diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/pipelines/ml_inference/configure_pipeline.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/pipelines/ml_inference/configure_pipeline.tsx
index cc318831555afd..52d4f38b454084 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/pipelines/ml_inference/configure_pipeline.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/pipelines/ml_inference/configure_pipeline.tsx
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import {
   EuiTabbedContentTab,
   EuiTitle,
   EuiText,
+  EuiTextColor,
 } from '@elastic/eui';
 
 import { i18n } from '@kbn/i18n';
@@ -130,15 +131,27 @@ export const ConfigurePipeline: React.FC = () => {
                 <EuiSpacer />
               </>
             )}
-            <EuiFormRow
-              fullWidth
-              label={i18n.translate(
-                'xpack.enterpriseSearch.content.indices.pipelines.addInferencePipelineModal.steps.configure.titleSelectTrainedModel',
-                { defaultMessage: 'Select a trained ML Model' }
-              )}
-            >
-              <ModelSelect />
-            </EuiFormRow>
+            <EuiSpacer size="s" />
+            <EuiTitle size="xxxs">
+              <h6>
+                {i18n.translate(
+                  'xpack.enterpriseSearch.content.indices.pipelines.addInferencePipelineModal.steps.configure.titleSelectTrainedModel',
+                  { defaultMessage: 'Select a trained ML Model' }
+                )}
+              </h6>
+            </EuiTitle>
+            {formErrors.modelStatus !== undefined && (
+              <>
+                <EuiSpacer size="xs" />
+                <EuiText size="xs">
+                  <p>
+                    <EuiTextColor color="danger">{formErrors.modelStatus}</EuiTextColor>
+                  </p>
+                </EuiText>
+              </>
+            )}
+            <EuiSpacer size="xs" />
+            <ModelSelect />
           </EuiForm>
         </>
       ),
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/pipelines/ml_inference/ml_inference_logic.test.ts b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/pipelines/ml_inference/ml_inference_logic.test.ts
index a725371de02427..7412d861d7136a 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/pipelines/ml_inference/ml_inference_logic.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/pipelines/ml_inference/ml_inference_logic.test.ts
@@ -550,6 +550,25 @@ describe('MlInferenceLogic', () => {
           pipelineName: 'Name already used by another pipeline.',
         });
       });
+      it('has errors when non-deployed model is selected', () => {
+        MLInferenceLogic.actions.setInferencePipelineConfiguration({
+          ...MLInferenceLogic.values.addInferencePipelineModal.configuration,
+          pipelineName: 'unit-test-pipeline',
+          modelID: 'unit-test-model',
+          existingPipeline: false,
+          fieldMappings: [
+            {
+              sourceField: 'body',
+              targetField: 'ml.inference.body',
+            },
+          ],
+          isModelPlaceholderSelected: true,
+        });
+
+        expect(MLInferenceLogic.values.formErrors).toEqual({
+          modelStatus: 'Model must be deployed before use.',
+        });
+      });
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/pipelines/ml_inference/model_select.test.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/pipelines/ml_inference/model_select.test.tsx
index 15fb492fae56d8..9bd006f65883e0 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/pipelines/ml_inference/model_select.test.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/pipelines/ml_inference/model_select.test.tsx
@@ -98,6 +98,23 @@ describe('ModelSelect', () => {
       })
     );
   });
+  it('sets placeholder flag on selecting a placeholder item', () => {
+    setMockValues(DEFAULT_VALUES);
+
+    const wrapper = shallow(<ModelSelect />);
+    expect(wrapper.find(EuiSelectable)).toHaveLength(1);
+    const selectable = wrapper.find(EuiSelectable);
+    selectable.simulate('change', [
+      { modelId: 'model_1' },
+      { modelId: 'model_2', isPlaceholder: true, checked: 'on' },
+    ]);
+    expect(MOCK_ACTIONS.setInferencePipelineConfiguration).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        modelID: 'model_2',
+        isModelPlaceholderSelected: true,
+      })
+    );
+  });
   it('generates pipeline name on selecting an item', () => {
     setMockValues(DEFAULT_VALUES);
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/pipelines/ml_inference/model_select.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/pipelines/ml_inference/model_select.tsx
index 86c91c483702f3..ac3900b6ed6621 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/pipelines/ml_inference/model_select.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/pipelines/ml_inference/model_select.tsx
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ export const ModelSelect: React.FC = () => {
       ...configuration,
       inferenceConfig: undefined,
       modelID: selectedOption?.modelId ?? '',
+      isModelPlaceholderSelected: selectedOption?.isPlaceholder ?? false,
       fieldMappings: undefined,
       pipelineName: isPipelineNameUserSupplied
         ? pipelineName
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/pipelines/ml_inference/types.ts b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/pipelines/ml_inference/types.ts
index 3a645dcbba3b4c..87aed3eb4d714f 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/pipelines/ml_inference/types.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/pipelines/ml_inference/types.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ export interface InferencePipelineConfiguration {
   existingPipeline?: boolean;
   inferenceConfig?: InferencePipelineInferenceConfig;
   isPipelineNameUserSupplied?: boolean;
+  isModelPlaceholderSelected?: boolean;
   modelID: string;
   pipelineName: string;
   fieldMappings?: FieldMapping[];
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ export interface InferencePipelineConfiguration {
 
 export interface AddInferencePipelineFormErrors {
   modelID?: string;
+  modelStatus?: string;
   fieldMappings?: string;
   pipelineName?: string;
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/pipelines/ml_inference/utils.ts b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/pipelines/ml_inference/utils.ts
index 02cf5a7463ddeb..5a01a3823a71df 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/pipelines/ml_inference/utils.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/pipelines/ml_inference/utils.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,12 @@ const PIPELINE_NAME_EXISTS_ERROR = i18n.translate(
     defaultMessage: 'Name already used by another pipeline.',
   }
 );
+const MODEL_NOT_DEPLOYED_ERROR = i18n.translate(
+  'xpack.enterpriseSearch.content.indices.pipelines.addInferencePipelineModal.steps.configure.modelNotDeployedError',
+  {
+    defaultMessage: 'Model must be deployed before use.',
+  }
+);
 
 export const validateInferencePipelineConfiguration = (
   config: InferencePipelineConfiguration
@@ -55,6 +61,8 @@ export const validateInferencePipelineConfiguration = (
   }
   if (config.modelID.trim().length === 0) {
     errors.modelID = FIELD_REQUIRED_ERROR;
+  } else if (config.isModelPlaceholderSelected) {
+    errors.modelStatus = MODEL_NOT_DEPLOYED_ERROR;
   }
 
   return errors;