diff --git a/internal/controller/controllers/bmh_agent_controller.go b/internal/controller/controllers/bmh_agent_controller.go
index 0281eecca0e..d0652e29c26 100644
--- a/internal/controller/controllers/bmh_agent_controller.go
+++ b/internal/controller/controllers/bmh_agent_controller.go
@@ -1476,12 +1476,6 @@ func (r *BMACReconciler) getChecksumAndURL(ctx context.Context, spokeClient clie
 
 	checksum, _ = image["checksum"].(string)
 	url, _ = image["url"].(string)
-	if checksum == "" {
-		return "", "", errors.New("master machine ProviderSpec 'image' missing checksum"), false
-	}
-	if url == "" {
-		return "", "", errors.New("master machine ProviderSpec 'image' missing url"), false
-	}
 
 	return checksum, url, nil, false
 }
diff --git a/internal/controller/controllers/bmh_agent_controller_test.go b/internal/controller/controllers/bmh_agent_controller_test.go
index c962ba66549..816c778a1bd 100644
--- a/internal/controller/controllers/bmh_agent_controller_test.go
+++ b/internal/controller/controllers/bmh_agent_controller_test.go
@@ -41,8 +41,10 @@ import (
 	fakeclient "sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client/fake"
 )
 
-var BASIC_KUBECONFIG = `test`
-var BASIC_CERT = `test`
+var (
+	BASIC_KUBECONFIG = `test`
+	BASIC_CERT       = `test`
+)
 
 var _ = Describe("bmac reconcile", func() {
 	var (
@@ -1603,6 +1605,75 @@ var _ = Describe("bmac reconcile", func() {
 				Expect(spokeMachine.ObjectMeta.Labels[MACHINE_TYPE]).To(Equal(string(models.HostRoleWorker)))
 				Expect(string(spokeMachine.Spec.ProviderSpec.Value.Raw)).To(ContainSubstring(imageURL))
 			})
+			It("should create spoke BMH & Machine when master Machine uses customDeploy with empty image data (OCP 4.10+)", func() {
+				// Replace the master Machine with one that uses customDeploy and empty image data,
+				// matching the format generated by openshift-install since OCP 4.10
+				spokeMachineMaster := &machinev1beta1.Machine{}
+				var err error
+				err = bmhr.spokeClient.Get(ctx, types.NamespacedName{Name: "spoke-machine-master-0", Namespace: testNamespace}, spokeMachineMaster)
+				Expect(err).To(BeNil())
+				Expect(bmhr.spokeClient.Delete(ctx, spokeMachineMaster)).To(BeNil())
+
+				spokeMachineMasterCustomDeploy := &machinev1beta1.Machine{
+					TypeMeta: metav1.TypeMeta{
+						APIVersion: "machine.openshift.io/v1beta1",
+						Kind:       "Machine",
+					},
+					ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+						Name:      "spoke-machine-master-0",
+						Namespace: testNamespace,
+						Labels: map[string]string{
+							machinev1beta1.MachineClusterIDLabel: cluster.Name,
+							MACHINE_ROLE:                         string(models.HostRoleMaster),
+							MACHINE_TYPE:                         string(models.HostRoleMaster),
+						},
+					},
+					Spec: machinev1beta1.MachineSpec{
+						ProviderSpec: machinev1beta1.ProviderSpec{
+							Value: &runtime.RawExtension{
+								Raw: []byte(`{
+									"apiVersion": "baremetal.cluster.k8s.io/v1alpha1",
+									"kind": "BareMetalMachineProviderSpec",
+									"customDeploy": {"method": "install_coreos"},
+									"image": {"checksum": "", "url": ""}
+								}`),
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				}
+				Expect(bmhr.spokeClient.Create(ctx, spokeMachineMasterCustomDeploy)).To(BeNil())
+
+				agent_day2.Status.DebugInfo.State = models.HostStatusInstalling
+				Expect(c.Update(ctx, agent_day2)).To(BeNil())
+
+				configMap := &corev1.ConfigMap{
+					ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+						Name:      "machine-config-server-ca",
+						Namespace: "openshift-machine-config-operator",
+					},
+					Data: map[string]string{
+						"ca-bundle.crt": BASIC_CERT,
+					},
+				}
+				Expect(bmhr.spokeClient.Create(ctx, configMap)).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())
+
+				for range [3]int{} {
+					var result ctrl.Result
+					result, err = bmhr.Reconcile(ctx, newBMHRequest(host_day2))
+					Expect(err).To(BeNil())
+					Expect(result).To(Equal(ctrl.Result{}))
+				}
+
+				By("Checking spoke Machine was created despite empty image data")
+				machineName := fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s", cluster.Name, host_day2.Name)
+				spokeMachine := &machinev1beta1.Machine{}
+				spokeClient := bmhr.spokeClient
+				err = spokeClient.Get(ctx, types.NamespacedName{Name: machineName, Namespace: OPENSHIFT_MACHINE_API_NAMESPACE}, spokeMachine)
+				Expect(err).To(BeNil())
+				Expect(spokeMachine.ObjectMeta.Labels).To(HaveKey(MACHINE_ROLE))
+				Expect(spokeMachine.ObjectMeta.Labels[MACHINE_ROLE]).To(Equal(string(models.HostRoleWorker)))
+				Expect(spokeMachine.ObjectMeta.Annotations).To(HaveKey("metal3.io/BareMetalHost"))
+			})
 			It("should create spoke BMH & Machine for day 2 host with master role when it's installing - happy flow", func() {
 				configMap := &corev1.ConfigMap{
 					ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
@@ -3773,20 +3844,22 @@ var _ = Describe("getChecksumAndURL", func() {
 		Expect(stop).To(BeFalse())
 	})
 
-	It("returns error when checksum is missing", func() {
+	It("returns empty strings when checksum is missing (valid for customDeploy)", func() {
 		createMasterMachine([]byte(`{"image": {"url": "http://example.com/image"}}`))
-		_, _, err, stop := bmhr.getChecksumAndURL(ctx, spokeClient)
-		Expect(err).To(HaveOccurred())
-		Expect(err.Error()).To(ContainSubstring("missing checksum"))
+		checksum, url, err, stop := bmhr.getChecksumAndURL(ctx, spokeClient)
+		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
 		Expect(stop).To(BeFalse())
+		Expect(checksum).To(Equal(""))
+		Expect(url).To(Equal("http://example.com/image"))
 	})
 
-	It("returns error when url is missing", func() {
+	It("returns empty strings when url is missing (valid for customDeploy)", func() {
 		createMasterMachine([]byte(`{"image": {"checksum": "abc123"}}`))
-		_, _, err, stop := bmhr.getChecksumAndURL(ctx, spokeClient)
-		Expect(err).To(HaveOccurred())
-		Expect(err.Error()).To(ContainSubstring("missing url"))
+		checksum, url, err, stop := bmhr.getChecksumAndURL(ctx, spokeClient)
+		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
 		Expect(stop).To(BeFalse())
+		Expect(checksum).To(Equal("abc123"))
+		Expect(url).To(Equal(""))
 	})
 
 	It("returns checksum and url when both are present", func() {