diff --git a/backend/local/backend_apply.go b/backend/local/backend_apply.go
index 8604d3ff93..8be67f472e 100644
--- a/backend/local/backend_apply.go
+++ b/backend/local/backend_apply.go
@@ -65,9 +65,9 @@ func (b *Local) opApply(
 		// If we're refreshing before apply, perform that
 		if op.PlanRefresh {
 			log.Printf("[INFO] backend/local: apply calling Refresh")
-			_, err := tfCtx.Refresh()
-			if err != nil {
-				diags = diags.Append(err)
+			_, refreshDiags := tfCtx.Refresh()
+			diags = diags.Append(refreshDiags)
+			if diags.HasErrors() {
 				runningOp.Result = backend.OperationFailure
 				b.ShowDiagnostics(diags)
 				return
diff --git a/backend/local/backend_plan.go b/backend/local/backend_plan.go
index 247076d315..ed51acc986 100644
--- a/backend/local/backend_plan.go
+++ b/backend/local/backend_plan.go
@@ -86,9 +86,9 @@ func (b *Local) opPlan(
 			b.CLI.Output(b.Colorize().Color(strings.TrimSpace(planRefreshing) + "\n"))
 		}
 
-		refreshedState, err := tfCtx.Refresh()
-		if err != nil {
-			diags = diags.Append(err)
+		refreshedState, refreshDiags := tfCtx.Refresh()
+		diags = diags.Append(refreshDiags)
+		if diags.HasErrors() {
 			b.ReportResult(runningOp, diags)
 			return
 		}
diff --git a/configs/parser_config_dir.go b/configs/parser_config_dir.go
index afdd69833f..2923af93a0 100644
--- a/configs/parser_config_dir.go
+++ b/configs/parser_config_dir.go
@@ -154,9 +154,9 @@ func IsEmptyDir(path string) (bool, error) {
 	}
 
 	p := NewParser(nil)
-	fs, os, err := p.dirFiles(path)
-	if err != nil {
-		return false, err
+	fs, os, diags := p.dirFiles(path)
+	if diags.HasErrors() {
+		return false, diags
 	}
 
 	return len(fs) == 0 && len(os) == 0, nil
diff --git a/terraform/node_resource_abstract.go b/terraform/node_resource_abstract.go
index bdf62ab266..8d6f018327 100644
--- a/terraform/node_resource_abstract.go
+++ b/terraform/node_resource_abstract.go
@@ -170,12 +170,12 @@ func (n *NodeAbstractResource) References() []*addrs.Reference {
 		var result []*addrs.Reference
 
 		for _, traversal := range c.DependsOn {
-			ref, err := addrs.ParseRef(traversal)
-			if err != nil {
+			ref, diags := addrs.ParseRef(traversal)
+			if diags.HasErrors() {
 				// We ignore this here, because this isn't a suitable place to return
 				// errors. This situation should be caught and rejected during
 				// validation.
-				log.Printf("[ERROR] Can't parse %#v from depends_on as reference: %s", traversal, err)
+				log.Printf("[ERROR] Can't parse %#v from depends_on as reference: %s", traversal, diags.Err())
 				continue
 			}
 
diff --git a/tfdiags/contextual.go b/tfdiags/contextual.go
index 59c06b70b5..d55bc2f0ce 100644
--- a/tfdiags/contextual.go
+++ b/tfdiags/contextual.go
@@ -308,8 +308,8 @@ func hclRangeFromIndexStepAndAttribute(idxStep cty.IndexStep, attr *hcl.Attribut
 		}
 		stepKey := idxStep.Key.AsString()
 		for _, kvPair := range pairs {
-			key, err := kvPair.Key.Value(nil)
-			if err != nil {
+			key, diags := kvPair.Key.Value(nil)
+			if diags.HasErrors() {
 				return attr.Expr.Range()
 			}
 			if key.AsString() == stepKey {