diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/server/lib/entity_analytics/entity_store/entity_store_data_client.ts b/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/server/lib/entity_analytics/entity_store/entity_store_data_client.ts
index b99fa8935b692..a89469acf569b 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/server/lib/entity_analytics/entity_store/entity_store_data_client.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/server/lib/entity_analytics/entity_store/entity_store_data_client.ts
@@ -241,19 +241,19 @@ export class EntityStoreDataClient {
   ) {
     const setupStartTime = moment().utc().toISOString();
     const { logger, namespace, appClient, dataViewsService } = this.options;
-    const indexPatterns = await buildIndexPatterns(namespace, appClient, dataViewsService);
+    try {
+      const indexPatterns = await buildIndexPatterns(namespace, appClient, dataViewsService);
 
-    const unitedDefinition = getUnitedEntityDefinition({
-      indexPatterns,
-      entityType,
-      namespace,
-      fieldHistoryLength,
-      syncDelay: `${config.syncDelay.asSeconds()}s`,
-      frequency: `${config.frequency.asSeconds()}s`,
-    });
-    const { entityManagerDefinition } = unitedDefinition;
+      const unitedDefinition = getUnitedEntityDefinition({
+        indexPatterns,
+        entityType,
+        namespace,
+        fieldHistoryLength,
+        syncDelay: `${config.syncDelay.asSeconds()}s`,
+        frequency: `${config.frequency.asSeconds()}s`,
+      });
+      const { entityManagerDefinition } = unitedDefinition;
 
-    try {
       // clean up any existing entity store
       await this.delete(entityType, taskManager, { deleteData: false, deleteEngine: false });
 
diff --git a/x-pack/test/security_solution_api_integration/test_suites/entity_analytics/entity_store/trial_license_complete_tier/entity_store.ts b/x-pack/test/security_solution_api_integration/test_suites/entity_analytics/entity_store/trial_license_complete_tier/entity_store.ts
index 0c5d86fa54800..5d0dcec11d9b6 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/security_solution_api_integration/test_suites/entity_analytics/entity_store/trial_license_complete_tier/entity_store.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/security_solution_api_integration/test_suites/entity_analytics/entity_store/trial_license_complete_tier/entity_store.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,19 @@ export default ({ getService }: FtrProviderContext) => {
       });
     });
 
+    describe('init error handling', () => {
+      afterEach(async () => {
+        await dataView.create('security-solution');
+        await utils.cleanEngines();
+      });
+
+      it('should return "error" when the security data view does not exist', async () => {
+        await dataView.delete('security-solution');
+        await utils.initEntityEngineForEntityType('host');
+        await utils.waitForEngineStatus('host', 'error');
+      });
+    });
+
     describe('enablement', () => {
       afterEach(async () => {
         await utils.cleanEngines();
diff --git a/x-pack/test/security_solution_api_integration/test_suites/entity_analytics/utils/data_view.ts b/x-pack/test/security_solution_api_integration/test_suites/entity_analytics/utils/data_view.ts
index e94f7b7119ddf..716454bfbe169 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/security_solution_api_integration/test_suites/entity_analytics/utils/data_view.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/security_solution_api_integration/test_suites/entity_analytics/utils/data_view.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,16 @@ export const dataViewRouteHelpersFactory = (
   supertest: SuperTest.Agent,
   namespace: string = 'default'
 ) => ({
-  create: (name: string) => {
+  create: async (name: string) => {
+    const { body: existingDataView, statusCode } = await supertest.get(
+      `/s/${namespace}/api/data_views/data_view/${name}-${namespace}`
+    );
+
+    if (statusCode === 200) {
+      // data view exists
+      return existingDataView;
+    }
+
     return supertest
       .post(`/s/${namespace}/api/data_views/data_view`)
       .set('kbn-xsrf', 'foo')
diff --git a/x-pack/test/security_solution_api_integration/test_suites/entity_analytics/utils/entity_store.ts b/x-pack/test/security_solution_api_integration/test_suites/entity_analytics/utils/entity_store.ts
index fff1040b81f29..0e7c94613010c 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/security_solution_api_integration/test_suites/entity_analytics/utils/entity_store.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/security_solution_api_integration/test_suites/entity_analytics/utils/entity_store.ts
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ export const EntityStoreUtils = (
     }
   };
 
-  const _initEntityEngineForEntityType = async (entityType: EntityType) => {
+  const initEntityEngineForEntityType = async (entityType: EntityType) => {
     log.info(
       `Initializing engine for entity type ${entityType} in namespace ${namespace || 'default'}`
     );
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ export const EntityStoreUtils = (
   };
 
   const initEntityEngineForEntityTypesAndWait = async (entityTypes: EntityType[]) => {
-    await Promise.all(entityTypes.map((entityType) => _initEntityEngineForEntityType(entityType)));
+    await Promise.all(entityTypes.map((entityType) => initEntityEngineForEntityType(entityType)));
 
     await retry.waitForWithTimeout(
       `Engines to start for entity types: ${entityTypes.join(', ')}`,
@@ -90,6 +90,20 @@ export const EntityStoreUtils = (
     );
   };
 
+  const waitForEngineStatus = async (entityType: EntityType, status: string) => {
+    await retry.waitForWithTimeout(
+      `Engine for entity type ${entityType} to be in status ${status}`,
+      60_000,
+      async () => {
+        const { body } = await api
+          .getEntityEngine({ params: { entityType } }, namespace)
+          .expect(200);
+        log.debug(`Engine status for ${entityType}: ${body.status}`);
+        return body.status === status;
+      }
+    );
+  };
+
   const enableEntityStore = async () => {
     const res = await api.initEntityStore({ body: {} }, namespace);
     if (res.status !== 200) {
@@ -155,5 +169,7 @@ export const EntityStoreUtils = (
     expectEngineAssetsExist,
     expectEngineAssetsDoNotExist,
     enableEntityStore,
+    waitForEngineStatus,
+    initEntityEngineForEntityType,
   };
 };