diff --git a/ironic/drivers/modules/ilo/boot.py b/ironic/drivers/modules/ilo/boot.py
index fe2cef02aa..63e302cabe 100644
--- a/ironic/drivers/modules/ilo/boot.py
+++ b/ironic/drivers/modules/ilo/boot.py
@@ -342,12 +342,7 @@ class IloVirtualMediaBoot(base.BootInterface):
             parameters
         :raises: UnsupportedDriverExtension
         """
-        try:
-            _validate_driver_info(task)
-        except exception.MissingParameterValue:
-            # Fall back to non-managed in-band inspection
-            raise exception.UnsupportedDriverExtension(
-                driver=task.node.driver, extension='inspection')
+        _validate_driver_info(task)
 
     @METRICS.timer('IloVirtualMediaBoot.prepare_ramdisk')
     def prepare_ramdisk(self, task, ramdisk_params):
@@ -921,12 +916,7 @@ class IloUefiHttpsBoot(base.BootInterface):
             parameters
         :raises: UnsupportedDriverExtension
         """
-        try:
-            self._validate_driver_info(task)
-        except exception.MissingParameterValue:
-            # Fall back to non-managed in-band inspection
-            raise exception.UnsupportedDriverExtension(
-                driver=task.node.driver, extension='inspection')
+        self._validate_driver_info(task)
 
     @METRICS.timer('IloUefiHttpsBoot.prepare_ramdisk')
     def prepare_ramdisk(self, task, ramdisk_params):
diff --git a/ironic/drivers/modules/redfish/boot.py b/ironic/drivers/modules/redfish/boot.py
index 0afdc785ee..c684002338 100644
--- a/ironic/drivers/modules/redfish/boot.py
+++ b/ironic/drivers/modules/redfish/boot.py
@@ -606,14 +606,9 @@ class RedfishVirtualMediaBoot(base.BootInterface):
         :param task: A TaskManager instance with the node being checked
         :raises: MissingParameterValue if node is missing one or more required
             parameters
-        :raises: UnsupportedDriverExtension
         """
-        try:
-            self._validate_driver_info(task)
-        except exception.MissingParameterValue:
-            # Fall back to non-managed in-band inspection
-            raise exception.UnsupportedDriverExtension(
-                driver=task.node.driver, extension='inspection')
+        # No unmanaged fallback for virtual media
+        self._validate_driver_info(task)
 
     def prepare_ramdisk(self, task, ramdisk_params):
         """Prepares the boot of deploy or rescue ramdisk over virtual media.
@@ -979,14 +974,8 @@ class RedfishHttpsBoot(base.BootInterface):
         :param task: A TaskManager instance with the node being checked
         :raises: MissingParameterValue if node is missing one or more required
             parameters
-        :raises: UnsupportedDriverExtension
         """
-        try:
-            self._validate_driver_info(task)
-        except exception.MissingParameterValue:
-            # Fall back to non-managed in-band inspection
-            raise exception.UnsupportedDriverExtension(
-                driver=task.node.driver, extension='inspection')
+        self._validate_driver_info(task)
 
     def prepare_ramdisk(self, task, ramdisk_params):
         """Prepares the boot of the agent ramdisk.
diff --git a/ironic/tests/unit/drivers/modules/ilo/test_boot.py b/ironic/tests/unit/drivers/modules/ilo/test_boot.py
index efce438489..fc6c0f8f18 100644
--- a/ironic/tests/unit/drivers/modules/ilo/test_boot.py
+++ b/ironic/tests/unit/drivers/modules/ilo/test_boot.py
@@ -577,7 +577,7 @@ class IloVirtualMediaBootTestCase(test_common.BaseIloTest):
     def test_validate_inspection_missing(self, mock_parse_driver_info):
         with task_manager.acquire(self.context, self.node.uuid,
                                   shared=True) as task:
-            self.assertRaises(exception.UnsupportedDriverExtension,
+            self.assertRaises(exception.MissingParameterValue,
                               task.driver.boot.validate_inspection, task)
 
     @mock.patch.object(image_utils, 'prepare_deploy_iso', autospec=True)
@@ -1838,7 +1838,7 @@ class IloUefiHttpsBootTestCase(db_base.DbTestCase):
             "Error validating iLO UEFIHTTPS for deploy.")
         with task_manager.acquire(self.context, self.node.uuid,
                                   shared=True) as task:
-            self.assertRaises(exception.UnsupportedDriverExtension,
+            self.assertRaises(exception.MissingParameterValue,
                               task.driver.boot.validate_inspection, task)
 
     @mock.patch.object(ilo_common, 'add_certificates',
diff --git a/ironic/tests/unit/drivers/modules/redfish/test_boot.py b/ironic/tests/unit/drivers/modules/redfish/test_boot.py
index 5119713753..5aa388d4f3 100644
--- a/ironic/tests/unit/drivers/modules/redfish/test_boot.py
+++ b/ironic/tests/unit/drivers/modules/redfish/test_boot.py
@@ -507,7 +507,7 @@ class RedfishVirtualMediaBootTestCase(db_base.DbTestCase):
     def test_validate_inspection_missing(self, mock_parse_driver_info):
         with task_manager.acquire(self.context, self.node.uuid,
                                   shared=True) as task:
-            self.assertRaises(exception.UnsupportedDriverExtension,
+            self.assertRaises(exception.MissingParameterValue,
                               task.driver.boot.validate_inspection, task)
 
     @mock.patch.object(redfish_boot.RedfishVirtualMediaBoot,
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/no-unmanaged-vmedia-9fc7378f93e3d11a.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/no-unmanaged-vmedia-9fc7378f93e3d11a.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d94049d708
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/no-unmanaged-vmedia-9fc7378f93e3d11a.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - |
+    No longer falls back to `unmanaged` inspection for virtual media and
+    UEFI HTTP boot interfaces. Previously, if the validation of the boot
+    interface failed before in-band inspection, Ironic would switch to
+    unmanaged inspection, which involved PXE-booting. It is not expected
+    that nodes explicitly configured to use virtual media start booting
+    over PXE, so the fallback has been removed.