diff --git a/builtin/providers/vsphere/resource_vsphere_virtual_machine.go b/builtin/providers/vsphere/resource_vsphere_virtual_machine.go
index a946517d7f..444e10877e 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/vsphere/resource_vsphere_virtual_machine.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/vsphere/resource_vsphere_virtual_machine.go
@@ -789,7 +789,6 @@ func resourceVSphereVirtualMachineCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{
 		if diskSet, ok := vL.(*schema.Set); ok {
 
 			disks := []hardDisk{}
-			hasBootableDisk := false
 			for _, value := range diskSet.List() {
 				disk := value.(map[string]interface{})
 				newDisk := hardDisk{}
@@ -799,10 +798,10 @@ func resourceVSphereVirtualMachineCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{
 						return fmt.Errorf("Cannot specify name of a template")
 					}
 					vm.template = v
-					if hasBootableDisk {
+					if vm.hasBootableVmdk {
 						return fmt.Errorf("[ERROR] Only one bootable disk or template may be given")
 					}
-					hasBootableDisk = true
+					vm.hasBootableVmdk = true
 				}
 
 				if v, ok := disk["type"].(string); ok && v != "" {
@@ -846,9 +845,11 @@ func resourceVSphereVirtualMachineCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{
 						return fmt.Errorf("Cannot specify name of a vmdk")
 					}
 					if vBootable, ok := disk["bootable"].(bool); ok {
-						hasBootableDisk = true
+						if vBootable && vm.hasBootableVmdk {
+							return fmt.Errorf("[ERROR] Only one bootable disk or template may be given")
+						}
 						newDisk.bootable = vBootable
-						vm.hasBootableVmdk = vBootable
+						vm.hasBootableVmdk = vm.hasBootableVmdk || vBootable
 					}
 					newDisk.vmdkPath = vVmdk
 				}
diff --git a/builtin/providers/vsphere/resource_vsphere_virtual_machine_test.go b/builtin/providers/vsphere/resource_vsphere_virtual_machine_test.go
index 3c063d0063..56f2db226b 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/vsphere/resource_vsphere_virtual_machine_test.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/vsphere/resource_vsphere_virtual_machine_test.go
@@ -606,7 +606,12 @@ resource "vsphere_virtual_machine" "with_existing_vmdk" {
     disk {
 %s
         vmdk = "%s"
-	bootable = true
+		bootable = true
+    }
+    disk {
+        size = 1
+        iops = 500
+		name = "one"
     }
 }
 `
@@ -635,7 +640,7 @@ func TestAccVSphereVirtualMachine_createWithExistingVmdk(t *testing.T) {
 				Config: config,
 				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
 					TestFuncData{vm: vm, label: data.label, vmName: "vsphere_virtual_machine.with_existing_vmdk",
-						vmResource: "terraform-test-with-existing-vmdk"}.testCheckFuncBasic(),
+						vmResource: "terraform-test-with-existing-vmdk", numDisks: "2"}.testCheckFuncBasic(),
 					//resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
 					//	"vsphere_virtual_machine.with_existing_vmdk", "disk.2393891804.vmdk", vmdk_path),
 					//resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
@@ -766,7 +771,7 @@ resource "vsphere_virtual_machine" "ipv4ipv6" {
     disk {
         size = 1
         iops = 500
-	name = "one"
+		name = "one"
     }
 }
 `