diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/uptime/server/lib/synthetics_service/hydrate_saved_object.ts b/x-pack/plugins/uptime/server/lib/synthetics_service/hydrate_saved_object.ts
index 2e98b62ddee66..08e2934a4ac08 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/uptime/server/lib/synthetics_service/hydrate_saved_object.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/uptime/server/lib/synthetics_service/hydrate_saved_object.ts
@@ -18,39 +18,43 @@ export const hydrateSavedObjects = async ({
   monitors: SyntheticsMonitorSavedObject[];
   server: UptimeServerSetup;
 }) => {
-  const missingUrlInfoIds: string[] = [];
+  try {
+    const missingUrlInfoIds: string[] = [];
 
-  monitors
-    .filter((monitor) => monitor.attributes.type === 'browser')
-    .forEach(({ attributes, id }) => {
-      const monitor = attributes as MonitorFields;
-      if (!monitor || !monitor.urls) {
-        missingUrlInfoIds.push(id);
-      }
-    });
+    monitors
+      .filter((monitor) => monitor.attributes.type === 'browser')
+      .forEach(({ attributes, id }) => {
+        const monitor = attributes as MonitorFields;
+        if (!monitor || !monitor.urls) {
+          missingUrlInfoIds.push(id);
+        }
+      });
 
-  if (missingUrlInfoIds.length > 0 && server.uptimeEsClient) {
-    const esDocs: Ping[] = await fetchSampleMonitorDocuments(
-      server.uptimeEsClient,
-      missingUrlInfoIds
-    );
-    const updatedObjects = monitors
-      .filter((monitor) => missingUrlInfoIds.includes(monitor.id))
-      .map((monitor) => {
-        let url = '';
-        esDocs.forEach((doc) => {
-          // to make sure the document is ingested after the latest update of the monitor
-          const diff = moment(monitor.updated_at).diff(moment(doc.timestamp), 'minutes');
-          if (doc.config_id === monitor.id && doc.url?.full && diff > 1) {
-            url = doc.url?.full;
+    if (missingUrlInfoIds.length > 0 && server.uptimeEsClient) {
+      const esDocs: Ping[] = await fetchSampleMonitorDocuments(
+        server.uptimeEsClient,
+        missingUrlInfoIds
+      );
+      const updatedObjects = monitors
+        .filter((monitor) => missingUrlInfoIds.includes(monitor.id))
+        .map((monitor) => {
+          let url = '';
+          esDocs.forEach((doc) => {
+            // to make sure the document is ingested after the latest update of the monitor
+            const diff = moment(monitor.updated_at).diff(moment(doc.timestamp), 'minutes');
+            if (doc.config_id === monitor.id && doc.url?.full && diff > 1) {
+              url = doc.url?.full;
+            }
+          });
+          if (url) {
+            return { ...monitor, attributes: { ...monitor.attributes, urls: url } };
           }
+          return monitor;
         });
-        if (url) {
-          return { ...monitor, attributes: { ...monitor.attributes, urls: url } };
-        }
-        return monitor;
-      });
-    await server.authSavedObjectsClient?.bulkUpdate(updatedObjects);
+      await server.authSavedObjectsClient?.bulkUpdate(updatedObjects);
+    }
+  } catch (e) {
+    server.logger.error(e);
   }
 };
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/uptime/server/lib/synthetics_service/synthetics_service.ts b/x-pack/plugins/uptime/server/lib/synthetics_service/synthetics_service.ts
index 450ab324e7e48..257a6881a7388 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/uptime/server/lib/synthetics_service/synthetics_service.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/uptime/server/lib/synthetics_service/synthetics_service.ts
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ export class SyntheticsService {
 
   public locations: ServiceLocations;
 
+  private indexTemplateExists?: boolean;
+  private indexTemplateInstalling?: boolean;
+
   constructor(logger: Logger, server: UptimeServerSetup, config: ServiceConfig) {
     this.logger = logger;
     this.server = server;
@@ -70,23 +73,34 @@ export class SyntheticsService {
     //     this.apiKey = apiKey;
     //   }
     // });
-
     this.setupIndexTemplates();
   }
 
   private setupIndexTemplates() {
-    installSyntheticsIndexTemplates(this.server).then(
-      (result) => {
-        if (result.name === 'synthetics' && result.install_status === 'installed') {
-          this.logger.info('Installed synthetics index templates');
-        } else if (result.name === 'synthetics' && result.install_status === 'install_failed') {
+    if (this.indexTemplateExists) {
+      // if already installed, don't need to reinstall
+      return;
+    }
+
+    if (!this.indexTemplateInstalling) {
+      installSyntheticsIndexTemplates(this.server).then(
+        (result) => {
+          this.indexTemplateInstalling = false;
+          if (result.name === 'synthetics' && result.install_status === 'installed') {
+            this.logger.info('Installed synthetics index templates');
+            this.indexTemplateExists = true;
+          } else if (result.name === 'synthetics' && result.install_status === 'install_failed') {
+            this.logger.warn(new IndexTemplateInstallationError());
+            this.indexTemplateExists = false;
+          }
+        },
+        () => {
+          this.indexTemplateInstalling = false;
           this.logger.warn(new IndexTemplateInstallationError());
         }
-      },
-      () => {
-        this.logger.warn(new IndexTemplateInstallationError());
-      }
-    );
+      );
+      this.indexTemplateInstalling = true;
+    }
   }
 
   public registerSyncTask(taskManager: TaskManagerSetupContract) {
@@ -106,6 +120,8 @@ export class SyntheticsService {
             async run() {
               const { state } = taskInstance;
 
+              service.setupIndexTemplates();
+
               getServiceLocations(service.server).then((result) => {
                 service.locations = result.locations;
                 service.apiClient.locations = result.locations;
@@ -282,10 +298,13 @@ export class SyntheticsService {
       namespaces: ['*'],
     });
 
-    hydrateSavedObjects({
-      monitors: findResult.saved_objects as unknown as SyntheticsMonitorSavedObject[],
-      server: this.server,
-    });
+    if (this.indexTemplateExists) {
+      // without mapping, querying won't make sense
+      hydrateSavedObjects({
+        monitors: findResult.saved_objects as unknown as SyntheticsMonitorSavedObject[],
+        server: this.server,
+      });
+    }
 
     return (findResult.saved_objects ?? []).map(({ attributes, id }) => ({
       ...attributes,