diff --git a/packages/kbn-optimizer/limits.yml b/packages/kbn-optimizer/limits.yml
index 13cf535a36873..895920d372ed4 100644
--- a/packages/kbn-optimizer/limits.yml
+++ b/packages/kbn-optimizer/limits.yml
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ pageLoadAssetSize:
   securitySolution: 66738
   serverless: 16573
   serverlessObservability: 16582
-  serverlessSearch: 17548
+  serverlessSearch: 20555
   serverlessSecurity: 41807
   sessionView: 77750
   share: 71239
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/serverless_search/public/layout/nav.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/serverless_search/public/layout/nav.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..9622f9dc4c2ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/serverless_search/public/layout/nav.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License
+ * 2.0; you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License
+ * 2.0.
+ */
+
+import { CoreStart } from '@kbn/core/public';
+import {
+  ChromeNavigationNodeViewModel,
+  Navigation,
+  NavigationKibanaProvider,
+} from '@kbn/shared-ux-chrome-navigation';
+import React from 'react';
+
+const navItems: ChromeNavigationNodeViewModel[] = [
+  {
+    title: '',
+    id: 'root',
+    items: [
+      { id: 'overview', title: 'Overview', href: '/app/enterprise_search/overview' },
+      { id: 'indices', title: 'Indices', href: '/app/enterprise_search/content/search_indices' },
+      { id: 'engines', title: 'Engines', href: '/app/enterprise_search/content/engines' },
+      { id: 'api_keys', title: 'API keys', href: '/app/management/security/api_keys' },
+      {
+        id: 'ingest_pipelines',
+        title: 'Ingest pipelines',
+        href: '/app/management/ingest/ingest_pipelines',
+      },
+    ],
+  },
+];
+
+export const createServerlessSearchSideNavComponent = (core: CoreStart) => () => {
+  // Currently, this allows the "Search" section of the side nav to render as pre-expanded.
+  // This will soon be powered from state received from core.chrome
+  const activeNavItemId = 'search_project_nav.root';
+
+  return (
+    <NavigationKibanaProvider core={core}>
+      <Navigation
+        navigationTree={[
+          {
+            id: 'search_project_nav',
+            items: navItems,
+            title: 'Search',
+            icon: 'logoEnterpriseSearch',
+          },
+        ]}
+        activeNavItemId={activeNavItemId}
+        homeHref="/app/enterprise_search/content/setup_guide"
+        linkToCloud="projects"
+      />
+    </NavigationKibanaProvider>
+  );
+};
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/serverless_search/public/plugin.ts b/x-pack/plugins/serverless_search/public/plugin.ts
index 62a83cff6f477..ac249642cba7d 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/serverless_search/public/plugin.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/serverless_search/public/plugin.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
  */
 
 import { CoreSetup, CoreStart, Plugin } from '@kbn/core/public';
+import { createServerlessSearchSideNavComponent as createComponent } from './layout/nav';
 import {
   ServerlessSearchPluginSetup,
   ServerlessSearchPluginSetupDependencies,
@@ -24,9 +25,10 @@ export class ServerlessSearchPlugin
   }
 
   public start(
-    _core: CoreStart,
+    core: CoreStart,
     _startDeps: ServerlessSearchPluginStartDependencies
   ): ServerlessSearchPluginStart {
+    core.chrome.project.setSideNavComponent(createComponent(core));
     return {};
   }
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/serverless_search/public/types.ts b/x-pack/plugins/serverless_search/public/types.ts
index ad66e6df85c74..254fb0d491a2c 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/serverless_search/public/types.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/serverless_search/public/types.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
  * 2.0.
  */
 
-import { ServerlessPluginSetup, ServerlessPluginStart } from '@kbn/serverless/public';
 import { ManagementSetup, ManagementStart } from '@kbn/management-plugin/public';
 import {
   EnterpriseSearchPublicSetup,
@@ -21,11 +20,9 @@ export interface ServerlessSearchPluginStart {}
 export interface ServerlessSearchPluginSetupDependencies {
   enterpriseSearch: EnterpriseSearchPublicSetup;
   management: ManagementSetup;
-  serverless: ServerlessPluginSetup;
 }
 
 export interface ServerlessSearchPluginStartDependencies {
   enterpriseSearch: EnterpriseSearchPublicStart;
   management: ManagementStart;
-  serverless: ServerlessPluginStart;
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/serverless_search/tsconfig.json b/x-pack/plugins/serverless_search/tsconfig.json
index c8150e5a71926..0d4e06177c9e2 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/serverless_search/tsconfig.json
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/serverless_search/tsconfig.json
@@ -19,6 +19,6 @@
     "@kbn/config-schema",
     "@kbn/enterprise-search-plugin",
     "@kbn/management-plugin",
-    "@kbn/serverless",
+    "@kbn/shared-ux-chrome-navigation",
   ]
 }