diff --git a/nova/compute/manager.py b/nova/compute/manager.py
index 3862fc1eec8d..67508c27cb78 100644
--- a/nova/compute/manager.py
+++ b/nova/compute/manager.py
@@ -7465,7 +7465,14 @@ class ComputeManager(manager.Manager):
                                                         expected_attrs=[],
                                                         use_slave=True)
 
-        num_vm_instances = self.driver.get_num_instances()
+        try:
+            num_vm_instances = self.driver.get_num_instances()
+        except exception.VirtDriverNotReady as e:
+            # If the virt driver is not ready, like ironic-api not being up
+            # yet in the case of ironic, just log it and exit.
+            LOG.info('Skipping _sync_power_states periodic task due to: %s', e)
+            return
+
         num_db_instances = len(db_instances)
 
         if num_vm_instances != num_db_instances:
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute_mgr.py b/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute_mgr.py
index e9e54a77e3cc..a59adce1162e 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute_mgr.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute_mgr.py
@@ -1790,6 +1790,20 @@ class ComputeManagerUnitTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
                                         use_slave=True)
             mock_spawn.assert_called_once_with(mock.ANY, instance)
 
+    @mock.patch('nova.objects.InstanceList.get_by_host', new=mock.Mock())
+    @mock.patch('nova.compute.manager.ComputeManager.'
+                '_query_driver_power_state_and_sync',
+                new_callable=mock.NonCallableMock)
+    def test_sync_power_states_virt_driver_not_ready(self, _mock_sync):
+        """"Tests that the periodic task exits early if the driver raises
+        VirtDriverNotReady.
+        """
+        with mock.patch.object(
+                self.compute.driver, 'get_num_instances',
+                side_effect=exception.VirtDriverNotReady) as gni:
+            self.compute._sync_power_states(mock.sentinel.context)
+        gni.assert_called_once_with()
+
     def _get_sync_instance(self, power_state, vm_state, task_state=None,
                            shutdown_terminate=False):
         instance = objects.Instance()