diff --git a/masakari/engine/manager.py b/masakari/engine/manager.py
index 9e6f310f..d5700ab6 100644
--- a/masakari/engine/manager.py
+++ b/masakari/engine/manager.py
@@ -177,11 +177,16 @@ class MasakariManager(manager.Manager):
         notification_event = notification.payload.get('event')
         exception_info = None
 
-        if host_status.upper() != fields.HostStatusType.NORMAL:
+        if host_status is None:
+            LOG.warning("Notification '%(uuid)s' ignored as host_status is "
+                        "not provided.",
+                        {'uuid': notification.notification_uuid})
+            notification_status = fields.NotificationStatus.IGNORED
+        elif host_status.upper() != fields.HostStatusType.NORMAL:
             # NOTE(shilpasd): Avoid host recovery for host_status other than
             # 'NORMAL' otherwise it could lead to unsafe evacuation of
             # instances running on the failed source host.
-            LOG.warning("Notification '%(uuid)s' ignored as host_status"
+            LOG.warning("Notification '%(uuid)s' ignored as host_status "
                         "is '%(host_status)s'",
                         {'uuid': notification.notification_uuid,
                          'host_status': host_status.upper()})
diff --git a/masakari/tests/unit/engine/test_engine_mgr.py b/masakari/tests/unit/engine/test_engine_mgr.py
index 18cc1efb..03566528 100644
--- a/masakari/tests/unit/engine/test_engine_mgr.py
+++ b/masakari/tests/unit/engine/test_engine_mgr.py
@@ -841,8 +841,8 @@ class EngineManagerUnitTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
                                               notification=notification)
             mock_log.assert_called_once()
             args = mock_log.call_args[0]
-            expected_log = ("Notification '%(uuid)s' ignored as host_status"
-                        "is '%(host_status)s'")
+            expected_log = ("Notification '%(uuid)s' ignored as host_status "
+                            "is '%(host_status)s'")
             expected_log_args_1 = {
                 'uuid': notification.notification_uuid,
                 'host_status': fields.HostStatusType.UNKNOWN}
@@ -852,6 +852,31 @@ class EngineManagerUnitTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
             self.assertEqual(
                 fields.NotificationStatus.IGNORED, notification.status)
 
+    @mock.patch.object(notification_obj.Notification, "save")
+    def test_process_notification_host_failure_without_host_status(
+            self, mock_get_noti, mock_notification_save):
+        notification = fakes.create_fake_notification(
+            type="COMPUTE_HOST",
+            payload={'event': 'stopped', 'cluster_status': 'ONLINE'},
+            source_host_uuid=uuidsentinel.fake_host,
+            generated_time=NOW, status=fields.NotificationStatus.NEW,
+            notification_uuid=uuidsentinel.fake_notification)
+
+        mock_get_noti.return_value = notification
+        notification_new = notification.obj_clone()
+        notification_new.status = fields.NotificationStatus.IGNORED
+        mock_notification_save.side_effect = [notification, notification_new]
+
+        with mock.patch("masakari.engine.manager.LOG.warning") as mock_log:
+            self.engine._process_notification(self.context,
+                                              notification=notification)
+            mock_log.assert_called_once_with(
+                "Notification '%(uuid)s' ignored as host_status is not "
+                "provided.",
+                {'uuid': notification.notification_uuid})
+            self.assertEqual(
+                fields.NotificationStatus.IGNORED, notification.status)
+
     @mock.patch('masakari.compute.nova.novaclient')
     @mock.patch.object(nova.API, "enable_disable_service")
     @mock.patch('masakari.engine.drivers.taskflow.host_failure.'
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/bug-1960619-4c2cc73483bdff86.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/bug-1960619-4c2cc73483bdff86.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4175e38c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/bug-1960619-4c2cc73483bdff86.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - |
+    Fixes an issue that could be caused by a user sending a malformed
+    host notification missing host status. Such notification would
+    block the host from being added back from maintenance until
+    manual intervention or notification expiration.
+    `LP#1960619 <https://launchpad.net/bugs/1960619>`__