diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/Remove-deprecated-scenario.img_dir-option-da626e6153181e16.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/Remove-deprecated-scenario.img_dir-option-da626e6153181e16.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2514e48ff8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/Remove-deprecated-scenario.img_dir-option-da626e6153181e16.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+---
+upgrade:
+  - |
+    img_dir scenario option has been deprecated and it's being removed.
+    Starting Tempest 25.0.0 release, CONF.scenario.img_file needs a full path
+    for the image. Until this release, old behavior was maintained and kept
+    working however a user needs to specify the full path in
+    CONF.scenario.img_file config option from now on.
diff --git a/tempest/config.py b/tempest/config.py
index 956b593d4d..62975be58e 100644
--- a/tempest/config.py
+++ b/tempest/config.py
@@ -1150,12 +1150,6 @@ ObjectStoreFeaturesGroup = [
 scenario_group = cfg.OptGroup(name='scenario', title='Scenario Test Options')
 
 ScenarioGroup = [
-    cfg.StrOpt('img_dir',
-               default='/opt/stack/new/devstack/files/images/'
-               'cirros-0.3.1-x86_64-uec',
-               help='Directory containing image files, this has been '
-                    'deprecated - img_file option contains a full path now.',
-               deprecated_for_removal=True),
     cfg.StrOpt('img_file', deprecated_name='qcow2_img_file',
                default='/opt/stack/new/devstack/files/images'
                '/cirros-0.3.1-x86_64-disk.img',
diff --git a/tempest/scenario/manager.py b/tempest/scenario/manager.py
index acc563acb7..60f8dfc350 100644
--- a/tempest/scenario/manager.py
+++ b/tempest/scenario/manager.py
@@ -610,18 +610,13 @@ class ScenarioTest(tempest.test.BaseTestCase):
     def image_create(self, name='scenario-img', **kwargs):
         img_path = CONF.scenario.img_file
         if not os.path.exists(img_path):
-            # TODO(kopecmartin): replace LOG.warning for rasing
-            # InvalidConfiguration exception after tempest 25.0.0 is
-            # released - there will be one release which accepts both
-            # behaviors in order to avoid many failures across CIs and etc.
-            LOG.warning(
+            lib_exc.InvalidConfiguration(
                 'Starting Tempest 25.0.0 release, CONF.scenario.img_file need '
                 'a full path for the image. CONF.scenario.img_dir was '
                 'deprecated and will be removed in the next release. Till '
-                'Tempest 25.0.0, old behavior is maintained and keep working '
+                'Tempest 25.0.0, old behavior was maintained and kept working '
                 'but starting Tempest 26.0.0, you need to specify the full '
                 'path in CONF.scenario.img_file config option.')
-            img_path = os.path.join(CONF.scenario.img_dir, img_path)
         img_container_format = CONF.scenario.img_container_format
         img_disk_format = CONF.scenario.img_disk_format
         img_properties = CONF.scenario.img_properties