diff --git a/internal/controller/controllers/bmh_agent_controller.go b/internal/controller/controllers/bmh_agent_controller.go
index e97a0f99ddb5..fbcb29f069d5 100644
--- a/internal/controller/controllers/bmh_agent_controller.go
+++ b/internal/controller/controllers/bmh_agent_controller.go
@@ -880,6 +880,14 @@ func (r *BMACReconciler) reconcileBMH(ctx context.Context, log logrus.FieldLogge
 		dirty = true
 	}
 
+	if bmh.Spec.AutomatedCleaningMode != bmh_v1alpha1.CleaningModeDisabled {
+		// Disable AutomatedCleaningMode if the converged flow is not enabled
+		// since AutomatedCleaning requires IPA, but disabling the converged flow
+		// disables IPA.
+		bmh.Spec.AutomatedCleaningMode = bmh_v1alpha1.CleaningModeDisabled
+		dirty = true
+	}
+
 	proceed, stopReconcileLoop, requeuePeriod, reason := shouldReconcileBMH(bmh, infraEnv)
 
 	if !proceed {
diff --git a/internal/controller/controllers/bmh_agent_controller_test.go b/internal/controller/controllers/bmh_agent_controller_test.go
index ba9482e7c1e9..318ea4e1a3c1 100644
--- a/internal/controller/controllers/bmh_agent_controller_test.go
+++ b/internal/controller/controllers/bmh_agent_controller_test.go
@@ -347,22 +347,23 @@ var _ = Describe("bmac reconcile", func() {
 				Expect(host.ObjectMeta.Annotations[BMH_INSPECT_ANNOTATION]).To(Equal("disabled"))
 				Expect(host.Spec.AutomatedCleaningMode).To(Equal(bmh_v1alpha1.CleaningModeDisabled))
 
-				// Test that cleaning mode stays the same
+				// Test that cleaning mode is set to disabled
 				host.Spec.AutomatedCleaningMode = bmh_v1alpha1.CleaningModeMetadata
 				host.Status.Provisioning.State = bmh_v1alpha1.StateProvisioned
 
 				result = bmhr.reconcileBMH(ctx, bmhr.Log, host, nil)
-				Expect(result).To(Equal(reconcileComplete{dirty: false, stop: true}))
+				Expect(result).To(Equal(reconcileComplete{dirty: true, stop: true}))
+
 				Expect(host.ObjectMeta.Annotations).To(HaveKey(BMH_INSPECT_ANNOTATION))
 				Expect(host.ObjectMeta.Annotations[BMH_INSPECT_ANNOTATION]).To(Equal("disabled"))
-				Expect(host.Spec.AutomatedCleaningMode).To(Equal(bmh_v1alpha1.CleaningModeMetadata))
+				Expect(host.Spec.AutomatedCleaningMode).To(Equal(bmh_v1alpha1.CleaningModeDisabled))
 
 				// This should not return a dirty result because label is already set
 				result = bmhr.reconcileBMH(ctx, bmhr.Log, host, nil)
 				Expect(result).To(Equal(reconcileComplete{dirty: false, stop: true}))
 				Expect(host.ObjectMeta.Annotations).To(HaveKey(BMH_INSPECT_ANNOTATION))
 				Expect(host.ObjectMeta.Annotations[BMH_INSPECT_ANNOTATION]).To(Equal("disabled"))
-				Expect(host.Spec.AutomatedCleaningMode).To(Equal(bmh_v1alpha1.CleaningModeMetadata))
+				Expect(host.Spec.AutomatedCleaningMode).To(Equal(bmh_v1alpha1.CleaningModeDisabled))
 			})
 
 			It("should set the ISODownloadURL in the BMH", func() {
@@ -376,7 +377,7 @@ var _ = Describe("bmac reconcile", func() {
 				Expect(updatedHost.Spec.Image.URL).To(Equal(isoImageURL))
 			})
 
-			It("should not disable cleaning and set online true in the BMH", func() {
+			It("should disable cleaning and set online true in the BMH", func() {
 				result, err := bmhr.Reconcile(ctx, newBMHRequest(host))
 				Expect(err).To(BeNil())
 				Expect(result).To(Equal(ctrl.Result{}))
@@ -385,8 +386,22 @@ var _ = Describe("bmac reconcile", func() {
 				err = c.Get(ctx, types.NamespacedName{Name: "bmh-reconcile", Namespace: testNamespace}, updatedHost)
 				Expect(err).To(BeNil())
 				Expect(updatedHost.Spec.Online).To(Equal(true))
-				Expect(updatedHost.Spec.AutomatedCleaningMode).NotTo(Equal(bmh_v1alpha1.CleaningModeDisabled))
+				Expect(updatedHost.Spec.AutomatedCleaningMode).To(Equal(bmh_v1alpha1.CleaningModeDisabled))
 			})
+
+			It("should disable cleaning when set to metadata by user in the BMH", func() {
+				host.Spec.AutomatedCleaningMode = bmh_v1alpha1.CleaningModeMetadata
+				result, err := bmhr.Reconcile(ctx, newBMHRequest(host))
+				Expect(err).To(BeNil())
+				Expect(result).To(Equal(ctrl.Result{}))
+
+				updatedHost := &bmh_v1alpha1.BareMetalHost{}
+				err = c.Get(ctx, types.NamespacedName{Name: "bmh-reconcile", Namespace: testNamespace}, updatedHost)
+				Expect(err).To(BeNil())
+				Expect(updatedHost.Spec.Online).To(Equal(true))
+				Expect(updatedHost.Spec.AutomatedCleaningMode).To(Equal(bmh_v1alpha1.CleaningModeDisabled))
+			})
+
 			It("should not reconcile BMH if the updated image has not been around longer than the grace period", func() {
 				// Reconcile with the original ISO
 				_ = bmhr.reconcileBMH(ctx, bmhr.Log, host, nil)