diff --git a/aws/resource_aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target.go b/aws/resource_aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target.go
index e4f1a0c7be6..dfced2ee2c8 100644
--- a/aws/resource_aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target.go
+++ b/aws/resource_aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target.go
@@ -3,10 +3,12 @@ package aws
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
+	"regexp"
 
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws"
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/service/ssm"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/helper/schema"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/helper/validation"
 )
 
 func resourceAwsSsmMaintenanceWindowTarget() *schema.Resource {
@@ -48,6 +50,20 @@ func resourceAwsSsmMaintenanceWindowTarget() *schema.Resource {
 				},
 			},
 
+			"name": {
+				Type:         schema.TypeString,
+				Optional:     true,
+				ForceNew:     true,
+				ValidateFunc: validation.StringMatch(regexp.MustCompile(`^[a-zA-Z0-9_\-.]{3,128}$`), "Only alphanumeric characters, hyphens, dots & underscores allowed"),
+			},
+
+			"description": {
+				Type:         schema.TypeString,
+				Optional:     true,
+				ForceNew:     true,
+				ValidateFunc: validation.StringLenBetween(3, 128),
+			},
+
 			"owner_information": {
 				Type:     schema.TypeString,
 				Optional: true,
@@ -65,6 +81,8 @@ func resourceAwsSsmMaintenanceWindowTargetCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta in
 		WindowId:     aws.String(d.Get("window_id").(string)),
 		ResourceType: aws.String(d.Get("resource_type").(string)),
 		Targets:      expandAwsSsmTargets(d.Get("targets").([]interface{})),
+		Name:         aws.String(d.Get("name").(string)),
+		Description:  aws.String(d.Get("description").(string)),
 	}
 
 	if v, ok := d.GetOk("owner_information"); ok {
@@ -107,6 +125,8 @@ func resourceAwsSsmMaintenanceWindowTargetRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta inte
 			d.Set("owner_information", t.OwnerInformation)
 			d.Set("window_id", t.WindowId)
 			d.Set("resource_type", t.ResourceType)
+			d.Set("name", t.Name)
+			d.Set("description", t.Description)
 
 			if err := d.Set("targets", flattenAwsSsmTargets(t.Targets)); err != nil {
 				return fmt.Errorf("Error setting targets error: %#v", err)
diff --git a/aws/resource_aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target_test.go b/aws/resource_aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target_test.go
index e6b189788cc..d92e815b033 100644
--- a/aws/resource_aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target_test.go
+++ b/aws/resource_aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package aws
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"regexp"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws"
@@ -30,6 +31,8 @@ func TestAccAWSSSMMaintenanceWindowTarget_basic(t *testing.T) {
 					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr("aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target.target", "targets.1.values.#", "2"),
 					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr("aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target.target", "targets.1.values.0", "acceptance_test"),
 					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr("aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target.target", "targets.1.values.1", "acceptance_test2"),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr("aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target.target", "name", "TestMaintenanceWindowTarget"),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr("aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target.target", "description", "This resource is for test purpose only"),
 				),
 			},
 			{
@@ -41,6 +44,29 @@ func TestAccAWSSSMMaintenanceWindowTarget_basic(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestAccAWSSSMMaintenanceWindowTarget_validation(t *testing.T) {
+	name := acctest.RandString(10)
+	resource.ParallelTest(t, resource.TestCase{
+		PreCheck:     func() { testAccPreCheck(t) },
+		Providers:    testAccProviders,
+		CheckDestroy: testAccCheckAWSSSMMaintenanceWindowTargetDestroy,
+		Steps: []resource.TestStep{
+			{
+				Config:      testAccAWSSSMMaintenanceWindowTargetBasicConfigWithTarget(name, "Bäd Name!@#$%^", "good description"),
+				ExpectError: regexp.MustCompile(`Only alphanumeric characters, hyphens, dots & underscores allowed`),
+			},
+			{
+				Config:      testAccAWSSSMMaintenanceWindowTargetBasicConfigWithTarget(name, "goodname", "bd"),
+				ExpectError: regexp.MustCompile(`expected length of [\w]+ to be in the range \(3 - 128\), got [\w]+`),
+			},
+			{
+				Config:      testAccAWSSSMMaintenanceWindowTargetBasicConfigWithTarget(name, "goodname", "This description is tooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo long"),
+				ExpectError: regexp.MustCompile(`expected length of [\w]+ to be in the range \(3 - 128\), got [\w]+`),
+			},
+		},
+	})
+}
+
 func TestAccAWSSSMMaintenanceWindowTarget_update(t *testing.T) {
 	name := acctest.RandString(10)
 	resource.ParallelTest(t, resource.TestCase{
@@ -59,6 +85,8 @@ func TestAccAWSSSMMaintenanceWindowTarget_update(t *testing.T) {
 					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr("aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target.target", "targets.1.values.#", "2"),
 					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr("aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target.target", "targets.1.values.0", "acceptance_test"),
 					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr("aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target.target", "targets.1.values.1", "acceptance_test2"),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr("aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target.target", "name", "TestMaintenanceWindowTarget"),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr("aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target.target", "description", "This resource is for test purpose only"),
 				),
 			},
 			{
@@ -72,6 +100,8 @@ func TestAccAWSSSMMaintenanceWindowTarget_update(t *testing.T) {
 					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr("aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target.target", "targets.1.key", "tag:Updated"),
 					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr("aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target.target", "targets.1.values.#", "1"),
 					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr("aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target.target", "targets.1.values.0", "new-value"),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr("aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target.target", "name", "TestMaintenanceWindowTarget"),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr("aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target.target", "description", "This resource is for test purpose only - updated"),
 				),
 			},
 		},
@@ -160,6 +190,8 @@ resource "aws_ssm_maintenance_window" "foo" {
 }
 
