diff --git a/vsphere/resource_vsphere_virtual_disk.go b/vsphere/resource_vsphere_virtual_disk.go
index 0255dcac7..49a3fec20 100644
--- a/vsphere/resource_vsphere_virtual_disk.go
+++ b/vsphere/resource_vsphere_virtual_disk.go
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@
 package vsphere
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
 	"errors"
@@ -497,7 +499,21 @@ func searchForDirectory(client *govmomi.Client, datacenter string, datastore str
 
 func resourceVSphereVirtualDiskImport(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) ([]*schema.ResourceData, error) {
 	client := meta.(*Client).vimClient
-	p := d.Id()
+	var data map[string]string
+	if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(d.Id()), &data); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	createDirectories, ok := data["create_directories"]
+	if ok {
+		createDirectoriesBool, _ := strconv.ParseBool(createDirectories)
+		log.Printf("[INFO] Set create_directories during import: %v", createDirectoriesBool)
+		_ = d.Set("create_directories", createDirectoriesBool)
+	}
+
+	p, ok := data["virtual_disk_path"]
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, errors.New("missing virtual_disk_path in input data")
+	}
 	if !strings.HasPrefix(p, "/") {
 		return nil, errors.New("ID must start with a trailing slash")
 	}
@@ -525,10 +541,12 @@ func resourceVSphereVirtualDiskImport(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{})
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Invalid datastore path '%s'", di.Name)
 	}
 
+	//addrParts[2] is in form: [<datastore>]path/to/vmdk
+	vmdkPath := strings.Split(addrParts[2], "]")[1]
 	_ = d.Set("datacenter", dc.Name())
 	_ = d.Set("datastore", dp.Datastore)
-	_ = d.Set("vmdk_path", dp.Path)
-	d.SetId(dp.Path)
+	_ = d.Set("vmdk_path", vmdkPath)
+	d.SetId(vmdkPath)
 
 	return []*schema.ResourceData{d}, nil
 }
diff --git a/website/docs/r/virtual_disk.html.markdown b/website/docs/r/virtual_disk.html.markdown
index a80385488..4879a047b 100644
--- a/website/docs/r/virtual_disk.html.markdown
+++ b/website/docs/r/virtual_disk.html.markdown
@@ -88,10 +88,11 @@ via supplying the full datastore path to the virtual disk. An example is below:
 [docs-import]: https://www.terraform.io/docs/import/index.html
 
 ```
-terraform import vsphere_virtual_disk.virtual_disk "/dc-01/[datastore-01] foo/bar.vmdk"
+terraform import vsphere_virtual_disk.virtual_disk \
+  '{"virtual_disk_path": "/dc-01/[datastore-01]foo/bar.vmdk", \ "create_directories": "true"}'
 ```
 
 The above would import the virtual disk located at `foo/bar.vmdk` in the `datastore-01`
-datastore of the `dc-01` datacenter.
+datastore of the `dc-01` datacenter with `create_directories` set as `true`.
 
 ~> **NOTE:** Import is not supported if using the **deprecated** `adapter_type` field.
\ No newline at end of file