diff --git a/hooks/nova_compute_context.py b/hooks/nova_compute_context.py
index 8a4231b4..c6ab5f82 100644
--- a/hooks/nova_compute_context.py
+++ b/hooks/nova_compute_context.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import os
 import platform
 import shutil
 import socket
+import subprocess
 import uuid
 
 from typing import (
@@ -97,6 +98,16 @@ def _network_manager():
     return manager()
 
 
+def is_local_fs(path):
+    result = False
+    try:
+        subprocess.check_call(["df", "-l", path])
+        result = True
+    except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
+        log("Error invoking df -l {}: {}".format(path, e), level=DEBUG)
+    return result
+
+
 def get_availability_zone():
     use_juju_az = config('customize-failure-domain')
     juju_az = os.environ.get('JUJU_AVAILABILITY_ZONE')
@@ -324,6 +335,17 @@ class NovaComputeLibvirtContext(context.OSContextGenerator):
 
         if config('libvirt-image-backend'):
             ctxt['libvirt_images_type'] = config('libvirt-image-backend')
+            if config('libvirt-image-backend') == 'rbd':
+                instances_path = config('instances-path')
+                if instances_path in ('', None):
+                    instances_path = '/var/lib/nova/instances'
+                if is_local_fs(instances_path):
+                    ctxt['ensure_libvirt_rbd_instance_dir_cleanup'] = True
+                else:
+                    log("Skipped enabling "
+                        "'ensure_libvirt_rbd_instance_dir_cleanup' because"
+                        " instances-path is not a local mount.",
+                        level=INFO)
 
         ctxt['force_raw_images'] = config('force-raw-images')
         ctxt['inject_password'] = config('inject-password')
diff --git a/templates/train/nova.conf b/templates/train/nova.conf
index 9f07d1b3..6fc71653 100644
--- a/templates/train/nova.conf
+++ b/templates/train/nova.conf
@@ -370,6 +370,9 @@ lock_path=/var/lock/nova
 
 [workarounds]
 disable_libvirt_livesnapshot = False
+{% if ensure_libvirt_rbd_instance_dir_cleanup -%}
+ensure_libvirt_rbd_instance_dir_cleanup = {{ ensure_libvirt_rbd_instance_dir_cleanup }}
+{% endif -%}
 
 {% include "parts/section-ephemeral" %}
 
diff --git a/templates/yoga/nova.conf b/templates/yoga/nova.conf
index 4824972e..16e702d1 100644
--- a/templates/yoga/nova.conf
+++ b/templates/yoga/nova.conf
@@ -353,6 +353,9 @@ lock_path=/var/lock/nova
 
 [workarounds]
 disable_libvirt_livesnapshot = False
+{% if ensure_libvirt_rbd_instance_dir_cleanup -%}
+ensure_libvirt_rbd_instance_dir_cleanup = {{ ensure_libvirt_rbd_instance_dir_cleanup }}
+{% endif -%}
 
 {% include "parts/section-ephemeral" %}
 
diff --git a/unit_tests/test_nova_compute_contexts.py b/unit_tests/test_nova_compute_contexts.py
index 09f3be7f..f49d91f5 100644
--- a/unit_tests/test_nova_compute_contexts.py
+++ b/unit_tests/test_nova_compute_contexts.py
@@ -386,6 +386,36 @@ class NovaComputeContextTests(CharmTestCase):
              'reserved_host_disk': 0,
              'reserved_host_memory': 512}, libvirt())
 
+    @patch.object(context.subprocess, 'check_call')
+    def test_ensure_rbd_cleanup_rbd(self, call_mock):
+        self.lsb_release.return_value = {'DISTRIB_CODENAME': 'focal'}
+        self.os_release.return_value = 'ussuri'
+        self.test_config.set('libvirt-image-backend', 'rbd')
+        libvirt = context.NovaComputeLibvirtContext()
+        result = libvirt()
+        self.assertIn('ensure_libvirt_rbd_instance_dir_cleanup', result)
+        self.assertTrue(result['ensure_libvirt_rbd_instance_dir_cleanup'])
+        call_mock.assert_called_once_with(
+            ['df', '-l', '/var/lib/nova/instances'])
+
+    @patch.object(context.subprocess, 'check_call')
+    def test_ensure_rbd_cleanup_rbd_non_local_mount(self, call_mock):
+        self.lsb_release.return_value = {'DISTRIB_CODENAME': 'focal'}
+        self.os_release.return_value = 'ussuri'
+        call_mock.side_effect = [context.subprocess.CalledProcessError(
+            1, 'df -l /var/foo/bar')]
+        self.test_config.set('libvirt-image-backend', 'rbd')
+        self.test_config.set('instances-path', '/var/foo/bar')
+        libvirt = context.NovaComputeLibvirtContext()
+        self.assertNotIn('ensure_libvirt_rbd_instance_dir_cleanup', libvirt())
+        call_mock.assert_called_once_with(['df', '-l', '/var/foo/bar'])
+
+    def test_ensure_rbd_cleanup_non_rbd(self):
+        self.lsb_release.return_value = {'DISTRIB_CODENAME': 'focal'}
+        self.os_release.return_value = 'ussuri'
+        libvirt = context.NovaComputeLibvirtContext()
+        self.assertNotIn('ensure_libvirt_rbd_instance_dir_cleanup', libvirt())
+
     def test_libvirt_context_inject_password(self):
         self.lsb_release.return_value = {'DISTRIB_CODENAME': 'zesty'}
         self.os_release.return_value = 'ocata'