diff --git a/ironic/api/controllers/v1/node.py b/ironic/api/controllers/v1/node.py
index c34cfc1ec5..eae57f9ed4 100644
--- a/ironic/api/controllers/v1/node.py
+++ b/ironic/api/controllers/v1/node.py
@@ -1266,18 +1266,8 @@ class NodesController(rest.RestController):
 
         rpc_node = api_utils.get_rpc_node(node_ident)
 
-        # TODO(lucasagomes): This code is here for backward compatibility
-        # with old nova Ironic drivers that will attempt to remove the
-        # instance even if it's already deleted in Ironic. This conditional
-        # should be removed in the next cycle (Mitaka).
         remove_inst_uuid_patch = [{'op': 'remove', 'path': '/instance_uuid'}]
-        if (rpc_node.provision_state in (ir_states.CLEANING,
-                                         ir_states.CLEANWAIT)
-            and patch == remove_inst_uuid_patch):
-            # The instance_uuid is already removed as part of the node's
-            # tear down, skip this update.
-            return Node.convert_with_links(rpc_node)
-        elif rpc_node.maintenance and patch == remove_inst_uuid_patch:
+        if rpc_node.maintenance and patch == remove_inst_uuid_patch:
             LOG.debug('Removing instance uuid %(instance)s from node %(node)s',
                       {'instance': rpc_node.instance_uuid,
                        'node': rpc_node.uuid})
diff --git a/ironic/tests/unit/api/v1/test_nodes.py b/ironic/tests/unit/api/v1/test_nodes.py
index 5e26b5d6ea..40b9f7f188 100644
--- a/ironic/tests/unit/api/v1/test_nodes.py
+++ b/ironic/tests/unit/api/v1/test_nodes.py
@@ -1086,24 +1086,6 @@ class TestPatch(test_api_base.BaseApiTest):
         self.assertEqual(http_client.BAD_REQUEST, response.status_code)
         self.assertTrue(response.json['error_message'])
 
-    def test_remove_instance_uuid_clean_backward_compat(self):
-        for state in (states.CLEANING, states.CLEANWAIT):
-            node = obj_utils.create_test_node(
-                self.context,
-                uuid=uuidutils.generate_uuid(),
-                provision_state=state,
-                target_provision_state=states.AVAILABLE)
-            self.mock_update_node.return_value = node
-            response = self.patch_json('/nodes/%s' % node.uuid,
-                                       [{'op': 'remove',
-                                         'path': '/instance_uuid'}])
-            self.assertEqual('application/json', response.content_type)
-            self.assertEqual(http_client.OK, response.status_code)
-            # NOTE(lucasagomes): instance_uuid is already removed as part of
-            # node's tear down, assert update has not been called. This test
-            # should be removed in the next cycle (Mitaka).
-            self.assertFalse(self.mock_update_node.called)
-
     def test_add_state_in_cleaning(self):
         node = obj_utils.create_test_node(
             self.context,
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/no-instance-uuid-workaround-fc458deb168c7a8b.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/no-instance-uuid-workaround-fc458deb168c7a8b.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..52caa8ee4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/no-instance-uuid-workaround-fc458deb168c7a8b.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+upgrade:
+  - Removed the workaround in API allowing removing "instance_uuid" during
+    cleaning. It was only required for Nova during introduction of cleaning.