diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/services/rest/savedObjects.ts b/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/services/rest/savedObjects.ts
index 58d2d01fefddf..7a80918eabacd 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/services/rest/savedObjects.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/services/rest/savedObjects.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
  */
 
 import { memoize } from 'lodash';
-import chrome from 'ui/chrome';
 import { callApi } from './callApi';
 
 export interface ISavedObject {
@@ -16,25 +15,13 @@ export interface ISavedObject {
   type: string;
 }
 
-interface ISavedObjectAPIResponse {
-  saved_objects: ISavedObject[];
-}
-
 export const getAPMIndexPattern = memoize(async () => {
-  const apmIndexPatternTitle: string = chrome.getInjected(
-    'apmIndexPatternTitle'
-  );
-  const res = await callApi<ISavedObjectAPIResponse>({
-    pathname: `/api/saved_objects/_find`,
-    query: {
-      type: 'index-pattern',
-      search: `"${apmIndexPatternTitle}"`,
-      search_fields: 'title',
-      per_page: 200
-    }
-  });
-
-  return res.saved_objects.find(
-    savedObject => savedObject.attributes.title === apmIndexPatternTitle
-  );
+  try {
+    return await callApi<ISavedObject>({
+      method: 'GET',
+      pathname: `/api/apm/index_pattern`
+    });
+  } catch (error) {
+    return;
+  }
 });
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/apm/server/lib/index_pattern/index.ts b/x-pack/plugins/apm/server/lib/index_pattern/index.ts
index efde52e44fc0e..cb099d11e1dda 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/apm/server/lib/index_pattern/index.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/apm/server/lib/index_pattern/index.ts
@@ -5,21 +5,24 @@
  */
 import { InternalCoreSetup } from 'src/core/server';
 import { getSavedObjectsClient } from '../helpers/saved_objects_client';
-import indexPattern from '../../../../../../src/legacy/core_plugins/kibana/server/tutorials/apm/index_pattern.json';
+import apmIndexPattern from '../../../../../../src/legacy/core_plugins/kibana/server/tutorials/apm/index_pattern.json';
 
-export async function ensureIndexPatternExists(core: InternalCoreSetup) {
+export async function getIndexPattern(core: InternalCoreSetup) {
   const { server } = core.http;
   const config = server.config();
   const apmIndexPatternTitle = config.get('apm_oss.indexPattern');
   const savedObjectsClient = getSavedObjectsClient(server);
-  const savedObjects = [
-    {
-      ...indexPattern,
-      attributes: {
-        ...indexPattern.attributes,
+  try {
+    return await savedObjectsClient.get('index-pattern', apmIndexPattern.id);
+  } catch (error) {
+    // if GET fails, then create a new index pattern saved object
+    return await savedObjectsClient.create(
+      'index-pattern',
+      {
+        ...apmIndexPattern.attributes,
         title: apmIndexPatternTitle
-      }
-    }
-  ];
-  await savedObjectsClient.bulkCreate(savedObjects, { overwrite: false });
+      },
+      { id: apmIndexPattern.id, overwrite: false }
+    );
+  }
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/apm/server/new-platform/plugin.ts b/x-pack/plugins/apm/server/new-platform/plugin.ts
index 8ba8c8dba4861..1bcdb3c0066bc 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/apm/server/new-platform/plugin.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/apm/server/new-platform/plugin.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 
 import { InternalCoreSetup } from 'src/core/server';
 import { makeApmUsageCollector } from '../lib/apm_telemetry';
-import { ensureIndexPatternExists } from '../lib/index_pattern';
 import { CoreSetupWithUsageCollector } from '../lib/apm_telemetry/make_apm_usage_collector';
 import { initErrorsApi } from '../routes/errors';
 import { initMetricsApi } from '../routes/metrics';
@@ -14,6 +13,7 @@ import { initServicesApi } from '../routes/services';
 import { initTracesApi } from '../routes/traces';
 import { initTransactionGroupsApi } from '../routes/transaction_groups';
 import { initUIFiltersApi } from '../routes/ui_filters';
+import { initIndexPatternApi } from '../routes/index_pattern';
 
 export class Plugin {
   public setup(core: InternalCoreSetup) {
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ export class Plugin {
     initServicesApi(core);
     initErrorsApi(core);
     initMetricsApi(core);
+    initIndexPatternApi(core);
     makeApmUsageCollector(core as CoreSetupWithUsageCollector);
-    ensureIndexPatternExists(core);
   }
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/apm/server/routes/index_pattern.ts b/x-pack/plugins/apm/server/routes/index_pattern.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..ffe29143e3bec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/apm/server/routes/index_pattern.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+/*
+ * 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 Boom from 'boom';
+import { InternalCoreSetup } from 'src/core/server';
+import { getIndexPattern } from '../lib/index_pattern';
+
+const ROOT = '/api/apm/index_pattern';
+const defaultErrorHandler = (err: Error) => {
+  // eslint-disable-next-line
+  console.error(err.stack);
+  throw Boom.boomify(err, { statusCode: 400 });
+};
+
+export function initIndexPatternApi(core: InternalCoreSetup) {
+  const { server } = core.http;
+  server.route({
+    method: 'GET',
+    path: ROOT,
+    options: {
+      tags: ['access:apm']
+    },
+    handler: async req => {
+      return await getIndexPattern(core).catch(defaultErrorHandler);
+    }
+  });
+}