diff --git a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_ecs_service.go b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_ecs_service.go
index 19225361c2da..849aaef45791 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_ecs_service.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_ecs_service.go
@@ -28,8 +28,17 @@ func resourceAwsEcsService() *schema.Resource {
 		Schema: map[string]*schema.Schema{
 			"name": &schema.Schema{
 				Type:     schema.TypeString,
-				Required: true,
+				Optional: true,
+				ForceNew: true,
+				Computed: true,
+				// TODO Up to 255 letters (uppercase and lowercase), numbers, hyphens, and underscores are allowed.
+			},
+
+			"name_prefix": &schema.Schema{
+				Type:     schema.TypeString,
+				Optional: true,
 				ForceNew: true,
+				// TODO Up to 255 - len(unique ID); len(uniqueID) == 16
 			},
 
 			"cluster": &schema.Schema{
@@ -89,8 +98,23 @@ func resourceAwsEcsService() *schema.Resource {
 func resourceAwsEcsServiceCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error {
 	conn := meta.(*AWSClient).ecsconn
 
+	var name string
+
+	v, nOk := d.GetOk("name")
+	if nOk {
+		name = v.(string)
+	}
+	p, pOk := d.GetOk("name_prefix")
+	if pOk {
+		name = resource.PrefixedUniqueId(p.(string))
+	}
+
+	if (nOk && pOk) || name == "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Either 'name' or 'name_prefix' is required")
+	}
+
 	input := ecs.CreateServiceInput{
-		ServiceName:    aws.String(d.Get("name").(string)),
+		ServiceName:    aws.String(name),
 		TaskDefinition: aws.String(d.Get("task_definition").(string)),
 		DesiredCount:   aws.Int64(int64(d.Get("desired_count").(int))),
 		ClientToken:    aws.String(resource.UniqueId()),
@@ -161,7 +185,7 @@ func resourceAwsEcsServiceRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error {
 	}
 
 	if len(out.Services) < 1 {
-		log.Printf("[DEBUG] Removing ECS service %s (%s) because it's gone", d.Get("name").(string), d.Id())
+		log.Printf("[DEBUG] Removing ECS service (%s) because it's gone", d.Id())
 		d.SetId("")
 		return nil
 	}
diff --git a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_ecs_service_test.go b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_ecs_service_test.go
index 6b9ed79600f4..a90418087835 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_ecs_service_test.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/aws/resource_aws_ecs_service_test.go
@@ -185,6 +185,29 @@ func TestAccAWSEcsService_withIamRole(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+// Regression for https://github.com/hashicorp/terraform/issues/3444
+// func TestAccAWSEcsService_withLbChanges(t *testing.T) {
+// 	resource.Test(t, resource.TestCase{
+// 		PreCheck:     func() { testAccPreCheck(t) },
+// 		Providers:    testAccProviders,
+// 		CheckDestroy: testAccCheckAWSEcsServiceDestroy,
+// 		Steps: []resource.TestStep{
+// 			resource.TestStep{
+// 				Config: testAccAWSEcsService_withLbChanges,
+// 				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
+// 					testAccCheckAWSEcsServiceExists("aws_ecs_service.with_lb_changes"),
+// 				),
+// 			},
+// 			resource.TestStep{
+// 				Config: testAccAWSEcsService_withLbChanges_modified,
+// 				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
+// 					testAccCheckAWSEcsServiceExists("aws_ecs_service.with_lb_changes"),
+// 				),
+// 			},
+// 		},
+// 	})
+// }
+
 // Regression for https://github.com/hashicorp/terraform/issues/3361
 func TestAccAWSEcsService_withEcsClusterName(t *testing.T) {
 	clusterName := regexp.MustCompile("^terraformecstestcluster$")
@@ -402,6 +425,10 @@ resource "aws_ecs_service" "ghost" {
     container_port = "%d"
   }
 
+  lifecycle {
+    crete_before_destroy = true
+  }
+
   depends_on = ["aws_iam_role_policy.ecs_service"]
 }
 `