strings.TrimSpace(`
 resource "test_resource_list" "foo" {
 	list_block {
 		string = "a"
diff --git a/helper/plugin/grpc_provider.go b/helper/plugin/grpc_provider.go
index 2f85c0fd80..b3b5d1af57 100644
--- a/helper/plugin/grpc_provider.go
+++ b/helper/plugin/grpc_provider.go
@@ -713,17 +713,27 @@ func (s *GRPCProviderServer) ApplyResourceChange(_ context.Context, req *proto.A
 		}
 	}
 
-	// strip out non-diffs
-	for k, v := range diff.Attributes {
-		if v.New == v.Old && !v.NewComputed && v.NewExtra == "" {
-			delete(diff.Attributes, k)
-		}
-	}
-
 	if private != nil {
 		diff.Meta = private
 	}
 
+	// We need to turn off any RequiresNew. There could be attributes
+	// without changes in here inserted by helper/schema, but if they have
+	// RequiresNew then the state will will be dropped from the ResourceData.
+	for k := range diff.Attributes {
+		diff.Attributes[k].RequiresNew = false
+	}
+
+	// check that any "removed" attributes actually exist in the prior state, or
+	// helper/schema will confuse itself
+	for k, d := range diff.Attributes {
+		if d.NewRemoved {
+			if _, ok := priorState.Attributes[k]; !ok {
+				delete(diff.Attributes, k)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	newInstanceState, err := s.provider.Apply(info, priorState, diff)
 	if err != nil {
 		resp.Diagnostics = convert.AppendProtoDiag(resp.Diagnostics, err)