diff --git a/src/core/public/workspace/consts.ts b/src/core/public/workspace/consts.ts
index 77f9144a27a3..662baeaa5d19 100644
--- a/src/core/public/workspace/consts.ts
+++ b/src/core/public/workspace/consts.ts
@@ -6,3 +6,7 @@
 export const WORKSPACES_API_BASE_URL = '/api/workspaces';
 
 export const WORKSPACE_ID_QUERYSTRING_NAME = '_workspace_id_';
+
+export enum WORKSPACE_ERROR_REASON_MAP {
+  WORKSPACE_STALED = 'WORKSPACE_STALED',
+}
diff --git a/src/core/public/workspace/workspaces_client.ts b/src/core/public/workspace/workspaces_client.ts
index 8508921cbb0d..91d83dd1639f 100644
--- a/src/core/public/workspace/workspaces_client.ts
+++ b/src/core/public/workspace/workspaces_client.ts
@@ -2,12 +2,11 @@
  * Copyright OpenSearch Contributors
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
-import { resolve as resolveUrl } from 'url';
 import type { PublicContract } from '@osd/utility-types';
-import { Subject } from 'rxjs';
+import { BehaviorSubject } from 'rxjs';
 import { HttpFetchError, HttpFetchOptions, HttpSetup } from '../http';
 import { WorkspaceAttribute, WorkspaceFindOptions } from '.';
-import { WORKSPACES_API_BASE_URL } from './consts';
+import { WORKSPACES_API_BASE_URL, WORKSPACE_ERROR_REASON_MAP } from './consts';
 
 /**
  * WorkspacesClientContract as implemented by the {@link WorkspacesClient}
@@ -40,27 +39,25 @@ type IResponse<T> =
  */
 export class WorkspacesClient {
   private http: HttpSetup;
-  private currentWorkspaceId = '';
-  public currentWorkspaceId$ = new Subject<string>();
-  public workspaceList$ = new Subject<WorkspaceAttribute[]>();
+  public currentWorkspaceId$ = new BehaviorSubject<string>('');
+  public workspaceList$ = new BehaviorSubject<WorkspaceAttribute[]>([]);
   constructor(http: HttpSetup) {
     this.http = http;
-    this.currentWorkspaceId$.subscribe(
-      (currentWorkspaceId) => (this.currentWorkspaceId = currentWorkspaceId)
-    );
     /**
      * Add logic to check if current workspace id is still valid
      * If not, remove the current workspace id and notify other subscribers
      */
     this.workspaceList$.subscribe(async (workspaceList) => {
-      const currentWorkspaceId = this.currentWorkspaceId;
+      const currentWorkspaceId = this.currentWorkspaceId$.getValue();
       if (currentWorkspaceId) {
         const findItem = workspaceList.find((item) => item.id === currentWorkspaceId);
         if (!findItem) {
           /**
            * Current workspace is staled
            */
-          this.currentWorkspaceId$.next('');
+          this.currentWorkspaceId$.error({
+            reason: WORKSPACE_ERROR_REASON_MAP.WORKSPACE_STALED,
+          });
         }
       }
     });
@@ -71,29 +68,39 @@ export class WorkspacesClient {
     this.updateWorkspaceListAndNotify();
   }
 
-  private catchedFetch = async <T extends IResponse<any>>(
+  /**
+   * Add a non-throw-error fetch method for internal use.
+   */
+  private safeFetch = async <T = any>(
     path: string,
     options: HttpFetchOptions
-  ) => {
+  ): Promise<IResponse<T>> => {
     try {
-      return await this.http.fetch<T>(path, options);
+      return await this.http.fetch<IResponse<T>>(path, options);
     } catch (error: unknown) {
-      if (error instanceof HttpFetchError || error instanceof Error) {
+      if (error instanceof HttpFetchError) {
+        return {
+          success: false,
+          error: error.body?.message || error.body?.error || error.message,
+        };
+      }
+
+      if (error instanceof Error) {
         return {
           success: false,
           error: error.message,
-        } as T;
+        };
       }
 
       return {
         success: false,
         error: 'Unknown error',
-      } as T;
+      };
     }
   };
 
   private getPath(path: Array<string | undefined>): string {
-    return resolveUrl(`${WORKSPACES_API_BASE_URL}/`, join(...path));
+    return [WORKSPACES_API_BASE_URL, join(...path)].filter((item) => item).join('/');
   }
 
   private async updateWorkspaceListAndNotify(): Promise<void> {
@@ -128,7 +135,7 @@ export class WorkspacesClient {
   }
 
   public async getCurrentWorkspaceId(): Promise<IResponse<WorkspaceAttribute['id']>> {
-    const currentWorkspaceId = this.currentWorkspaceId;
+    const currentWorkspaceId = this.currentWorkspaceId$.getValue();
     if (!currentWorkspaceId) {
       return {
         success: false,
@@ -161,16 +168,9 @@ export class WorkspacesClient {
   public async create(
     attributes: Omit<WorkspaceAttribute, 'id'>
   ): Promise<IResponse<WorkspaceAttribute>> {
-    if (!attributes) {
-      return {
-        success: false,
-        error: 'Workspace attributes is required',
-      };
-    }
-
     const path = this.getPath([]);
 
