diff --git a/nova/conf/workarounds.py b/nova/conf/workarounds.py
index 2ec53282cdbe..1116664d36dc 100644
--- a/nova/conf/workarounds.py
+++ b/nova/conf/workarounds.py
@@ -416,6 +416,21 @@ compatibility on the destination host during live migration.
         help="""
 When this is enabled, it will skip version-checking of hypervisors
 during live migration.
+"""),
+    cfg.BoolOpt(
+        'skip_reserve_in_use_ironic_nodes',
+        default=False,
+        help="""
+This may be useful if you use the Ironic driver, but don't have
+automatic cleaning enabled in Ironic. Nova, by default, will mark
+Ironic nodes as reserved as soon as they are in use. When you free
+the Ironic node (by deleting the nova instance) it takes a while
+for Nova to un-reserve that Ironic node in placement. Usually this
+is a good idea, because it avoids placement providing an Ironic
+as a valid candidate when it is still being cleaned.
+Howerver, if you don't use automatic cleaning, it can cause an
+extra delay before and Ironic node is available for building a
+new Nova instance.
 """),
 ]
 
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/virt/ironic/test_driver.py b/nova/tests/unit/virt/ironic/test_driver.py
index 6ac7ca464e56..958623f31a24 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/virt/ironic/test_driver.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/virt/ironic/test_driver.py
@@ -932,6 +932,48 @@ class IronicDriverTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
 
         self.driver.update_provider_tree(self.ptree, mock.sentinel.nodename)
 
+        expected = {
+            'CUSTOM_IRON_NFV': {
+                'total': 1,
+                'reserved': 1,
+                'min_unit': 1,
+                'max_unit': 1,
+                'step_size': 1,
+                'allocation_ratio': 1.0,
+            },
+        }
+        mock_nfc.assert_called_once_with(mock.sentinel.nodename)
+        mock_nr.assert_called_once_with(mock_nfc.return_value)
+        mock_res_used.assert_called_once_with(mock_nfc.return_value)
+        mock_res_unavail.assert_called_once_with(mock_nfc.return_value)
+        result = self.ptree.data(mock.sentinel.nodename).inventory
+        self.assertEqual(expected, result)
+
+    @mock.patch.object(ironic_driver.IronicDriver,
+                       '_node_resources_used', return_value=True)
+    @mock.patch.object(ironic_driver.IronicDriver,
+                       '_node_resources_unavailable', return_value=False)
+    @mock.patch.object(ironic_driver.IronicDriver, '_node_resource')
+    @mock.patch.object(ironic_driver.IronicDriver, '_node_from_cache')
+    def test_update_provider_tree_with_rc_occupied_workaround(self,
+                mock_nfc, mock_nr, mock_res_unavail, mock_res_used):
+        """Ensure that when a node is used, we report the inventory matching
+        the consumed resources.
+        """
+        self.flags(skip_reserve_in_use_ironic_nodes=True,
+                   group="workarounds")
+        mock_nr.return_value = {
+            'vcpus': 24,
+            'vcpus_used': 24,
+            'memory_mb': 1024,
+            'memory_mb_used': 1024,
+            'local_gb': 100,
+            'local_gb_used': 100,
+            'resource_class': 'iron-nfv',
+        }
+
+        self.driver.update_provider_tree(self.ptree, mock.sentinel.nodename)
+
         expected = {
             'CUSTOM_IRON_NFV': {
                 'total': 1,
@@ -945,7 +987,7 @@ class IronicDriverTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
         mock_nfc.assert_called_once_with(mock.sentinel.nodename)
         mock_nr.assert_called_once_with(mock_nfc.return_value)
         mock_res_used.assert_called_once_with(mock_nfc.return_value)
-        self.assertFalse(mock_res_unavail.called)
+        mock_res_unavail.assert_called_once_with(mock_nfc.return_value)
         result = self.ptree.data(mock.sentinel.nodename).inventory
         self.assertEqual(expected, result)
 
@@ -1016,7 +1058,7 @@ class IronicDriverTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
         mock_nfc.assert_called_once_with(mock.sentinel.nodename)
         mock_nr.assert_called_once_with(mock_nfc.return_value)
         mock_res_used.assert_called_once_with(mock_nfc.return_value)
-        self.assertFalse(mock_res_unavail.called)
+        mock_res_unavail.assert_called_once_with(mock_nfc.return_value)
         result = self.ptree.data(mock.sentinel.nodename).traits
         self.assertEqual(set(), result)
 
@@ -1048,7 +1090,7 @@ class IronicDriverTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
         mock_nfc.assert_called_once_with(mock.sentinel.nodename)
         mock_nr.assert_called_once_with(mock_nfc.return_value)
         mock_res_used.assert_called_once_with(mock_nfc.return_value)
-        self.assertFalse(mock_res_unavail.called)
+        mock_res_unavail.assert_called_once_with(mock_nfc.return_value)
         result = self.ptree.data(mock.sentinel.nodename).traits
         self.assertEqual(set(traits), result)
 
diff --git a/nova/virt/ironic/driver.py b/nova/virt/ironic/driver.py
index 7496db5a7cd0..5583ac52360e 100644
--- a/nova/virt/ironic/driver.py
+++ b/nova/virt/ironic/driver.py
@@ -874,15 +874,25 @@ class IronicDriver(virt_driver.ComputeDriver):
         """
         # nodename is the ironic node's UUID.
         node = self._node_from_cache(nodename)
+
         reserved = False
-        if (not self._node_resources_used(node) and
-                self._node_resources_unavailable(node)):
-            LOG.debug('Node %(node)s is not ready for a deployment, '
-                      'reporting resources as reserved for it. Node\'s '
-                      'provision state is %(prov)s, power state is '
-                      '%(power)s and maintenance is %(maint)s.',
-                      {'node': node.uuid, 'prov': node.provision_state,
-                       'power': node.power_state, 'maint': node.maintenance})
+        if self._node_resources_unavailable(node):
+            # Operators might mark a node as in maintainance,
+            # even when an instance is on the node,
+            # either way lets mark this as reserved
+            reserved = True
+
+        if (self._node_resources_used(node) and
+            not CONF.workarounds.skip_reserve_in_use_ironic_nodes):
+            # Make resources as reserved once we have
+            # and instance here.
+            # When the allocation is deleted, most likely
+            # automatic clean will start, so we keep the node
+            # reserved until it becomes available again.
+            # In the case without automatic clean, once
+            # the allocation is removed in placement it
+            # also stays as reserved until we notice on
+            # the next periodic its actually available.
             reserved = True
 
         info = self._node_resource(node)
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/fix-ironic-scheduler-race-08cf8aba0365f512.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/fix-ironic-scheduler-race-08cf8aba0365f512.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..4fd2cc1ca9f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/fix-ironic-scheduler-race-08cf8aba0365f512.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - |
+    Fixed when placement returns ironic nodes that have just started automatic
+    cleaning as possible valid candidates. This is done by marking all ironic
+    nodes with an instance on them as reserved, such that nova only makes them
+    available once we have double checked Ironic reports the node as available.
+    If you don't have automatic cleaning on, this might mean it takes longer
+    than normal for Ironic nodes to become available for new instances.
+    If you want the old behaviour use the following workaround config:
+    `[workarounds]skip_reserve_in_use_ironic_nodes=true`