diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/virt/ironic/test_driver.py b/nova/tests/unit/virt/ironic/test_driver.py
index f534df633386..4d6b82337a45 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/virt/ironic/test_driver.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/virt/ironic/test_driver.py
@@ -733,11 +733,14 @@ class IronicDriverTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
         expected_uuids = [n['uuid'] for n in node_dicts if n['expected']]
         self.assertEqual(sorted(expected_uuids), sorted(available_nodes))
 
+    @mock.patch.object(ironic_driver.IronicDriver,
+                       '_node_resources_used', return_value=False)
     @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_get_inventory_no_rc(self, mock_nfc, mock_nr, mock_res_unavail):
+    def test_get_inventory_no_rc(self, mock_nfc, mock_nr, mock_res_unavail,
+                                 mock_res_used):
         """Ensure that when node.resource_class is missing, that we return the
         legacy VCPU, MEMORY_MB and DISK_GB resources for inventory.
         """
@@ -781,14 +784,18 @@ 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)
         mock_res_unavail.assert_called_once_with(mock_nfc.return_value)
         self.assertEqual(expected, result)
 
+    @mock.patch.object(ironic_driver.IronicDriver,
+                       '_node_resources_used', return_value=False)
     @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_get_inventory_with_rc(self, mock_nfc, mock_nr, mock_res_unavail):
+    def test_get_inventory_with_rc(self, mock_nfc, mock_nr, mock_res_unavail,
+                                   mock_res_used):
         """Ensure that when node.resource_class is present, that we return the
         legacy VCPU, MEMORY_MB and DISK_GB resources for inventory in addition
         to the custom resource class inventory record.
@@ -841,14 +848,18 @@ 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)
         mock_res_unavail.assert_called_once_with(mock_nfc.return_value)
         self.assertEqual(expected, result)
 
+    @mock.patch.object(ironic_driver.IronicDriver,
+                       '_node_resources_used', return_value=False)
     @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_get_inventory_only_rc(self, mock_nfc, mock_nr, mock_res_unavail):
+    def test_get_inventory_only_rc(self, mock_nfc, mock_nr, mock_res_unavail,
+                                   mock_res_used):
         """Ensure that when node.resource_class is present, that we return the
         legacy VCPU, MEMORY_MB and DISK_GB resources for inventory in addition
         to the custom resource class inventory record.
@@ -877,15 +888,18 @@ 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)
         mock_res_unavail.assert_called_once_with(mock_nfc.return_value)
         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_get_inventory_with_rc_occupied(self, mock_nfc, mock_nr,
-                                            mock_res_unavail):
+                                            mock_res_unavail, mock_res_used):
         """Ensure that when a node is used, we report the inventory matching
         the consumed resources.
         """
@@ -937,18 +951,23 @@ 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_unavail.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)
         self.assertEqual(expected, result)
 
+    @mock.patch.object(ironic_driver.IronicDriver,
+                       '_node_resources_used', return_value=False)
     @mock.patch.object(ironic_driver.IronicDriver,
                        '_node_resources_unavailable', return_value=True)
     @mock.patch.object(ironic_driver.IronicDriver, '_node_from_cache')
-    def test_get_inventory_disabled_node(self, mock_nfc, mock_res_unavail):
+    def test_get_inventory_disabled_node(self, mock_nfc, mock_res_unavail,
+                                         mock_res_used):
         """Ensure that when a node is disabled, that get_inventory() returns
         an empty dict.
         """
         result = self.driver.get_inventory(mock.sentinel.nodename)
         mock_nfc.assert_called_once_with(mock.sentinel.nodename)
+        mock_res_used.assert_called_once_with(mock_nfc.return_value)
         mock_res_unavail.assert_called_once_with(mock_nfc.return_value)
         self.assertEqual({}, result)
 
diff --git a/nova/virt/ironic/driver.py b/nova/virt/ironic/driver.py
index 6e2c8d316694..2b8e86b69046 100644
--- a/nova/virt/ironic/driver.py
+++ b/nova/virt/ironic/driver.py
@@ -757,7 +757,8 @@ class IronicDriver(virt_driver.ComputeDriver):
         # and DISK_GB resource classes in early Queens when Ironic nodes will
         # *always* return the custom resource class that represents the
         # baremetal node class in an atomic, singular unit.
-        if self._node_resources_unavailable(node):
+        if (not self._node_resources_used(node) and
+            self._node_resources_unavailable(node)):
             # TODO(dtantsur): report resources as reserved instead of reporting
             # an empty inventory
             LOG.debug('Node %(node)s is not ready for a deployment, '