diff --git a/.changelog/3115.txt b/.changelog/3115.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..eab7a411b51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/3115.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:enhancement
+container: `google_container_cluster` will allow importing / updating / deleting clusters in error states
+```
diff --git a/google/resource_container_cluster.go b/google/resource_container_cluster.go
index 5f920163077..75075a61112 100644
--- a/google/resource_container_cluster.go
+++ b/google/resource_container_cluster.go
@@ -1021,9 +1021,6 @@ func resourceContainerClusterRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) erro
 	if err != nil {
 		return handleNotFoundError(err, d, fmt.Sprintf("Container Cluster %q", d.Get("name").(string)))
 	}
-	if cluster.Status == "ERROR" || cluster.Status == "DEGRADED" {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Cluster %q has status %q with message %q", d.Get("name"), cluster.Status, cluster.StatusMessage)
-	}
 
 	d.Set("name", cluster.Name)
 	if err := d.Set("network_policy", flattenNetworkPolicy(cluster.NetworkPolicy)); err != nil {