diff --git a/.changelog/2570.txt b/.changelog/2570.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..56dc6aa807
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/2570.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:improvement
+deferred actions: return unknown value instead of nil when requesting deferral of a planned resource change.
+```
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.github/workflows/acceptance_test_dfa.yaml b/.github/workflows/acceptance_test_dfa.yaml
index d5fb96213f..aa0b99e5d4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/acceptance_test_dfa.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/acceptance_test_dfa.yaml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ on:
     inputs:
       terraformVersion:
         description: Terraform version
-        default: 1.9.0-alpha20240516
+        default: 1.10.0-alpha20240807
 
 jobs:
   acceptance_tests:
diff --git a/manifest/provider/import.go b/manifest/provider/import.go
index cf6417c01f..c0e469c6fa 100644
--- a/manifest/provider/import.go
+++ b/manifest/provider/import.go
@@ -27,7 +27,16 @@ func (s *RawProviderServer) ImportResourceState(ctx context.Context, req *tfprot
 
 	cp := req.ClientCapabilities
 	if cp != nil && cp.DeferralAllowed && s.clientConfigUnknown {
+		v := tftypes.NewValue(tftypes.DynamicPseudoType, tftypes.UnknownValue)
+		dv, err := tfprotov5.NewDynamicValue(v.Type(), v)
+		if err != nil {
+			return resp, err
+		}
 		// if client support it, request deferral when client configuration not fully known
+		resp.ImportedResources = append(resp.ImportedResources, &tfprotov5.ImportedResource{
+			TypeName: req.TypeName,
+			State:    &dv,
+		})
 		resp.Deferred = &tfprotov5.Deferred{
 			Reason: tfprotov5.DeferredReasonProviderConfigUnknown,
 		}
diff --git a/manifest/provider/plan.go b/manifest/provider/plan.go
index 0d8cb82fe7..b025e36298 100644
--- a/manifest/provider/plan.go
+++ b/manifest/provider/plan.go
@@ -130,10 +130,49 @@ func isImportedFlagFromPrivate(p []byte) (f bool, d []*tfprotov5.Diagnostic) {
 func (s *RawProviderServer) PlanResourceChange(ctx context.Context, req *tfprotov5.PlanResourceChangeRequest) (*tfprotov5.PlanResourceChangeResponse, error) {
 	resp := &tfprotov5.PlanResourceChangeResponse{}
 
+	rt, err := GetResourceType(req.TypeName)
+	if err != nil {
+		resp.Diagnostics = append(resp.Diagnostics, &tfprotov5.Diagnostic{
+			Severity: tfprotov5.DiagnosticSeverityError,
+			Summary:  "Failed to determine planned resource type",
+			Detail:   err.Error(),
+		})
+		return resp, nil
+	}
+	// Decode proposed resource state
+	proposedState, err := req.ProposedNewState.Unmarshal(rt)
+	if err != nil {
+		resp.Diagnostics = append(resp.Diagnostics, &tfprotov5.Diagnostic{
+			Severity: tfprotov5.DiagnosticSeverityError,
+			Summary:  "Failed to unmarshal planned resource state",
+			Detail:   err.Error(),
+		})
+		return resp, nil
+	}
+	s.logger.Trace("[PlanResourceChange]", "[ProposedState]", dump(proposedState))
+
+	proposedVal := make(map[string]tftypes.Value)
+	err = proposedState.As(&proposedVal)
+	if err != nil {
+		resp.Diagnostics = append(resp.Diagnostics, &tfprotov5.Diagnostic{
+			Severity: tfprotov5.DiagnosticSeverityError,
+			Summary:  "Failed to extract planned resource state from tftypes.Value",
+			Detail:   err.Error(),
+		})
+		return resp, nil
+	}
+
 	canDeferr := req.ClientCapabilities != nil && req.ClientCapabilities.DeferralAllowed
 
 	if canDeferr && s.clientConfigUnknown {
 		// if client supports it, request deferral when client configuration not fully known
+		proposedVal["object"] = tftypes.NewValue(tftypes.DynamicPseudoType, tftypes.UnknownValue)
+		newPlannedState := tftypes.NewValue(proposedState.Type(), proposedVal)
+		ps, err := tfprotov5.NewDynamicValue(newPlannedState.Type(), newPlannedState)
+		if err != nil {
+			return resp, err
+		}
+		resp.PlannedState = &ps
 		resp.Deferred = &tfprotov5.Deferred{
 			Reason: tfprotov5.DeferredReasonProviderConfigUnknown,
 		}
@@ -164,38 +203,6 @@ func (s *RawProviderServer) PlanResourceChange(ctx context.Context, req *tfproto
 		return resp, nil
 	}
 
-	rt, err := GetResourceType(req.TypeName)
-	if err != nil {
-		resp.Diagnostics = append(resp.Diagnostics, &tfprotov5.Diagnostic{
-			Severity: tfprotov5.DiagnosticSeverityError,
-			Summary:  "Failed to determine planned resource type",
-			Detail:   err.Error(),
-		})
-		return resp, nil
-	}
-	// Decode proposed resource state
-	proposedState, err := req.ProposedNewState.Unmarshal(rt)
-	if err != nil {
-		resp.Diagnostics = append(resp.Diagnostics, &tfprotov5.Diagnostic{
-			Severity: tfprotov5.DiagnosticSeverityError,
-			Summary:  "Failed to unmarshal planned resource state",
-			Detail:   err.Error(),
-		})
-		return resp, nil
-	}
-	s.logger.Trace("[PlanResourceChange]", "[ProposedState]", dump(proposedState))
-
-	proposedVal := make(map[string]tftypes.Value)
-	err = proposedState.As(&proposedVal)
-	if err != nil {
-		resp.Diagnostics = append(resp.Diagnostics, &tfprotov5.Diagnostic{
-			Severity: tfprotov5.DiagnosticSeverityError,
-			Summary:  "Failed to extract planned resource state from tftypes.Value",
-			Detail:   err.Error(),
-		})
-		return resp, nil
-	}
-
 	computedFields := make(map[string]*tftypes.AttributePath)
 	var atp *tftypes.AttributePath
 	cfVal, ok := proposedVal["computed_fields"]
diff --git a/manifest/provider/read.go b/manifest/provider/read.go
index 41143726fc..632b6681db 100644
--- a/manifest/provider/read.go
+++ b/manifest/provider/read.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ func (s *RawProviderServer) ReadResource(ctx context.Context, req *tfprotov5.Rea
 	cp := req.ClientCapabilities
 	if cp != nil && cp.DeferralAllowed && s.clientConfigUnknown {
 		// if client support it, request deferral when client configuration not fully known
+		resp.NewState = req.CurrentState
 		resp.Deferred = &tfprotov5.Deferred{
 			Reason: tfprotov5.DeferredReasonProviderConfigUnknown,
 		}