diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/event_log/server/es/context.test.ts b/x-pack/plugins/event_log/server/es/context.test.ts
index a78e47446fef87f..f30b71c99a0432f 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/event_log/server/es/context.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/event_log/server/es/context.test.ts
@@ -7,9 +7,8 @@
 import { createEsContext } from './context';
 import { LegacyClusterClient, Logger } from '../../../../../src/core/server';
 import { elasticsearchServiceMock, loggingSystemMock } from '../../../../../src/core/server/mocks';
-jest.mock('../lib/../../../../package.json', () => ({
-  version: '1.2.3',
-}));
+jest.mock('../lib/../../../../package.json', () => ({ version: '1.2.3' }));
+jest.mock('./init');
 type EsClusterClient = Pick<jest.Mocked<LegacyClusterClient>, 'callAsInternalUser' | 'asScoped'>;
 
 let logger: Logger;
@@ -92,4 +91,16 @@ describe('createEsContext', () => {
     );
     expect(doesIndexTemplateExist).toBeTruthy();
   });
+
+  test('should handled failed initialization', async () => {
+    jest.requireMock('./init').initializeEs.mockResolvedValue(false);
+    const context = createEsContext({
+      logger,
+      clusterClientPromise: Promise.resolve(clusterClient),
+      indexNameRoot: 'test2',
+    });
+    context.initialize();
+    const success = await context.waitTillReady();
+    expect(success).toBe(false);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/event_log/server/es/context.ts b/x-pack/plugins/event_log/server/es/context.ts
index 16a460be1793b23..8c967e68299b555 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/event_log/server/es/context.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/event_log/server/es/context.ts
@@ -64,9 +64,9 @@ class EsContextImpl implements EsContext {
 
     setImmediate(async () => {
       try {
-        await this._initialize();
-        this.logger.debug('readySignal.signal(true)');
-        this.readySignal.signal(true);
+        const success = await this._initialize();
+        this.logger.debug(`readySignal.signal(${success})`);
+        this.readySignal.signal(success);
       } catch (err) {
         this.logger.debug('readySignal.signal(false)');
         this.readySignal.signal(false);
@@ -74,11 +74,13 @@ class EsContextImpl implements EsContext {
     });
   }
 
+  // waits till the ES initialization is done, returns true if it was successful,
+  // false if it was not successful
   async waitTillReady(): Promise<boolean> {
     return await this.readySignal.wait();
   }
 
-  private async _initialize() {
-    await initializeEs(this);
+  private async _initialize(): Promise<boolean> {
+    return await initializeEs(this);
   }
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/event_log/server/event_logger.test.ts b/x-pack/plugins/event_log/server/event_logger.test.ts
index d4d3df3ef8267c5..e1c9e8196926943 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/event_log/server/event_logger.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/event_log/server/event_logger.test.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ const KIBANA_SERVER_UUID = '424-24-2424';
 
 describe('EventLogger', () => {
   let systemLogger: ReturnType<typeof loggingSystemMock.createLogger>;
-  let esContext: EsContext;
+  let esContext: jest.Mocked<EsContext>;
   let service: IEventLogService;
   let eventLogger: IEventLogger;
 
@@ -179,6 +179,32 @@ describe('EventLogger', () => {
     message = await waitForLogMessage(systemLogger);
     expect(message).toMatch(/invalid rel property.*ZZZ-primary.*/);
   });
+
+  test('handles failed but not thrown initialization', async () => {
+    esContext.waitTillReady.mockResolvedValueOnce(false);
+
+    service.registerProviderActions('test-provider', ['test-action-1']);
+    eventLogger = service.getLogger({
+      event: { provider: 'test-provider', action: 'test-action-1' },
+    });
+
+    eventLogger.logEvent({});
+    delay(3000); // sleep a bit since event logging is async
+    expect(esContext.esAdapter.indexDocument).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  test('handles failed thrown initialization', async () => {
+    esContext.waitTillReady.mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('oof'));
+
+    service.registerProviderActions('test-provider', ['test-action-1']);
+    eventLogger = service.getLogger({
+      event: { provider: 'test-provider', action: 'test-action-1' },
+    });
+
+    eventLogger.logEvent({});
+    delay(3000); // sleep a bit since event logging is async
+    expect(esContext.esAdapter.indexDocument).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
 });
 
 // return the next logged event; throw if not an event
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/event_log/server/event_logger.ts b/x-pack/plugins/event_log/server/event_logger.ts
index 1a710a6fa48653c..8730870f9620b4f 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/event_log/server/event_logger.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/event_log/server/event_logger.ts
@@ -183,7 +183,12 @@ function indexEventDoc(esContext: EsContext, doc: Doc): void {
 // whew, the thing that actually writes the event log document!
 async function indexLogEventDoc(esContext: EsContext, doc: unknown) {
   esContext.logger.debug(`writing to event log: ${JSON.stringify(doc)}`);
-  await esContext.waitTillReady();
+  const success = await esContext.waitTillReady();
+  if (!success) {
+    esContext.logger.debug(`event log did not initialize correctly, event not written`);
+    return;
+  }
+
   await esContext.esAdapter.indexDocument(doc);
   esContext.logger.debug(`writing to event log complete`);
 }