diff --git a/controllers/metal3.io/baremetalhost_controller.go b/controllers/metal3.io/baremetalhost_controller.go
index 502116e22a..d940abbf55 100644
--- a/controllers/metal3.io/baremetalhost_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/metal3.io/baremetalhost_controller.go
@@ -612,26 +612,28 @@ func clearHostProvisioningSettings(host *metal3v1alpha1.BareMetalHost) {
 }
 
 func (r *BareMetalHostReconciler) actionDeprovisioning(prov provisioner.Provisioner, info *reconcileInfo) actionResult {
-	// Adopt the host in case it has been re-registered during the
-	// deprovisioning process before it completed
-	provResult, err := prov.Adopt(info.host.Status.ErrorType == metal3v1alpha1.RegistrationError)
-	if err != nil {
-		return actionError{err}
-	}
-	if provResult.ErrorMessage != "" {
-		return recordActionFailure(info, metal3v1alpha1.RegistrationError, provResult.ErrorMessage)
-	}
-	if provResult.Dirty {
-		result := actionContinue{provResult.RequeueAfter}
-		if clearError(info.host) {
-			return actionUpdate{result}
+	if info.host.Status.Provisioning.Image.URL != "" {
+		// Adopt the host in case it has been re-registered during the
+		// deprovisioning process before it completed
+		provResult, err := prov.Adopt(info.host.Status.ErrorType == metal3v1alpha1.RegistrationError)
+		if err != nil {
+			return actionError{err}
+		}
+		if provResult.ErrorMessage != "" {
+			return recordActionFailure(info, metal3v1alpha1.RegistrationError, provResult.ErrorMessage)
+		}
+		if provResult.Dirty {
+			result := actionContinue{provResult.RequeueAfter}
+			if clearError(info.host) {
+				return actionUpdate{result}
+			}
+			return result
 		}
-		return result
 	}
 
 	info.log.Info("deprovisioning")
 
-	provResult, err = prov.Deprovision(info.host.Status.ErrorType == metal3v1alpha1.ProvisioningError)
+	provResult, err := prov.Deprovision(info.host.Status.ErrorType == metal3v1alpha1.ProvisioningError)
 	if err != nil {
 		return actionError{errors.Wrap(err, "failed to deprovision")}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/provisioner/ironic/ironic.go b/pkg/provisioner/ironic/ironic.go
index 8dc7c6fe44..22379f70fe 100644
--- a/pkg/provisioner/ironic/ironic.go
+++ b/pkg/provisioner/ironic/ironic.go
@@ -1329,7 +1329,7 @@ func (p *ironicProvisioner) Deprovision(force bool) (result provisioner.Result,
 		p.log.Info("cleaning")
 		return operationContinuing(deprovisionRequeueDelay)
 
-	case nodes.Active:
+	case nodes.Active, nodes.DeployFail:
 		p.log.Info("starting deprovisioning")
 		p.publisher("DeprovisioningStarted", "Image deprovisioning started")
 		return p.changeNodeProvisionState(
diff --git a/pkg/provisioner/ironic/provision_test.go b/pkg/provisioner/ironic/provision_test.go
index 947cecab83..a8f3d69344 100644
--- a/pkg/provisioner/ironic/provision_test.go
+++ b/pkg/provisioner/ironic/provision_test.go
@@ -145,6 +145,15 @@ func TestDeprovision(t *testing.T) {
 			expectedRequestAfter: 10,
 			expectedDirty:        true,
 		},
+		{
+			name: "deploy failed state",
+			ironic: testserver.NewIronic(t).WithDefaultResponses().Node(nodes.Node{
+				ProvisionState: string(nodes.DeployFail),
+				UUID:           nodeUUID,
+			}),
+			expectedRequestAfter: 10,
+			expectedDirty:        true,
+		},
 		{
 			name: "error state",
 			ironic: testserver.NewIronic(t).WithDefaultResponses().Node(nodes.Node{