diff --git a/internal/terraform/context_import_test.go b/internal/terraform/context_import_test.go
index 82d48d00df..04178aaf3e 100644
--- a/internal/terraform/context_import_test.go
+++ b/internal/terraform/context_import_test.go
@@ -1031,6 +1031,61 @@ func TestContextImport_33572(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestContextImport_deferred(t *testing.T) {
+	p := testProvider("aws")
+	m := testModule(t, "import-provider")
+	ctx := testContext2(t, &ContextOpts{
+		Providers: map[addrs.Provider]providers.Factory{
+			addrs.NewDefaultProvider("aws"): testProviderFuncFixed(p),
+		},
+	})
+
+	p.ImportResourceStateResponse = &providers.ImportResourceStateResponse{
+		Deferred: &providers.Deferred{
+			Reason: providers.DeferredReasonAbsentPrereq,
+		},
+		ImportedResources: []providers.ImportedResource{
+			{
+				TypeName: "aws_instance",
+				State: cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
+					"id": cty.StringVal("foo"),
+				}),
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	state, diags := ctx.Import(m, states.NewState(), &ImportOpts{
+		Targets: []*ImportTarget{
+			{
+				LegacyAddr: addrs.RootModuleInstance.ResourceInstance(
+					addrs.ManagedResourceMode, "aws_instance", "foo", addrs.NoKey,
+				),
+				IDString: "bar",
+			},
+		},
+	})
+	if !diags.HasErrors() {
+		t.Fatalf("expected errors, got none.")
+	}
+	if len(diags) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 1 error, got %d", len(diags))
+	}
+
+	expectedDiagSummary := "Cannot import deferred remote object"
+	if !strings.Contains(diags[0].Description().Summary, expectedDiagSummary) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected error to contain %q, got %q", expectedDiagSummary, diags[0].Description().Summary)
+	}
+
+	expectedDiagDetail := `While attempting to import an existing object to "aws_instance.foo", the provider deferred importing the resource`
+	if !strings.Contains(diags[0].Description().Detail, expectedDiagDetail) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected error to contain %q, got %q", expectedDiagDetail, diags[0].Description().Detail)
+	}
+
+	if !state.Empty() {
+		t.Fatalf("expected empty state, got %s", state)
+	}
+}
+
 const testImportStr = `
 aws_instance.foo:
   ID = foo
diff --git a/internal/terraform/node_resource_import.go b/internal/terraform/node_resource_import.go
index 61b0359a74..d7c6c5b6a6 100644
--- a/internal/terraform/node_resource_import.go
+++ b/internal/terraform/node_resource_import.go
@@ -95,10 +95,26 @@ func (n *graphNodeImportState) Execute(ctx EvalContext, op walkOperation) (diags
 	}
 
 	resp := provider.ImportResourceState(providers.ImportResourceStateRequest{
-		TypeName: n.Addr.Resource.Resource.Type,
-		ID:       n.ID,
+		TypeName:        n.Addr.Resource.Resource.Type,
+		ID:              n.ID,
+		DeferralAllowed: ctx.Deferrals().DeferralAllowed(),
 	})
 	diags = diags.Append(resp.Diagnostics)
+	if resp.Deferred != nil {
+		diags = diags.Append(tfdiags.Sourceless(
+			tfdiags.Error,
+			"Cannot import deferred remote object",
+			fmt.Sprintf(
+				"While attempting to import an existing object to %q, "+
+					"the provider deferred importing the resource. "+
+					"Please either use an import block for importing this resource "+
+					"or remove the to be imported resource from your configuration, "+
+					"apply the configuration using \"terraform apply\", "+
+					"add the to be imported resource again, and retry the import operation.",
+				n.Addr,
+			),
+		))
+	}
 	if diags.HasErrors() {
 		return diags
 	}