diff --git a/doc/source/contributor/ironic-boot-from-volume.rst b/doc/source/contributor/ironic-boot-from-volume.rst
index b168e404e1..abdb79619e 100644
--- a/doc/source/contributor/ironic-boot-from-volume.rst
+++ b/doc/source/contributor/ironic-boot-from-volume.rst
@@ -124,3 +124,9 @@ volume with tempest in the environment::
 
     cd /opt/stack/tempest
     tox -e all-plugin -- ironic_tempest_plugin.tests.scenario.test_baremetal_boot_from_volume
+
+Please note that the storage interface will only indicate errors based upon
+the state of the node and the configuration present. As such a node does not
+exclusively have to boot via a remote volume, and as such `validate` actions
+upon nodes may be slightly misleading. If an appropriate `volume target` is
+defined, no error should be returned for the boot interface.
diff --git a/ironic/drivers/modules/deploy_utils.py b/ironic/drivers/modules/deploy_utils.py
index b3b6bf20fb..adb2d1e916 100644
--- a/ironic/drivers/modules/deploy_utils.py
+++ b/ironic/drivers/modules/deploy_utils.py
@@ -1050,7 +1050,9 @@ def get_image_instance_info(node):
             info['ramdisk'] = node.instance_info.get('ramdisk')
 
     error_msg = (_("Cannot validate image information for node %s because one "
-                   "or more parameters are missing from its instance_info")
+                   "or more parameters are missing from its instance_info and "
+                   "insufficent information is present to boot from a remote "
+                   "volume")
                  % node.uuid)
     check_for_missing_params(info, error_msg)