 resource "aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target" "target" {
+  name = "TestMaintenanceWindowTarget"
+  description = "This resource is for test purpose only"
   window_id = "${aws_ssm_maintenance_window.foo.id}"
   resource_type = "INSTANCE"
   targets {
@@ -184,6 +216,8 @@ resource "aws_ssm_maintenance_window" "foo" {
 }
 
 resource "aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target" "target" {
+  name = "TestMaintenanceWindowTarget"
+  description = "This resource is for test purpose only - updated"
   window_id = "${aws_ssm_maintenance_window.foo.id}"
   resource_type = "INSTANCE"
   owner_information = "something"
@@ -198,3 +232,30 @@ resource "aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target" "target" {
 }
 `, rName)
 }
+
+func testAccAWSSSMMaintenanceWindowTargetBasicConfigWithTarget(rName, tName, tDesc string) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf(`
+resource "aws_ssm_maintenance_window" "foo" {
+  name = "maintenance-window-%s"
+  schedule = "cron(0 16 ? * TUE *)"
+  duration = 3
+  cutoff = 1
+}
+
+resource "aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target" "target" {
+  name = "%s"
+  description = "%s"
+  window_id = "${aws_ssm_maintenance_window.foo.id}"
+  resource_type = "INSTANCE"
+  owner_information = "something"
+  targets {
+    key = "tag:Name"
+    values = ["acceptance_test"]
+  }
+  targets {
+    key = "tag:Updated"
+    values = ["new-value"]
+  }
+}
+`, rName, tName, tDesc)
+}
diff --git a/website/docs/r/ssm_maintenance_window_target.html.markdown b/website/docs/r/ssm_maintenance_window_target.html.markdown
index dca2d0b568d..c8960afb686 100644
--- a/website/docs/r/ssm_maintenance_window_target.html.markdown
+++ b/website/docs/r/ssm_maintenance_window_target.html.markdown
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ resource "aws_ssm_maintenance_window" "window" {
 
 resource "aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target" "target1" {
   window_id     = "${aws_ssm_maintenance_window.window.id}"
+  name             = "maintenance-window-target"
+  description      = "This is a maintenance window target"
   resource_type = "INSTANCE"
 
   targets {
@@ -36,6 +38,8 @@ resource "aws_ssm_maintenance_window_target" "target1" {
 The following arguments are supported:
 
 * `window_id` - (Required) The Id of the maintenance window to register the target with.
+* `name` - (Optional) The name of the maintenance window target.
+* `description` - (Optional) The description of the maintenance window target.
 * `resource_type` - (Required) The type of target being registered with the Maintenance Window. Possible values `INSTANCE`.
 * `targets` - (Required) The targets (either instances or tags). Instances are specified using Key=instanceids,Values=instanceid1,instanceid2. Tags are specified using Key=tag name,Values=tag value.
 * `owner_information` - (Optional) User-provided value that will be included in any CloudWatch events raised while running tasks for these targets in this Maintenance Window.