diff --git a/providers/dns/route53/route53.go b/providers/dns/route53/route53.go
index ac6c110b..f8a4bc2b 100644
--- a/providers/dns/route53/route53.go
+++ b/providers/dns/route53/route53.go
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ func (r *DNSProvider) CleanUp(domain, token, keyAuth string) error {
 func (r *DNSProvider) changeRecord(action, fqdn, value string, ttl int) error {
 	hostedZoneID, err := r.getHostedZoneID(fqdn)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return fmt.Errorf("Failed to determine Route 53 hosted zone ID: %v", err)
 	}
 
 	recordSet := newTXTRecordSet(fqdn, value, ttl)
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ func (r *DNSProvider) changeRecord(action, fqdn, value string, ttl int) error {
 
 	resp, err := r.client.ChangeResourceRecordSets(reqParams)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return fmt.Errorf("Failed to change Route 53 record set: %v", err)
 	}
 
 	statusID := resp.ChangeInfo.Id
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ func (r *DNSProvider) changeRecord(action, fqdn, value string, ttl int) error {
 		}
 		resp, err := r.client.GetChange(reqParams)
 		if err != nil {
-			return false, err
+			return false, fmt.Errorf("Failed to query Route 53 change status: %v", err)
 		}
 		if *resp.ChangeInfo.Status == route53.ChangeStatusInsync {
 			return true, nil
@@ -131,25 +131,31 @@ func (r *DNSProvider) getHostedZoneID(fqdn string) (string, error) {
 
 	// .DNSName should not have a trailing dot
 	reqParams := &route53.ListHostedZonesByNameInput{
-		DNSName:  aws.String(acme.UnFqdn(authZone)),
-		MaxItems: aws.String("1"),
+		DNSName: aws.String(acme.UnFqdn(authZone)),
 	}
 	resp, err := r.client.ListHostedZonesByName(reqParams)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
 
-	// .Name has a trailing dot
-	if len(resp.HostedZones) == 0 || *resp.HostedZones[0].Name != authZone {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("Zone %s not found in Route53 for domain %s", authZone, fqdn)
+	var hostedZoneID string
+	for _, hostedZone := range resp.HostedZones {
+		// .Name has a trailing dot
+		if !*hostedZone.Config.PrivateZone && *hostedZone.Name == authZone {
+			hostedZoneID = *hostedZone.Id
+			break
+		}
 	}
 
-	zoneID := *resp.HostedZones[0].Id
-	if strings.HasPrefix(zoneID, "/hostedzone/") {
-		zoneID = strings.TrimPrefix(zoneID, "/hostedzone/")
+	if len(hostedZoneID) == 0 {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("Zone %s not found in Route 53 for domain %s", authZone, fqdn)
 	}
 
-	return zoneID, nil
+	if strings.HasPrefix(hostedZoneID, "/hostedzone/") {
+		hostedZoneID = strings.TrimPrefix(hostedZoneID, "/hostedzone/")
+	}
+
+	return hostedZoneID, nil
 }
 
 func newTXTRecordSet(fqdn, value string, ttl int) *route53.ResourceRecordSet {