diff --git a/cli/administration/deploy/dedicated/runner.py b/cli/administration/deploy/dedicated/runner.py
index fe858f4854..69df23f4b5 100644
--- a/cli/administration/deploy/dedicated/runner.py
+++ b/cli/administration/deploy/dedicated/runner.py
@@ -37,12 +37,6 @@ def run_ansible_playbook(
     start_time = datetime.datetime.now(tz=datetime.UTC)
     print(f"\n▶️ Script started at: {start_time.isoformat()}\n", flush=True)
 
-    if modes.get("MODE_CLEANUP", False):
-        print("\n🧹 Cleaning up...\n", flush=True)
-        run_make(repo_root, "clean")
-    else:
-        print("\n🧹 Cleanup skipped (MODE_CLEANUP not set or False)\n", flush=True)
-
     if not skip_build:
         print("\n🛠️  Running project build (make setup)...\n", flush=True)
         run_make(repo_root, "setup")
diff --git a/tests/unit/python/cli/administration/deploy/dedicated/test_runner.py b/tests/unit/python/cli/administration/deploy/dedicated/test_runner.py
index 11c8f45ab3..695b6dcd8f 100644
--- a/tests/unit/python/cli/administration/deploy/dedicated/test_runner.py
+++ b/tests/unit/python/cli/administration/deploy/dedicated/test_runner.py
@@ -89,7 +89,11 @@ class TestRunAnsiblePlaybook(unittest.TestCase):
         def was_called(cmd: list[str]) -> bool:
             return any(call_cmd == cmd for call_cmd, _kw in calls)
 
-        self.assertTrue(was_called(["make", "clean"]), "Expected 'make clean'")
+        self.assertFalse(
+            was_called(["make", "clean"]),
+            "MODE_CLEANUP tidies the deployed system, so it must not git-clean "
+            "the control checkout and delete the inventory being deployed",
+        )
         self.assertTrue(was_called(["make", "setup"]), "Expected 'make setup'")
 
         for call_cmd, kw in calls: