diff --git a/digitalocean/loadbalancer/resource_loadbalancer.go b/digitalocean/loadbalancer/resource_loadbalancer.go
index 53585245f..446b2bc4e 100644
--- a/digitalocean/loadbalancer/resource_loadbalancer.go
+++ b/digitalocean/loadbalancer/resource_loadbalancer.go
@@ -81,6 +81,10 @@ func ResourceDigitalOceanLoadbalancer() *schema.Resource {
 				}
 			}
 
+			if err := loadbalancerDiffCheck(ctx, diff, v); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+
 			return nil
 		},
 	}
@@ -113,12 +117,35 @@ func resourceDigitalOceanLoadBalancerV1() map[string]*schema.Schema {
 	return loadBalancerV1Schema
 }
 
+func loadbalancerDiffCheck(ctx context.Context, d *schema.ResourceDiff, v interface{}) error {
+	typ, typSet := d.GetOk("type")
+	region, regionSet := d.GetOk("region")
+
+	if !typSet && !regionSet {
+		return fmt.Errorf("missing 'region' value")
+	}
+
+	typStr := typ.(string)
+	switch strings.ToUpper(typStr) {
+	case "GLOBAL":
+		if regionSet && region.(string) != "" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("'region' must be empty or not set when 'type' is '%s'", typStr)
+		}
+	case "REGIONAL":
+		if !regionSet || region.(string) == "" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("'region' must be set and not be empty when 'type' is '%s'", typStr)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 func resourceDigitalOceanLoadBalancerV0() *schema.Resource {
 	return &schema.Resource{
 		Schema: map[string]*schema.Schema{
 			"region": {
 				Type:     schema.TypeString,
-				Required: true,
+				Optional: true,
 				ForceNew: true,
 				StateFunc: func(val interface{}) string {
 					// DO API V2 region slug is always lowercase
@@ -404,10 +431,11 @@ func resourceDigitalOceanLoadBalancerV0() *schema.Resource {
 				},
 			},
 			"type": {
-				Type:        schema.TypeString,
-				Optional:    true,
-				ForceNew:    true,
-				Description: "the type of the load balancer (GLOBAL or REGIONAL)",
+				Type:         schema.TypeString,
+				Optional:     true,
+				ForceNew:     true,
+				ValidateFunc: validation.StringInSlice([]string{"REGIONAL", "GLOBAL"}, true),
+				Description:  "the type of the load balancer (GLOBAL or REGIONAL)",
 			},
 		},
 	}
diff --git a/digitalocean/loadbalancer/resource_loadbalancer_test.go b/digitalocean/loadbalancer/resource_loadbalancer_test.go
index b6609c9bf..d6b956be4 100644
--- a/digitalocean/loadbalancer/resource_loadbalancer_test.go
+++ b/digitalocean/loadbalancer/resource_loadbalancer_test.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/digitalocean/godo"
 	"github.com/digitalocean/terraform-provider-digitalocean/digitalocean/acceptance"
 	"github.com/digitalocean/terraform-provider-digitalocean/digitalocean/config"
+	"github.com/digitalocean/terraform-provider-digitalocean/digitalocean/loadbalancer"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform-plugin-sdk/v2/helper/resource"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform-plugin-sdk/v2/terraform"
 )
@@ -737,6 +738,101 @@ func TestAccDigitalOceanLoadbalancer_Firewall(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestLoadbalancerDiffCheck(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := []struct {
+		name         string
+		attrs        map[string]interface{}
+		expectError  bool
+		errorMessage string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:         "Missing type and region",
+			expectError:  true,
+			errorMessage: "missing 'region' value",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "Missing type",
+			expectError: false,
+			attrs: map[string]interface{}{
+				"region": "nyc3",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "Empty region",
+			expectError:  true,
+			errorMessage: "missing 'region' value",
+			attrs: map[string]interface{}{
+				"region": "",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "Regional type without region",
+			expectError:  true,
+			errorMessage: "'region' must be set and not be empty when 'type' is 'REGIONAL'",
+			attrs: map[string]interface{}{
+				"type": "REGIONAL",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "Regional type with empty region",
+			expectError:  true,
+			errorMessage: "'region' must be set and not be empty when 'type' is 'REGIONAL'",
+			attrs: map[string]interface{}{
+				"type":   "REGIONAL",
+				"region": "",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "Regional type with region",
+			expectError: false,
+			attrs: map[string]interface{}{
+				"type":   "REGIONAL",
+				"region": "nyc3",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "Global type without region",
+			expectError: false,
+			attrs: map[string]interface{}{
+				"type": "GLOBAL",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "Global type with empty region",
+			expectError: false,
+			attrs: map[string]interface{}{
+				"type":   "GLOBAL",
+				"region": "",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "Global type with region",
+			expectError:  true,
+			errorMessage: "'region' must be empty or not set when 'type' is 'GLOBAL'",
+			attrs: map[string]interface{}{
+				"type":   "GLOBAL",
+				"region": "nyc3",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, c := range cases {
+		t.Run(c.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			var s *terraform.InstanceState
+			conf := terraform.NewResourceConfigRaw(c.attrs)
+
+			r := loadbalancer.ResourceDigitalOceanLoadbalancer()
+			_, err := r.Diff(context.Background(), s, conf, nil)
+
+			if c.expectError {
+				if err.Error() != c.errorMessage {
+					t.Fatalf("Expected %s, got %s", c.errorMessage, err)
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func testAccCheckDigitalOceanLoadbalancerDestroy(s *terraform.State) error {
 	client := acceptance.TestAccProvider.Meta().(*config.CombinedConfig).GodoClient()