diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/ml/server/models/job_service/jobs.ts b/x-pack/plugins/ml/server/models/job_service/jobs.ts
index e047d31ba6eb7..f4378e29ef826 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/ml/server/models/job_service/jobs.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/ml/server/models/job_service/jobs.ts
@@ -407,28 +407,21 @@ export function jobsProvider(client: IScopedClusterClient) {
   // Job IDs in supplied array may contain wildcard '*' characters
   // e.g. *_low_request_rate_ecs
   async function jobsExist(jobIds: string[] = []) {
-    // Get the list of job IDs.
-    const { body } = await asInternalUser.ml.getJobs<MlJobsResponse>({
-      job_id: jobIds.join(),
-    });
-
     const results: { [id: string]: boolean } = {};
-    if (body.count > 0) {
-      const allJobIds = body.jobs.map((job) => job.job_id);
-
-      // Check if each of the supplied IDs match existing jobs.
-      jobIds.forEach((jobId) => {
-        // Create a Regex for each supplied ID as wildcard * is allowed.
-        const regexp = new RegExp(`^${jobId.replace(/\*+/g, '.*')}$`);
-        const exists = allJobIds.some((existsJobId) => regexp.test(existsJobId));
-        results[jobId] = exists;
-      });
-    } else {
-      jobIds.forEach((jobId) => {
+    for (const jobId of jobIds) {
+      try {
+        const { body } = await asInternalUser.ml.getJobs<MlJobsResponse>({
+          job_id: jobId,
+        });
+        results[jobId] = body.count > 0;
+      } catch (e) {
+        // if a non-wildcarded job id is supplied, the get jobs endpoint will 404
+        if (e.body?.status !== 404) {
+          throw e;
+        }
         results[jobId] = false;
-      });
+      }
     }
-
     return results;
   }
 
diff --git a/x-pack/test/api_integration/apis/ml/jobs/jobs_exist.ts b/x-pack/test/api_integration/apis/ml/jobs/jobs_exist.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..c48376b6a14f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/x-pack/test/api_integration/apis/ml/jobs/jobs_exist.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
+ */
+
+import expect from '@kbn/expect';
+
+import { FtrProviderContext } from '../../../ftr_provider_context';
+import { COMMON_REQUEST_HEADERS } from '../../../../functional/services/ml/common_api';
+import { USER } from '../../../../functional/services/ml/security_common';
+import { SINGLE_METRIC_JOB_CONFIG, DATAFEED_CONFIG } from './common_jobs';
+
+export default ({ getService }: FtrProviderContext) => {
+  const esArchiver = getService('esArchiver');
+  const supertest = getService('supertestWithoutAuth');
+  const ml = getService('ml');
+
+  const testSetupJobConfigs = [SINGLE_METRIC_JOB_CONFIG];
+
+  const responseBody = {
+    [SINGLE_METRIC_JOB_CONFIG.job_id]: true,
+    [`${SINGLE_METRIC_JOB_CONFIG.job_id.slice(0, 10)}*`]: true, // wildcard, use first 10 chars
+    [`${SINGLE_METRIC_JOB_CONFIG.job_id}_fail`]: false,
+    [`${SINGLE_METRIC_JOB_CONFIG.job_id.slice(0, 10)}_fail*`]: false, // wildcard, use first 10 chars
+  };
+
+  const testDataList = [
+    {
+      testTitle: 'as ML Poweruser',
+      user: USER.ML_POWERUSER,
+      requestBody: {
+        jobIds: Object.keys(responseBody),
+      },
+      expected: {
+        responseCode: 200,
+        responseBody,
+      },
+    },
+    {
+      testTitle: 'as ML Viewer',
+      user: USER.ML_VIEWER,
+      requestBody: {
+        jobIds: Object.keys(responseBody),
+      },
+      expected: {
+        responseCode: 200,
+        responseBody,
+      },
+    },
+  ];
+
+  const testDataListUnauthorized = [
+    {
+      testTitle: 'as ML Unauthorized user',
+      user: USER.ML_UNAUTHORIZED,
+      requestBody: {
+        jobIds: Object.keys(responseBody),
+      },
+      expected: {
+        responseCode: 404,
+        error: 'Not Found',
+      },
+    },
+  ];
+
+  async function runJobsExistRequest(
+    user: USER,
+    requestBody: object,
+    expectedResponsecode: number
+  ): Promise<any> {
+    const { body } = await supertest
+      .post('/api/ml/jobs/jobs_exist')
+      .auth(user, ml.securityCommon.getPasswordForUser(user))
+      .set(COMMON_REQUEST_HEADERS)
+      .send(requestBody)
+      .expect(expectedResponsecode);
+
+    return body;
+  }
+
+  describe('jobs_exist', function () {
+    before(async () => {
+      await esArchiver.loadIfNeeded('ml/farequote');
+      await ml.testResources.createIndexPatternIfNeeded('ft_farequote', '@timestamp');
+      await ml.testResources.setKibanaTimeZoneToUTC();
+    });
+
+    after(async () => {
+      await ml.api.cleanMlIndices();
+    });
+
+    it('sets up jobs', async () => {
+      for (const job of testSetupJobConfigs) {
+        const datafeedId = `datafeed-${job.job_id}`;
+        await ml.api.createAnomalyDetectionJob(job);
+        await ml.api.openAnomalyDetectionJob(job.job_id);
+        await ml.api.createDatafeed({
+          ...DATAFEED_CONFIG,
+          datafeed_id: datafeedId,
+          job_id: job.job_id,
+        });
+      }
+    });
+
+    describe('jobs exist', function () {
+      for (const testData of testDataList) {
+        it(`${testData.testTitle}`, async () => {
+          const body = await runJobsExistRequest(
+            testData.user,
+            testData.requestBody,
+            testData.expected.responseCode
+          );
+          const expectedResponse = testData.expected.responseBody;
+          const expectedRspJobIds = Object.keys(expectedResponse).sort((a, b) =>
+            a.localeCompare(b)
+          );
+          const actualRspJobIds = Object.keys(body).sort((a, b) => a.localeCompare(b));
+
+          expect(actualRspJobIds).to.have.length(expectedRspJobIds.length);
+          expect(actualRspJobIds).to.eql(expectedRspJobIds);
+          expectedRspJobIds.forEach((id) => {
+            expect(body[id]).to.eql(testData.expected.responseBody[id]);
+          });
+        });
+      }
+    });
+
+    describe('rejects request', function () {
+      for (const testData of testDataListUnauthorized) {
+        describe('fails to check jobs exist', function () {
+          it(`${testData.testTitle}`, async () => {
+            const body = await runJobsExistRequest(
+              testData.user,
+              testData.requestBody,
+              testData.expected.responseCode
+            );
+
+            expect(body).to.have.property('error').eql(testData.expected.error);
+          });
+        });
+      }
+    });
+  });
+};