diff --git a/.claude/agents/pull-request-creator.md b/.claude/agents/pull-request-creator.md
index 94bd2d596..f5223ea40 100644
--- a/.claude/agents/pull-request-creator.md
+++ b/.claude/agents/pull-request-creator.md
@@ -61,9 +61,11 @@ If `git stash pop` reports conflicts, abort and surface them — something on th
 
 ```
 git add -A
-git commit -m "<commit_message>"
+git commit -s -m "<commit_message>"
 ```
 
+Note: the `-s` adds a Signed-off-by trailer to the commit message. This is required for all commits in this project.
+
 ## Step 5: Push
 
 ```
diff --git a/internal/scheduling/nova/plugins/filters/filter_image_properties.go b/internal/scheduling/nova/plugins/filters/filter_image_properties.go
index 7ce083f87..2fe1ada44 100644
--- a/internal/scheduling/nova/plugins/filters/filter_image_properties.go
+++ b/internal/scheduling/nova/plugins/filters/filter_image_properties.go
@@ -6,8 +6,10 @@ package filters
 import (
 	"context"
 	"log/slog"
+	"slices"
 
 	api "github.com/cobaltcore-dev/cortex/api/external/nova"
+	"github.com/cobaltcore-dev/cortex/api/v1alpha1"
 	"github.com/cobaltcore-dev/cortex/internal/scheduling/lib"
 	hv1 "github.com/cobaltcore-dev/openstack-hypervisor-operator/api/v1"
 )
@@ -19,6 +21,26 @@ type FilterImagePropertiesStep struct {
 // Filter hosts based on image properties given in the request spec.
 func (s *FilterImagePropertiesStep) Run(traceLog *slog.Logger, request api.ExternalSchedulerRequest) (*lib.FilterWeigherPipelineStepResult, error) {
 	result := s.IncludeAllHostsFromRequest(request)
+
+	// Apply this filter to all requests, unless we know from the request's
+	// intent that image metadata is expected to not be set.
+	if intent, err := request.GetIntent(); err == nil {
+		intentsExpectedToNotHaveImageMeta := []v1alpha1.SchedulingIntent{
+			// Cortex-internal intents in which scheduling requests are sent
+			// mainly based on flavor-related metadata, independent of the
+			// image that'll land there.
+			api.ReserveForFailoverIntent,
+			api.ReuseFailoverReservationIntent,
+			api.ReserveForCommittedResourceIntent,
+			api.CapacityProbeIntent,
+		}
+		if slices.Contains(intentsExpectedToNotHaveImageMeta, intent) {
+			traceLog.Debug("skipping filter: expected to have no image metadata",
+				"intent", intent)
+			return result, nil
+		}
+	}
+
 	// If the image properties indicate any other hypervisor type than kvm,
 	// we filter out all known kvm hypervisors.
 	hvType, err := request.Spec.Data.Image.Data.GetHypervisorType()
@@ -32,6 +54,7 @@ func (s *FilterImagePropertiesStep) Run(traceLog *slog.Logger, request api.Exter
 		result.Events = append(result.Events, "image_properties_hv_type_undetermined")
 		return result, nil
 	}
+
 	if hvType != api.NovaImageMetaHVTypeKVM {
 		traceLog.Info("filtering out all known kvm hypervisors since image properties indicate a different hypervisor type",
 			"image_hypervisor_type", hvType)
@@ -45,6 +68,7 @@ func (s *FilterImagePropertiesStep) Run(traceLog *slog.Logger, request api.Exter
 			traceLog.Debug("filtering host which is kvm hypervisor", "host", hv.Name)
 		}
 	}
+
 	return result, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/scheduling/nova/plugins/filters/filter_image_properties_test.go b/internal/scheduling/nova/plugins/filters/filter_image_properties_test.go
index c4370e79e..64dd4bb26 100644
--- a/internal/scheduling/nova/plugins/filters/filter_image_properties_test.go
+++ b/internal/scheduling/nova/plugins/filters/filter_image_properties_test.go
@@ -27,6 +27,15 @@ func requestWith(hosts []string, properties map[string]any) api.ExternalSchedule
 	return request
 }
 
+// requestWithIntent builds an ExternalSchedulerRequest like requestWith, but
+// additionally sets the _nova_check_type scheduler hint so GetIntent resolves
+// to the given intent.
+func requestWithIntent(hosts []string, properties map[string]any, checkType string) api.ExternalSchedulerRequest {
+	request := requestWith(hosts, properties)
+	request.Spec.Data.SchedulerHints = map[string]any{"_nova_check_type": checkType}
+	return request
+}
+
 func TestFilterImagePropertiesStep_Run(t *testing.T) {
 	scheme := runtime.NewScheme()
 	if err := hv1.AddToScheme(scheme); err != nil {
@@ -81,6 +90,36 @@ func TestFilterImagePropertiesStep_Run(t *testing.T) {
 			expectedHosts: []string{},
 			filteredHosts: []string{},
 		},
+		{
+			name:          "reserve_for_failover intent skips filter and keeps all hosts",
+			request:       requestWithIntent([]string{"host1", "host2", "host3"}, map[string]any{"hypervisor_type": "vmware"}, "reserve_for_failover"),
+			expectedHosts: []string{"host1", "host2", "host3"},
+			filteredHosts: []string{},
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "reuse_failover_reservation intent skips filter and keeps all hosts",
+			request:       requestWithIntent([]string{"host1", "host2", "host3"}, map[string]any{"hypervisor_type": "vmware"}, "reuse_failover_reservation"),
+			expectedHosts: []string{"host1", "host2", "host3"},
+			filteredHosts: []string{},
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "reserve_for_committed_resource intent skips filter and keeps all hosts",
+			request:       requestWithIntent([]string{"host1", "host2", "host3"}, map[string]any{"hypervisor_type": "vmware"}, "reserve_for_committed_resource"),
+			expectedHosts: []string{"host1", "host2", "host3"},
+			filteredHosts: []string{},
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "capacity_probe intent skips filter and keeps all hosts",
+			request:       requestWithIntent([]string{"host1", "host2", "host3"}, map[string]any{"hypervisor_type": "vmware"}, "capacity_probe"),
+			expectedHosts: []string{"host1", "host2", "host3"},
+			filteredHosts: []string{},
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "create intent still filters out known kvm hypervisors",
+			request:       requestWithIntent([]string{"host1", "host2", "host3"}, map[string]any{"hypervisor_type": "vmware"}, "create"),
+			expectedHosts: []string{"host3"},
+			filteredHosts: []string{"host1", "host2"},
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {