diff --git a/google/resource_sql_database_instance.go b/google/resource_sql_database_instance.go
index 433894ce..154ded99 100644
--- a/google/resource_sql_database_instance.go
+++ b/google/resource_sql_database_instance.go
@@ -617,20 +617,23 @@ func resourceSqlDatabaseInstanceCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{})
 		return err
 	}
 
-	// If a root user exists with a wildcard ('%') hostname, delete it.
-	users, err := config.clientSqlAdmin.Users.List(project, instance.Name).Do()
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Error, attempting to list users associated with instance %s: %s", instance.Name, err)
-	}
-	for _, u := range users.Items {
-		if u.Name == "root" && u.Host == "%" {
-			op, err = config.clientSqlAdmin.Users.Delete(project, instance.Name, u.Host, u.Name).Do()
-			if err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("Error, failed to delete default 'root'@'*' user, but the database was created successfully: %s", err)
-			}
-			err = sqladminOperationWait(config, op, "Delete default root User")
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
+	// If a default root user was created with a wildcard ('%') hostname, delete it. Note that if the resource is a
+	// replica, then any users are inherited from the master instance and should be left alone.
+	if !sqlResourceIsReplica(d) {
+		users, err := config.clientSqlAdmin.Users.List(project, instance.Name).Do()
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Error, attempting to list users associated with instance %s: %s", instance.Name, err)
+		}
+		for _, u := range users.Items {
+			if u.Name == "root" && u.Host == "%" {
+				op, err = config.clientSqlAdmin.Users.Delete(project, instance.Name, u.Host, u.Name).Do()
+				if err != nil {
+					return fmt.Errorf("Error, failed to delete default 'root'@'*' user, but the database was created successfully: %s", err)
+				}
+				err = sqladminOperationWait(config, op, "Delete default root User")
+				if err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -1104,3 +1107,10 @@ func flattenIpAddresses(ipAddresses []*sqladmin.IpMapping) []map[string]interfac
 func instanceMutexKey(project, instance_name string) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("google-sql-database-instance-%s-%s", project, instance_name)
 }
+
+// sqlResourceIsReplica returns true if the provided schema.ResourceData represents a replica SQL instance, and false
+// otherwise.
+func sqlResourceIsReplica(d *schema.ResourceData) bool {
+	_, ok := d.GetOk("master_instance_name")
+	return ok
+}
diff --git a/google/resource_sql_database_instance_test.go b/google/resource_sql_database_instance_test.go
index 133f6c0d..314c62fe 100644
--- a/google/resource_sql_database_instance_test.go
+++ b/google/resource_sql_database_instance_test.go
@@ -188,6 +188,54 @@ func TestAccGoogleSqlDatabaseInstance_basic3(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	})
 }
+
+func TestAccGoogleSqlDatabaseInstance_dontDeleteDefaultUserOnReplica(t *testing.T) {
+	var instance sqladmin.DatabaseInstance
+	databaseName := "sql-instance-test-" + acctest.RandString(10)
+	failoverName := "sql-instance-test-failover-" + acctest.RandString(10)
+	// 1. Create an instance.
+	// 2. Add a root@'%' user.
+	// 3. Create a replica and assert it succeeds (it'll fail if we try to delete the root user thinking it's a
+	//    default user)
+	resource.Test(t, resource.TestCase{
+		PreCheck:     func() { testAccPreCheck(t) },
+		Providers:    testAccProviders,
+		CheckDestroy: testAccGoogleSqlDatabaseInstanceDestroy,
+		Steps: []resource.TestStep{
+			resource.TestStep{
+				Config: testGoogleSqlDatabaseInstanceConfig_withoutReplica(databaseName),
+				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
+					testAccCheckGoogleSqlDatabaseInstanceExists(
+						"google_sql_database_instance.instance", &instance),
+					testAccCheckGoogleSqlDatabaseInstanceEquals(
+						"google_sql_database_instance.instance", &instance),
+				),
+			}, resource.TestStep{
+				PreConfig: func() {
+					// Add a root user
+					config := testAccProvider.Meta().(*Config)
+					user := sqladmin.User{
+						Name:     "root",
+						Host:     "%",
+						Password: acctest.RandString(26),
+					}
+					op, err := config.clientSqlAdmin.Users.Insert(config.Project, databaseName, &user).Do()
+					if err != nil {
+						t.Errorf("Error while inserting root@%% user: %s", err)
+						return
+					}
+					err = sqladminOperationWait(config, op, "Waiting for user to insert")
+					if err != nil {
+						t.Errorf("Error while waiting for user insert operation to complete: %s", err.Error())
+					}
+					// User was created, now create replica
+				},
+				Config: testGoogleSqlDatabaseInstanceConfig_withReplica(databaseName, failoverName),
+			},
+		},
+	})
+}
+
 func TestAccGoogleSqlDatabaseInstance_settings_basic(t *testing.T) {
 	var instance sqladmin.DatabaseInstance
 	databaseID := acctest.RandInt()
@@ -650,6 +698,59 @@ resource "google_sql_database_instance" "instance" {
 }
 `
 
+func testGoogleSqlDatabaseInstanceConfig_withoutReplica(instanceName string) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf(`resource "google_sql_database_instance" "instance" {
+  name               = "%s"
+  region             = "us-central1"
+  database_version   = "MYSQL_5_7"
+
+  settings {
+    tier             = "db-n1-standard-1"
+
+    backup_configuration {
+        binary_log_enabled = "true"
+        enabled            = "true"
+        start_time         = "18:00"
+    }
+  }
+}`, instanceName)
+}
+
+func testGoogleSqlDatabaseInstanceConfig_withReplica(instanceName, failoverName string) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf(`
+resource "google_sql_database_instance" "instance" {
+  name               = "%s"
+  region             = "us-central1"
+  database_version   = "MYSQL_5_7"
+
+  settings {
+    tier             = "db-n1-standard-1"
+
+    backup_configuration {
+        binary_log_enabled = "true"
+        enabled            = "true"
+        start_time         = "18:00"
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+resource "google_sql_database_instance" "instance-failover" {
+  name               = "%s"
+  region             = "us-central1"
+  database_version   = "MYSQL_5_7"
+  master_instance_name = "${google_sql_database_instance.instance.name}"
+
+  replica_configuration {
+    failover_target        = "true"
+  }
+
+  settings {
+    tier             = "db-n1-standard-1"
+  }
+}
+`, instanceName, failoverName)
+}
+
 var testGoogleSqlDatabaseInstance_settings = `
 resource "google_sql_database_instance" "instance" {
 	name = "tf-lw-%d"