diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/ha/HAManagerImpl.java b/server/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/ha/HAManagerImpl.java
index 93b237ec20a9..3dbaab449b89 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/ha/HAManagerImpl.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/ha/HAManagerImpl.java
@@ -221,13 +221,16 @@ private HAResource validateAndFindHAResource(final HAConfig haConfig) {
         return resource;
     }
 
-    private HAProvider<HAResource> validateAndFindHAProvider(final HAConfig haConfig, final HAResource resource) {
+    HAProvider<HAResource> validateAndFindHAProvider(final HAConfig haConfig, final HAResource resource) {
         if (haConfig == null) {
             return null;
         }
         final HAProvider<HAResource> haProvider = haProviderMap.get(haConfig.getHaProvider());
         if (haProvider != null && !haProvider.isEligible(resource)) {
-            if (haConfig.getState() != HAConfig.HAState.Ineligible) {
+            // A fenced host is expected to be ineligible as fencing puts it in maintenance mode;
+            // it must remain Fenced until a health check passes (Fenced -> HealthCheckPassed -> Ineligible),
+            // so there is no Fenced -> Ineligible transition to attempt here.
+            if (haConfig.getState() != HAConfig.HAState.Ineligible && haConfig.getState() != HAConfig.HAState.Fenced) {
                 transitionHAState(HAConfig.Event.Ineligible, haConfig);
             }
             return null;
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/apache/cloudstack/ha/HAManagerImplTest.java b/server/src/test/java/org/apache/cloudstack/ha/HAManagerImplTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0a5c95d2472f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/apache/cloudstack/ha/HAManagerImplTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+// Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one
+// or more contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file
+// distributed with this work for additional information
+// regarding copyright ownership.  The ASF licenses this file
+// to you under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the
+// "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
+// with the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
+// software distributed under the License is distributed on an
+// "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
+// KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
+// specific language governing permissions and limitations
+// under the License.
+package org.apache.cloudstack.ha;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
+
+import java.lang.reflect.Field;
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Map;
+
+import org.apache.cloudstack.ha.provider.HAProvider;
+import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
+import org.mockito.Mock;
+import org.mockito.Mockito;
+import org.mockito.junit.MockitoJUnitRunner;
+
+@RunWith(MockitoJUnitRunner.class)
+public class HAManagerImplTest {
+
+    private static final String HA_PROVIDER_NAME = "kvmhaprovider";
+
+    @Mock
+    private HAConfig haConfig;
+
+    @Mock
+    private HAResource resource;
+
+    @Mock
+    private HAProvider<HAResource> haProvider;
+
+    private HAManagerImpl haManager;
+
+    @Before
+    public void setUp() throws Exception {
+        haManager = Mockito.spy(new HAManagerImpl());
+
+        final Map<String, HAProvider<HAResource>> haProviderMap = new HashMap<>();
+        haProviderMap.put(HA_PROVIDER_NAME, haProvider);
+        final Field field = HAManagerImpl.class.getDeclaredField("haProviderMap");
+        field.setAccessible(true);
+        field.set(haManager, haProviderMap);
+
+        Mockito.when(haConfig.getHaProvider()).thenReturn(HA_PROVIDER_NAME);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void validateAndFindHAProviderFencedHostDoesNotAttemptIneligibleTransition() {
+        // A fenced host is put in maintenance mode by the fencing flow and is therefore
+        // ineligible; the FSM has no Fenced -> Ineligible transition, so none must be attempted
+        // (it would log a NoTransitionException warning on every poll round otherwise).
+        Mockito.when(haProvider.isEligible(resource)).thenReturn(false);
+        Mockito.when(haConfig.getState()).thenReturn(HAConfig.HAState.Fenced);
+
+        assertNull(haManager.validateAndFindHAProvider(haConfig, resource));
+
+        Mockito.verify(haManager, Mockito.never()).transitionHAState(Mockito.any(HAConfig.Event.class), Mockito.any(HAConfig.class));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void validateAndFindHAProviderIneligibleResourceTransitionsToIneligible() {
+        Mockito.when(haProvider.isEligible(resource)).thenReturn(false);
+        Mockito.when(haConfig.getState()).thenReturn(HAConfig.HAState.Available);
+        Mockito.doReturn(true).when(haManager).transitionHAState(Mockito.any(HAConfig.Event.class), Mockito.any(HAConfig.class));
+
+        assertNull(haManager.validateAndFindHAProvider(haConfig, resource));
+
+        Mockito.verify(haManager).transitionHAState(HAConfig.Event.Ineligible, haConfig);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void validateAndFindHAProviderAlreadyIneligibleDoesNotRetransition() {
+        Mockito.when(haProvider.isEligible(resource)).thenReturn(false);
+        Mockito.when(haConfig.getState()).thenReturn(HAConfig.HAState.Ineligible);
+
+        assertNull(haManager.validateAndFindHAProvider(haConfig, resource));
+
+        Mockito.verify(haManager, Mockito.never()).transitionHAState(Mockito.any(HAConfig.Event.class), Mockito.any(HAConfig.class));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void validateAndFindHAProviderEligibleResourceTransitionsBackFromIneligible() {
+        Mockito.when(haProvider.isEligible(resource)).thenReturn(true);
+        Mockito.when(haConfig.getState()).thenReturn(HAConfig.HAState.Ineligible);
+        Mockito.doReturn(true).when(haManager).transitionHAState(Mockito.any(HAConfig.Event.class), Mockito.any(HAConfig.class));
+
+        assertEquals(haProvider, haManager.validateAndFindHAProvider(haConfig, resource));
+
+        Mockito.verify(haManager).transitionHAState(HAConfig.Event.Eligible, haConfig);
+    }
+}