-    const result = await this.catchedFetch<IResponse<WorkspaceAttribute>>(path, {
+    const result = await this.safeFetch<WorkspaceAttribute>(path, {
       method: 'POST',
       body: JSON.stringify({
         attributes,
@@ -191,14 +191,7 @@ export class WorkspacesClient {
    * @returns
    */
   public async delete(id: string): Promise<IResponse<null>> {
-    if (!id) {
-      return {
-        success: false,
-        error: 'Id is required.',
-      };
-    }
-
-    const result = await this.catchedFetch(this.getPath([id]), { method: 'DELETE' });
+    const result = await this.safeFetch<null>(this.getPath([id]), { method: 'DELETE' });
 
     if (result.success) {
       this.updateWorkspaceListAndNotify();
@@ -230,7 +223,7 @@ export class WorkspacesClient {
     }>
   > => {
     const path = this.getPath(['_list']);
-    return this.catchedFetch(path, {
+    return this.safeFetch(path, {
       method: 'POST',
       body: JSON.stringify(options || {}),
     });
@@ -243,15 +236,8 @@ export class WorkspacesClient {
    * @returns The workspace for the given id.
    */
   public async get(id: string): Promise<IResponse<WorkspaceAttribute>> {
-    if (!id) {
-      return {
-        success: false,
-        error: 'Id is required.',
-      };
-    }
-
     const path = this.getPath([id]);
-    return this.catchedFetch(path, {
+    return this.safeFetch(path, {
       method: 'GET',
     });
   }
@@ -267,19 +253,12 @@ export class WorkspacesClient {
     id: string,
     attributes: Partial<WorkspaceAttribute>
   ): Promise<IResponse<boolean>> {
-    if (!id || !attributes) {
-      return {
-        success: false,
-        error: 'Id and attributes are required.',
-      };
-    }
-
     const path = this.getPath([id]);
     const body = {
       attributes,
     };
 
-    const result = await this.catchedFetch(path, {
+    const result = await this.safeFetch(path, {
       method: 'PUT',
       body: JSON.stringify(body),
     });
diff --git a/src/core/server/workspaces/routes/index.ts b/src/core/server/workspaces/routes/index.ts
index 24345b6a34d9..980364103ba8 100644
--- a/src/core/server/workspaces/routes/index.ts
+++ b/src/core/server/workspaces/routes/index.ts
@@ -7,9 +7,7 @@ import { InternalHttpServiceSetup } from '../../http';
 import { Logger } from '../../logging';
 import { IWorkspaceDBImpl } from '../types';
 
-export const WORKSPACES_API_BASE_URL = '/api/workspaces';
-
-export const WORKSPACE_ID_QUERYSTRING_NAME = '_workspace_id_';
+const WORKSPACES_API_BASE_URL = '/api/workspaces';
 
 export function registerRoutes({
   client,
@@ -71,7 +69,7 @@ export function registerRoutes({
   );
   router.post(
     {
-      path: '/',
+      path: '',
       validate: {
         body: schema.object({
           attributes: schema.object({
@@ -98,7 +96,7 @@ export function registerRoutes({
   );
   router.put(
     {
-      path: '/{id}',
+      path: '/{id?}',
       validate: {
         params: schema.object({
           id: schema.string(),
@@ -130,7 +128,7 @@ export function registerRoutes({
   );
   router.delete(
     {
-      path: '/{id}',
+      path: '/{id?}',
       validate: {
         params: schema.object({
           id: schema.string(),
diff --git a/src/plugins/workspace/public/plugin.ts b/src/plugins/workspace/public/plugin.ts
index 911c9a651137..39069ca09bb8 100644
--- a/src/plugins/workspace/public/plugin.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/workspace/public/plugin.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
  */
 
 import { i18n } from '@osd/i18n';
-import { parse } from 'querystring';
 import {
   CoreSetup,
   CoreStart,
@@ -28,9 +27,9 @@ export class WorkspacesPlugin implements Plugin<{}, {}> {
       }
     });
   }
-  private getWorkpsaceIdFromQueryString(): string {
-    const querystringObject = parse(window.location.search.replace(/^\??/, ''));
-    return querystringObject[WORKSPACE_ID_QUERYSTRING_NAME] as string;
+  private getWorkpsaceIdFromQueryString(): string | null {
+    const searchParams = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
+    return searchParams.get(WORKSPACE_ID_QUERYSTRING_NAME);
   }
   private getWorkpsaceIdFromSessionStorage(): string {
     try {
@@ -53,11 +52,6 @@ export class WorkspacesPlugin implements Plugin<{}, {}> {
   }
   public async setup(core: CoreSetup) {
     this.core = core;
-    /**
-     * register a listener
-     */
-    this.addWorkspaceListener();
-
     /**
      * Retrive workspace id from url or sessionstorage
      * url > sessionstorage
@@ -77,6 +71,12 @@ export class WorkspacesPlugin implements Plugin<{}, {}> {
         );
       }
     }
+
+    /**
+     * register a listener
+     */
+    this.addWorkspaceListener();
+
     core.application.register({
       id: WORKSPACE_APP_ID,
       title: i18n.translate('workspace.settings.title', {