diff --git a/ironic/drivers/modules/agent_base_vendor.py b/ironic/drivers/modules/agent_base_vendor.py
index 13cc94b8b4..aa4e444a92 100644
--- a/ironic/drivers/modules/agent_base_vendor.py
+++ b/ironic/drivers/modules/agent_base_vendor.py
@@ -302,24 +302,20 @@ class HeartbeatMixin(object):
                 node.touch_provisioning()
             elif node.provision_state == states.CLEANWAIT:
                 node.touch_provisioning()
-                try:
-                    if not node.clean_step:
-                        LOG.debug('Node %s just booted to start cleaning.',
-                                  node.uuid)
-                        msg = _('Node failed to start the first cleaning '
-                                'step.')
-                        # First, cache the clean steps
-                        self.refresh_clean_steps(task)
-                        # Then set/verify node clean steps and start cleaning
-                        manager_utils.set_node_cleaning_steps(task)
-                        _notify_conductor_resume_clean(task)
-                    else:
-                        msg = _('Node failed to check cleaning progress.')
-                        self.continue_cleaning(task)
-                except exception.NoFreeConductorWorker:
-                    # waiting for the next heartbeat, node.last_error and
-                    # logging message is filled already via conductor's hook
-                    pass
+                if not node.clean_step:
+                    LOG.debug('Node %s just booted to start cleaning.',
+                              node.uuid)
+                    msg = _('Node failed to start the first cleaning step.')
+                    # First, cache the clean steps
+                    self.refresh_clean_steps(task)
+                    # Then set/verify node clean steps and start cleaning
+                    manager_utils.set_node_cleaning_steps(task)
+                    # The exceptions from RPC are not possible as we using cast
+                    # here
+                    _notify_conductor_resume_clean(task)
+                else:
+                    msg = _('Node failed to check cleaning progress.')
+                    self.continue_cleaning(task)
 
         except Exception as e:
             err_info = {'node': node.uuid, 'msg': msg, 'e': e}
diff --git a/ironic/tests/unit/drivers/modules/test_agent_base_vendor.py b/ironic/tests/unit/drivers/modules/test_agent_base_vendor.py
index 183814abd9..61cde7bc46 100644
--- a/ironic/tests/unit/drivers/modules/test_agent_base_vendor.py
+++ b/ironic/tests/unit/drivers/modules/test_agent_base_vendor.py
@@ -215,29 +215,6 @@ class HeartbeatMixinTest(AgentDeployMixinBaseTest):
         mock_continue.assert_called_once_with(mock.ANY, task)
         mock_handler.assert_called_once_with(task, mock.ANY)
 
-    @mock.patch.object(manager_utils, 'cleaning_error_handler')
-    @mock.patch.object(agent_base_vendor.HeartbeatMixin,
-                       'continue_cleaning', autospec=True)
-    def test_heartbeat_continue_cleaning_no_worker(self, mock_continue,
-                                                   mock_handler):
-        self.node.clean_step = {
-            'priority': 10,
-            'interface': 'deploy',
-            'step': 'foo',
-            'reboot_requested': False
-        }
-
-        mock_continue.side_effect = exception.NoFreeConductorWorker()
-
-        self.node.provision_state = states.CLEANWAIT
-        self.node.save()
-        with task_manager.acquire(
-                self.context, self.node.uuid, shared=False) as task:
-            self.deploy.heartbeat(task, 'http://127.0.0.1:8080')
-
-        mock_continue.assert_called_once_with(mock.ANY, task)
-        self.assertFalse(mock_handler.called)
-
     @mock.patch.object(agent_base_vendor.HeartbeatMixin, 'continue_deploy',
                        autospec=True)
     @mock.patch.object(agent_base_vendor.HeartbeatMixin,