diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/task_manager/server/integration_tests/managed_configuration.test.ts b/x-pack/plugins/task_manager/server/integration_tests/managed_configuration.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..4fc8ae899518c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/task_manager/server/integration_tests/managed_configuration.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+/*
+ * 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 sinon from 'sinon';
+import { mockLogger } from '../test_utils';
+import { TaskManager } from '../task_manager';
+import { savedObjectsRepositoryMock } from '../../../../../src/core/server/mocks';
+import {
+  SavedObjectsSerializer,
+  SavedObjectTypeRegistry,
+  SavedObjectsErrorHelpers,
+} from '../../../../../src/core/server';
+import { ADJUST_THROUGHPUT_INTERVAL } from '../lib/create_managed_configuration';
+
+describe('managed configuration', () => {
+  let taskManager: TaskManager;
+  let clock: sinon.SinonFakeTimers;
+  const callAsInternalUser = jest.fn();
+  const logger = mockLogger();
+  const serializer = new SavedObjectsSerializer(new SavedObjectTypeRegistry());
+  const savedObjectsClient = savedObjectsRepositoryMock.create();
+  const config = {
+    enabled: true,
+    max_workers: 10,
+    index: 'foo',
+    max_attempts: 9,
+    poll_interval: 3000,
+    max_poll_inactivity_cycles: 10,
+    request_capacity: 1000,
+  };
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    jest.resetAllMocks();
+    callAsInternalUser.mockResolvedValue({ total: 0, updated: 0, version_conflicts: 0 });
+    clock = sinon.useFakeTimers();
+    taskManager = new TaskManager({
+      config,
+      logger,
+      serializer,
+      callAsInternalUser,
+      taskManagerId: 'some-uuid',
+      savedObjectsRepository: savedObjectsClient,
+    });
+    taskManager.registerTaskDefinitions({
+      foo: {
+        type: 'foo',
+        title: 'Foo',
+        createTaskRunner: jest.fn(),
+      },
+    });
+    taskManager.start();
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => clock.restore());
+
+  test('should lower max workers when Elasticsearch returns 429 error', async () => {
+    savedObjectsClient.create.mockRejectedValueOnce(
+      SavedObjectsErrorHelpers.createTooManyRequestsError('a', 'b')
+    );
+    // Cause "too many requests" error to be thrown
+    await expect(
+      taskManager.schedule({
+        taskType: 'foo',
+        state: {},
+        params: {},
+      })
+    ).rejects.toThrowErrorMatchingInlineSnapshot(`"Too Many Requests"`);
+    clock.tick(ADJUST_THROUGHPUT_INTERVAL);
+    expect(logger.warn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      'Max workers configuration is temporarily reduced after Elasticsearch returned 1 "too many request" error(s).'
+    );
+    expect(logger.debug).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      'Max workers configuration changing from 10 to 8 after seeing 1 error(s)'
+    );
+    expect(logger.debug).toHaveBeenCalledWith('Task pool now using 10 as the max worker value');
+  });
+
+  test('should increase poll interval when Elasticsearch returns 429 error', async () => {
+    savedObjectsClient.create.mockRejectedValueOnce(
+      SavedObjectsErrorHelpers.createTooManyRequestsError('a', 'b')
+    );
+    // Cause "too many requests" error to be thrown
+    await expect(
+      taskManager.schedule({
+        taskType: 'foo',
+        state: {},
+        params: {},
+      })
+    ).rejects.toThrowErrorMatchingInlineSnapshot(`"Too Many Requests"`);
+    clock.tick(ADJUST_THROUGHPUT_INTERVAL);
+    expect(logger.warn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      'Poll interval configuration is temporarily increased after Elasticsearch returned 1 "too many request" error(s).'
+    );
+    expect(logger.debug).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      'Poll interval configuration changing from 3000 to 3600 after seeing 1 error(s)'
+    );
+    expect(logger.debug).toHaveBeenCalledWith('Task poller now using interval of 3600ms');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/task_manager/server/polling/observable_monitor.ts b/x-pack/plugins/task_manager/server/polling/observable_monitor.ts
index 7b06117ef59d1..e0c31f7014a6a 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/task_manager/server/polling/observable_monitor.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/task_manager/server/polling/observable_monitor.ts
@@ -5,8 +5,16 @@
  */
 
 import { Subject, Observable, throwError, interval, timer, Subscription } from 'rxjs';
-import { exhaustMap, tap, takeUntil, switchMap, switchMapTo, catchError } from 'rxjs/operators';
 import { noop } from 'lodash';
+import {
+  exhaustMap,
+  tap,
+  takeUntil,
+  switchMap,
+  switchMapTo,
+  catchError,
+  startWith,
+} from 'rxjs/operators';
 
 const DEFAULT_HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL = 1000;
 
@@ -31,6 +39,7 @@ export function createObservableMonitor<T, E>(
   return new Observable((subscriber) => {
     const subscription: Subscription = interval(heartbeatInterval)
       .pipe(
+        startWith(0),
         // switch from the heartbeat interval to the instantiated observable until it completes / errors
         exhaustMap(() => takeUntilDurationOfInactivity(observableFactory(), inactivityTimeout)),
         // if an error is thrown, catch it, notify and try to recover