diff --git a/ironic/conductor/utils.py b/ironic/conductor/utils.py
index 621e73d931..0a0799e89f 100644
--- a/ironic/conductor/utils.py
+++ b/ironic/conductor/utils.py
@@ -774,10 +774,7 @@ def validate_instance_info_traits(node):
     if not all(isinstance(t, six.string_types) for t in instance_traits):
         invalid()
 
-    # TODO(mgoddard): Remove the obj_attr_is_set() call in Rocky
-    # when all node objects will have a traits field.
-    node_traits = (node.traits.get_trait_names()
-                   if node.obj_attr_is_set('traits') else [])
+    node_traits = node.traits.get_trait_names()
     missing = set(instance_traits) - set(node_traits)
     if missing:
         err = (_("Cannot specify instance traits that are not also set on the "
diff --git a/ironic/tests/unit/conductor/test_utils.py b/ironic/tests/unit/conductor/test_utils.py
index 4707c920e4..25a7f939a6 100644
--- a/ironic/tests/unit/conductor/test_utils.py
+++ b/ironic/tests/unit/conductor/test_utils.py
@@ -1814,11 +1814,3 @@ class ValidateInstanceInfoTraitsTestCase(tests_base.TestCase):
                                'Cannot specify instance traits that are not',
                                conductor_utils.validate_instance_info_traits,
                                self.node)
-
-    def test_validate_instance_info_traits_no_node_traits(self):
-        self.node.instance_info['traits'] = ['trait1', 'trait2']
-        delattr(self.node, 'traits')
-        self.assertRaisesRegex(exception.InvalidParameterValue,
-                               'Cannot specify instance traits that are not',
-                               conductor_utils.validate_instance_info_traits,
-                               self.node)