diff --git a/elements/deploy-ironic/README.rst b/elements/deploy-ironic/README.rst
index 8849f88bb..9de6cc991 100644
--- a/elements/deploy-ironic/README.rst
+++ b/elements/deploy-ironic/README.rst
@@ -3,3 +3,7 @@ deploy-ironic
 =============
 A ramdisk that will expose the machine primary disk over iSCSI and reboot
 once Ironic signals it is finished.
+
+.. warning::
+   This element is deprecated.  Please use the ironic-agent element
+   instead.
diff --git a/elements/deploy-ironic/root.d/00-ironic-deploy-deprecated b/elements/deploy-ironic/root.d/00-ironic-deploy-deprecated
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..fe1226266
--- /dev/null
+++ b/elements/deploy-ironic/root.d/00-ironic-deploy-deprecated
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+# not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+# a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+# WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+# License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+# under the License.
+
+if [ ${DIB_DEBUG_TRACE:-1} -gt 0 ]; then
+    set -x
+fi
+set -eu
+set -o pipefail
+
+echo "WARNING: The deploy-ironic element is deprecated. Please use the ironic-agent element instead." 1>&2