diff --git a/ironic/conductor/manager.py b/ironic/conductor/manager.py
index 35e5b1e032..3f75ac5acb 100644
--- a/ironic/conductor/manager.py
+++ b/ironic/conductor/manager.py
@@ -835,10 +835,11 @@ class ConductorManager(periodic_task.PeriodicTasks):
 
         """
         node = task.node
-        if not node.clean_step:
-            return []
-
         next_steps = node.driver_internal_info.get('clean_steps', [])
+        if not node.clean_step:
+            # first time through, return all steps
+            return next_steps
+
         try:
             # Trim off the last clean step (now finished) and
             # all previous steps
diff --git a/ironic/tests/unit/conductor/test_manager.py b/ironic/tests/unit/conductor/test_manager.py
index 4e745b8ebd..6fe7542100 100644
--- a/ironic/tests/unit/conductor/test_manager.py
+++ b/ironic/tests/unit/conductor/test_manager.py
@@ -2064,6 +2064,20 @@ class DoNodeCleanTestCase(_ServiceSetUpMixin, tests_db_base.DbTestCase):
             steps = self.service._get_node_next_clean_steps(task)
             self.assertEqual(self.next_clean_steps, steps)
 
+    def test__get_node_next_clean_steps_unset_clean_step(self):
+        driver_internal_info = {'clean_steps': self.clean_steps}
+        node = obj_utils.create_test_node(
+            self.context, driver='fake',
+            provision_state=states.CLEANWAIT,
+            target_provision_state=states.AVAILABLE,
+            driver_internal_info=driver_internal_info,
+            last_error=None,
+            clean_step=None)
+
+        with task_manager.acquire(self.context, node.uuid) as task:
+            steps = self.service._get_node_next_clean_steps(task)
+            self.assertEqual(self.clean_steps, steps)
+
     def test__get_node_next_clean_steps_bad_clean_step(self):
         driver_internal_info = {'clean_steps': self.clean_steps}
         node = obj_utils.create_test_node(
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/fix-clean-steps-not-running-0d065cb022bc0419.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/fix-clean-steps-not-running-0d065cb022bc0419.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2ef966a188
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/fix-clean-steps-not-running-0d065cb022bc0419.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+prelude: >
+    A major bug was fixed where clean steps do not run.
+critical:
+  - This fixes a bug where Ironic skipped all clean steps,
+    which may leave the previous tenant's data on disk
+    available to new users.
+security:
+  - This fixes a bug where Ironic skipped all clean steps,
+    which may leave the previous tenant's data on disk
+    available to new users.