diff --git a/moto/ec2/models.py b/moto/ec2/models.py
index 64d9e02f2..89e25ba9c 100644
--- a/moto/ec2/models.py
+++ b/moto/ec2/models.py
@@ -286,6 +286,7 @@ class Instance(BotoInstance, TaggedEC2Resource):
         self.user_data = user_data
         self.security_groups = security_groups
         self.instance_type = kwargs.get("instance_type", "m1.small")
+        self.vpc_id = None
         self.subnet_id = kwargs.get("subnet_id")
         self.key_name = kwargs.get("key_name")
         self.source_dest_check = "true"
@@ -309,6 +310,10 @@ class Instance(BotoInstance, TaggedEC2Resource):
                 # string will have a "u" prefix -- need to get rid of it
                 self.user_data[0] = self.user_data[0].encode('utf-8')
 
+        if self.subnet_id:
+            subnet = ec2_backend.get_subnet(self.subnet_id)
+            self.vpc_id = subnet.vpc_id
+
         self.prep_nics(kwargs.get("nics", {}),
                        subnet_id=kwargs.get("subnet_id",None),
                        private_ip=kwargs.get("private_ip",None),
diff --git a/moto/ec2/utils.py b/moto/ec2/utils.py
index 9a91299b8..d5fba9d5f 100644
--- a/moto/ec2/utils.py
+++ b/moto/ec2/utils.py
@@ -274,6 +274,7 @@ filter_dict_attribute_mapping = {
     'instance-id': 'id',
     'state-reason-code': '_state_reason.code',
     'source-dest-check': 'source_dest_check',
+    'vpc-id': 'vpc_id',
 }
 
 def get_instance_value(instance, instance_attr):
diff --git a/tests/test_ec2/test_instances.py b/tests/test_ec2/test_instances.py
index f7b0ceaca..ec404b641 100644
--- a/tests/test_ec2/test_instances.py
+++ b/tests/test_ec2/test_instances.py
@@ -171,6 +171,30 @@ def test_get_instances_filtering_by_source_dest_check():
     source_dest_check_true[0].instances[0].id.should.equal(instance2.id)
 
 
+@mock_ec2
+def test_get_instances_filtering_by_vpc_id():
+    conn = boto.connect_vpc('the_key', 'the_secret')
+    vpc1 = conn.create_vpc("10.0.0.0/16")
+    subnet1 = conn.create_subnet(vpc1.id, "10.0.0.0/27")
+    reservation1 = conn.run_instances('ami-1234abcd', min_count=1, subnet_id=subnet1.id)
+    instance1 = reservation1.instances[0]
+
+    vpc2 = conn.create_vpc("10.1.0.0/16")
+    subnet2 = conn.create_subnet(vpc2.id, "10.1.0.0/27")
+    reservation2 = conn.run_instances('ami-1234abcd', min_count=1, subnet_id=subnet2.id)
+    instance2 = reservation2.instances[0]
+
+    reservations1 = conn.get_all_instances(filters={'vpc-id': vpc1.id})
+    reservations1.should.have.length_of(1)
+    reservations1[0].instances.should.have.length_of(1)
+    reservations1[0].instances[0].id.should.equal(instance1.id)
+
+    reservations2 = conn.get_all_instances(filters={'vpc-id': vpc2.id})
+    reservations2.should.have.length_of(1)
+    reservations2[0].instances.should.have.length_of(1)
+    reservations2[0].instances[0].id.should.equal(instance2.id)
+
+
 @mock_ec2
 def test_get_instances_filtering_by_tag():
     conn = boto.connect_ec2()