diff --git a/helm/data_template.go b/helm/data_template.go
index d3c686e46..5b1f71390 100644
--- a/helm/data_template.go
+++ b/helm/data_template.go
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ func dataTemplate() *schema.Resource {
 							// TODO: use ValidateDiagFunc once an SDK v2 version of StringInSlice exists.
 							// https://github.com/hashicorp/terraform-plugin-sdk/issues/534
 							ValidateFunc: validation.StringInSlice([]string{
-								"auto", "string",
+								"auto", "string", "literal",
 							}, false),
 						},
 					},
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ func dataTemplate() *schema.Resource {
 							Type:     schema.TypeString,
 							Optional: true,
 							ValidateFunc: validation.StringInSlice([]string{
-								"auto", "string",
+								"auto", "string", "literal",
 							}, false),
 						},
 					},
diff --git a/helm/resource_release.go b/helm/resource_release.go
index 1cd41468d..61e40e712 100644
--- a/helm/resource_release.go
+++ b/helm/resource_release.go
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ func resourceRelease() *schema.Resource {
 							// TODO: use ValidateDiagFunc once an SDK v2 version of StringInSlice exists.
 							// https://github.com/hashicorp/terraform-plugin-sdk/issues/534
 							ValidateFunc: validation.StringInSlice([]string{
-								"auto", "string",
+								"auto", "string", "literal",
 							}, false),
 						},
 					},
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ func resourceRelease() *schema.Resource {
 							Type:     schema.TypeString,
 							Optional: true,
 							ValidateFunc: validation.StringInSlice([]string{
-								"auto", "string",
+								"auto", "string", "literal",
 							}, false),
 						},
 					},
@@ -1394,6 +1394,10 @@ func getValue(base, set map[string]interface{}) error {
 		if err := strvals.ParseIntoString(fmt.Sprintf("%s=%s", name, value), base); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed parsing key %q with value %s, %s", name, value, err)
 		}
+	case "literal":
+		if err := strvals.ParseLiteralInto(fmt.Sprintf("%s=%s", name, value), base); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed parsing key %q with value %s, %s", name, value, err)
+		}
 	default:
 		return fmt.Errorf("unexpected type: %s", valueType)
 	}
diff --git a/helm/resource_release_test.go b/helm/resource_release_test.go
index 4187f3de0..5f7059771 100644
--- a/helm/resource_release_test.go
+++ b/helm/resource_release_test.go
@@ -1266,6 +1266,27 @@ func TestGetValuesString(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestGetValuesLiteral(t *testing.T) {
+	d := resourceRelease().Data(nil)
+	err := d.Set("set", []interface{}{
+		map[string]interface{}{"name": "foo", "value": "{[]_who", "type": "literal"},
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("error setting values: %s", err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	values, err := getValues(d)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("error getValues: %s", err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	if values["foo"] != "{[]_who" {
+		t.Fatalf("error merging values, expected %q, got %s", "{[]_who", values["foo"])
+	}
+}
+
 func TestUseChartVersion(t *testing.T) {
 
 	type test struct {