diff --git a/configs/configschema/coerce_value.go b/configs/configschema/coerce_value.go
index e59f58d8e5..7996c383ab 100644
--- a/configs/configschema/coerce_value.go
+++ b/configs/configschema/coerce_value.go
@@ -113,7 +113,10 @@ func (b *Block) coerceValue(in cty.Value, path cty.Path) (cty.Value, error) {
 					return cty.UnknownVal(b.ImpliedType()), path.NewErrorf("must be a list")
 				}
 				l := coll.LengthInt()
-				if l < blockS.MinItems {
+
+				// Assume that if there are unknowns this could have come from
+				// a dynamic block, and we can't validate MinItems yet.
+				if l < blockS.MinItems && coll.IsWhollyKnown() {
 					return cty.UnknownVal(b.ImpliedType()), path.NewErrorf("insufficient items for attribute %q; must have at least %d", typeName, blockS.MinItems)
 				}
 				if l > blockS.MaxItems && blockS.MaxItems > 0 {
@@ -161,7 +164,10 @@ func (b *Block) coerceValue(in cty.Value, path cty.Path) (cty.Value, error) {
 					return cty.UnknownVal(b.ImpliedType()), path.NewErrorf("must be a set")
 				}
 				l := coll.LengthInt()
-				if l < blockS.MinItems {
+
+				// Assume that if there are unknowns this could have come from
+				// a dynamic block, and we can't validate MinItems yet.
+				if l < blockS.MinItems && coll.IsWhollyKnown() {
 					return cty.UnknownVal(b.ImpliedType()), path.NewErrorf("insufficient items for attribute %q; must have at least %d", typeName, blockS.MinItems)
 				}
 				if l > blockS.MaxItems && blockS.MaxItems > 0 {
diff --git a/configs/configschema/coerce_value_test.go b/configs/configschema/coerce_value_test.go
index 3286751a35..7fd07856d4 100644
--- a/configs/configschema/coerce_value_test.go
+++ b/configs/configschema/coerce_value_test.go
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ func TestCoerceValue(t *testing.T) {
 					"foo": {
 						Block:    Block{},
 						Nesting:  NestingList,
-						MinItems: 1,
+						MinItems: 2,
 					},
 				},
 			},
@@ -345,6 +345,39 @@ func TestCoerceValue(t *testing.T) {
 			}),
 			"",
 		},
+		"unknowns in nested list": {
+			&Block{
+				BlockTypes: map[string]*NestedBlock{
+					"foo": {
+						Block: Block{
+							Attributes: map[string]*Attribute{
+								"attr": {
+									Type:     cty.String,
+									Required: true,
+								},
+							},
+						},
+						Nesting:  NestingList,
+						MinItems: 2,
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
+				"foo": cty.ListVal([]cty.Value{
+					cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
+						"attr": cty.UnknownVal(cty.String),
+					}),
+				}),
+			}),
+			cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
+				"foo": cty.ListVal([]cty.Value{
+					cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
+						"attr": cty.UnknownVal(cty.String),
+					}),
+				}),
+			}),
+			"",
+		},
 		"unknown nested set": {
 			&Block{
 				Attributes: map[string]*Attribute{
diff --git a/configs/configschema/decoder_spec.go b/configs/configschema/decoder_spec.go
index d8f41eabc7..e748dd20de 100644
--- a/configs/configschema/decoder_spec.go
+++ b/configs/configschema/decoder_spec.go
@@ -33,6 +33,14 @@ func (b *Block) DecoderSpec() hcldec.Spec {
 
 		childSpec := blockS.Block.DecoderSpec()
 
+		// We can only validate 0 or 1 for MinItems, because a dynamic block
+		// may satisfy any number of min items while only having a single
+		// block in the config.
+		minItems := 0
+		if blockS.MinItems > 1 {
+			minItems = 1
+		}
+
 		switch blockS.Nesting {
 		case NestingSingle, NestingGroup:
 			ret[name] = &hcldec.BlockSpec{
@@ -57,14 +65,14 @@ func (b *Block) DecoderSpec() hcldec.Spec {
 				ret[name] = &hcldec.BlockTupleSpec{
 					TypeName: name,
 					Nested:   childSpec,
-					MinItems: blockS.MinItems,
+					MinItems: minItems,
 					MaxItems: blockS.MaxItems,
 				}
 			} else {
 				ret[name] = &hcldec.BlockListSpec{
 					TypeName: name,
 					Nested:   childSpec,
-					MinItems: blockS.MinItems,
+					MinItems: minItems,
 					MaxItems: blockS.MaxItems,
 				}
 			}
@@ -77,7 +85,7 @@ func (b *Block) DecoderSpec() hcldec.Spec {
 			ret[name] = &hcldec.BlockSetSpec{
 				TypeName: name,
 				Nested:   childSpec,
-				MinItems: blockS.MinItems,
+				MinItems: minItems,
 				MaxItems: blockS.MaxItems,
 			}
 		case NestingMap:
diff --git a/configs/configschema/decoder_spec_test.go b/configs/configschema/decoder_spec_test.go
index b779f2c352..d6f6a6a153 100644
--- a/configs/configschema/decoder_spec_test.go
+++ b/configs/configschema/decoder_spec_test.go
@@ -356,6 +356,33 @@ func TestBlockDecoderSpec(t *testing.T) {
 			}),
 			1, // too many "foo" blocks
 		},
+		// dynamic blocks may fulfill MinItems, but there is only one block to
+		// decode.
+		"required MinItems": {
+			&Block{
+				BlockTypes: map[string]*NestedBlock{
+					"foo": {
+						Nesting:  NestingList,
+						Block:    Block{},
+						MinItems: 2,
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			hcltest.MockBody(&hcl.BodyContent{
+				Blocks: hcl.Blocks{
+					&hcl.Block{
+						Type: "foo",
+						Body: hcl.EmptyBody(),
+					},
+				},
+			}),
+			cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
+				"foo": cty.ListVal([]cty.Value{
+					cty.EmptyObjectVal,
+				}),
+			}),
+			0,
+		},
 		"extraneous attribute": {
 			&Block{},
 			hcltest.MockBody(&hcl.BodyContent{