diff --git a/docs/resources/acl.md b/docs/resources/acl.md
index 21750aa7..eac7cdde 100644
--- a/docs/resources/acl.md
+++ b/docs/resources/acl.md
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ description: |-
 
 The acl resource allows you to configure a Tailscale ACL. See https://tailscale.com/kb/1018/acls for more information. Note that this resource will completely overwrite existing ACL contents for a given tailnet.
 
+If tests are defined in the ACL (the top-level `tests` section), ACL validation will occur before creation and update operations are applied.
+
 ## Example Usage
 
 ```terraform
diff --git a/tailscale/resource_acl.go b/tailscale/resource_acl.go
index 5009b52f..d923545e 100644
--- a/tailscale/resource_acl.go
+++ b/tailscale/resource_acl.go
@@ -93,6 +93,10 @@ func resourceACLCreate(ctx context.Context, d *schema.ResourceData, m interface{
 		return diagnosticsError(err, "Failed to unmarshal ACL")
 	}
 
+	if err := runACLTests(ctx, client, d, acl); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	// Setting the `ts-default` ETag will make this operation succeed only if
 	// ACL contents has never been changed from its default value.
 	if err := client.SetACL(ctx, acl, tailscale.WithETag("ts-default")); err != nil {
@@ -123,6 +127,10 @@ func resourceACLUpdate(ctx context.Context, d *schema.ResourceData, m interface{
 		return diagnosticsError(err, "Failed to unmarshal ACL")
 	}
 
+	if err := runACLTests(ctx, client, d, acl); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	if err := client.SetACL(ctx, acl); err != nil {
 		return diagnosticsError(err, "Failed to set ACL")
 	}
@@ -148,3 +156,16 @@ func unmarshalACL(s string) (tailscale.ACL, error) {
 
 	return acl, nil
 }
+
+func runACLTests(ctx context.Context, client *tailscale.Client, d *schema.ResourceData, acl tailscale.ACL) diag.Diagnostics {
+	if len(acl.Tests) == 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// TODO: It might be useful to have an attribute on the resource to be able to bypass this.
+	if err := client.ValidateACL(ctx, acl); err != nil {
+		return diagnosticsError(err, "Failed to validate ACL")
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}