diff --git a/src/core_plugins/elasticsearch/lib/health_check.js b/src/core_plugins/elasticsearch/lib/health_check.js
index 4f1555893d871..00ab4e1686730 100644
--- a/src/core_plugins/elasticsearch/lib/health_check.js
+++ b/src/core_plugins/elasticsearch/lib/health_check.js
@@ -81,13 +81,20 @@ module.exports = function (plugin, server) {
     });
   }
 
+  function waitForEsVersion() {
+    return checkEsVersion(server, kibanaVersion.get()).catch(err => {
+      plugin.status.red(err);
+      return Promise.delay(REQUEST_DELAY).then(waitForEsVersion);
+    });
+  }
+
   function setGreenStatus() {
     return plugin.status.green('Kibana index ready');
   }
 
   function check() {
     return waitForPong()
-    .then(() => checkEsVersion(server, kibanaVersion.get()))
+    .then(waitForEsVersion)
     .then(waitForShards)
     .then(setGreenStatus)
     .then(_.partial(migrateConfig, server))
diff --git a/src/ui/settings/__tests__/index.js b/src/ui/settings/__tests__/index.js
index 344552abdce81..d2ffc25764641 100644
--- a/src/ui/settings/__tests__/index.js
+++ b/src/ui/settings/__tests__/index.js
@@ -158,6 +158,14 @@ describe('ui settings', function () {
       })).to.equal(true);
     });
 
+    it('returns an empty object when status is not green', async function () {
+      const { uiSettings, req } = instantiate({
+        settingsStatusOverrides: { state: 'yellow' }
+      });
+
+      expect(await uiSettings.getUserProvided(req)).to.eql({});
+    });
+
     it('returns an empty object on 404 responses', async function () {
       const { uiSettings, req } = instantiate({
         async callWithRequest() {
@@ -361,7 +369,7 @@ function expectElasticsearchUpdateQuery(server, req, configGet, doc) {
   });
 }
 
-function instantiate({ getResult, callWithRequest } = {}) {
+function instantiate({ getResult, callWithRequest, settingsStatusOverrides } = {}) {
   const esStatus = {
     state: 'green',
     on: sinon.spy()
@@ -370,7 +378,8 @@ function instantiate({ getResult, callWithRequest } = {}) {
     state: 'green',
     red: sinon.spy(),
     yellow: sinon.spy(),
-    green: sinon.spy()
+    green: sinon.spy(),
+    ...settingsStatusOverrides
   };
   const kbnServer = {
     status: {
diff --git a/src/ui/settings/index.js b/src/ui/settings/index.js
index 29f5959d67038..986f2f8428fd9 100644
--- a/src/ui/settings/index.js
+++ b/src/ui/settings/index.js
@@ -68,6 +68,13 @@ export default function setupSettings(kbnServer, server, config) {
     assertRequest(req);
     const { callWithRequest, errors } = server.plugins.elasticsearch;
 
+    // If the ui settings status isn't green, we shouldn't be attempting to get
+    // user settings, since we can't be sure that all the necessary conditions
+    // (e.g. elasticsearch being available) are met.
+    if (status.state !== 'green') {
+      return hydrateUserSettings({});
+    }
+
     const params = getClientSettings(config);
     const allowedErrors = [errors[404], errors[403], errors.NoConnections];
     if (ignore401Errors) allowedErrors.push(errors[401]);