diff --git a/google/resource_dns_record_set.go b/google/resource_dns_record_set.go
index 71943a03..0c4c6fe2 100644
--- a/google/resource_dns_record_set.go
+++ b/google/resource_dns_record_set.go
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ func resourceDnsRecordSetCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error
 		var deletions []*dns.ResourceRecordSet
 
 		for _, record := range res.Rrsets {
-			if record.Type != "NS" {
+			if record.Type != "NS" || record.Name != d.Get("name").(string) {
 				continue
 			}
 			deletions = append(deletions, record)
@@ -164,14 +164,6 @@ func resourceDnsRecordSetRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error {
 }
 
 func resourceDnsRecordSetDelete(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error {
-
-	// NS records must always have a value, so we short-circuit delete
-	// this allows terraform delete to work, but may have unexpected
-	// side-effects when deleting just that record set.
-	if d.Get("type").(string) == "NS" {
-		log.Println("[DEBUG] NS records can't be deleted due to API restrictions, so they're being left in place. See https://www.terraform.io/docs/providers/google/r/dns_record_set.html for more information.")
-		return nil
-	}
 	config := meta.(*Config)
 
 	project, err := getProject(d, config)
@@ -181,6 +173,29 @@ func resourceDnsRecordSetDelete(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error
 
 	zone := d.Get("managed_zone").(string)
 
+	// NS records must always have a value, so we short-circuit delete
+	// this allows terraform delete to work, but may have unexpected
+	// side-effects when deleting just that record set.
+	// Unfortunately, you can set NS records on subdomains, and those
+	// CAN and MUST be deleted, so we need to retrieve the managed zone,
+	// check if what we're looking at is a subdomain, and only not delete
+	// if it's not actually a subdomain
+	var domain string
+	if d.Get("type").(string) == "NS" {
+		if domain == "" {
+			mz, err := config.clientDns.ManagedZones.Get(project, zone).Do()
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("Error retrieving managed zone %q from %q: %s", zone, project, err)
+			}
+			domain = mz.DnsName
+		}
+
+		if domain == d.Get("name").(string) {
+			log.Println("[DEBUG] NS records can't be deleted due to API restrictions, so they're being left in place. See https://www.terraform.io/docs/providers/google/r/dns_record_set.html for more information.")
+			return nil
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Build the change
 	chg := &dns.Change{
 		Deletions: []*dns.ResourceRecordSet{
diff --git a/google/resource_dns_record_set_test.go b/google/resource_dns_record_set_test.go
index 94aac3ef..f4553634 100644
--- a/google/resource_dns_record_set_test.go
+++ b/google/resource_dns_record_set_test.go
@@ -108,6 +108,24 @@ func TestAccDnsRecordSet_ns(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestAccDnsRecordSet_nestedNS(t *testing.T) {
+	zoneName := fmt.Sprintf("dnszone-test-ns-%s", acctest.RandString(10))
+	resource.Test(t, resource.TestCase{
+		PreCheck:     func() { testAccPreCheck(t) },
+		Providers:    testAccProviders,
+		CheckDestroy: testAccCheckDnsRecordSetDestroy,
+		Steps: []resource.TestStep{
+			resource.TestStep{
+				Config: testAccDnsRecordSet_nestedNS(zoneName, 300),
+				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
+					testAccCheckDnsRecordSetExists(
+						"google_dns_record_set.foobar", zoneName),
+				),
+			},
+		},
+	})
+}
+
 func testAccCheckDnsRecordSetDestroy(s *terraform.State) error {
 	config := testAccProvider.Meta().(*Config)
 
@@ -192,6 +210,23 @@ func testAccDnsRecordSet_ns(name string, ttl int) string {
 	`, name, ttl)
 }
 
+func testAccDnsRecordSet_nestedNS(name string, ttl int) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf(`
+	resource "google_dns_managed_zone" "parent-zone" {
+		name = "%s"
+		dns_name = "hashicorptest.com."
+		description = "Test Description"
+	}
+	resource "google_dns_record_set" "foobar" {
+		managed_zone = "${google_dns_managed_zone.parent-zone.name}"
+		name = "nested.hashicorptest.com."
+		type = "NS"
+		rrdatas = ["ns.hashicorp.services.", "ns2.hashicorp.services."]
+		ttl = %d
+	}
+	`, name, ttl)
+}
+
 func testAccDnsRecordSet_bigChange(zoneName string, ttl int) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf(`
 	resource "google_dns_managed_zone" "parent-zone" {