diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/org/opensearch/indexmanagement/indexstatemanagement/MetadataService.kt b/src/main/kotlin/org/opensearch/indexmanagement/indexstatemanagement/MetadataService.kt
index 9193fd39e..b69fcac5c 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/org/opensearch/indexmanagement/indexstatemanagement/MetadataService.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/org/opensearch/indexmanagement/indexstatemanagement/MetadataService.kt
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@ class MetadataService(
     private var failedToCleanIndices = mutableSetOf<Index>()
 
     private var counter = 0
-    private var runTimeCounter = 0
+    final var runTimeCounter = 1
+        private set
     private val maxRunTime = 10
 
     // used in coordinator sweep to cancel scheduled process
@@ -84,12 +85,18 @@ class MetadataService(
                 return
             }
 
-            if (runTimeCounter >= maxRunTime) {
+            if (!imIndices.indexManagementIndexExists()) {
+                logger.info("ISM config index not exist, so we cancel the metadata migration job.")
+                finishFlag = true; runningLock = false; runTimeCounter = 0
+                return
+            }
+
+            if (runTimeCounter > maxRunTime) {
                 updateStatusSetting(-1)
                 finishFlag = true; runningLock = false; runTimeCounter = 0
                 return
             }
-            logger.info("Doing metadata migration ${++runTimeCounter} time.")
+            logger.info("Doing metadata migration $runTimeCounter time.")
 
             val indicesMetadata = clusterService.state().metadata.indices
             var clusterStateManagedIndexMetadata = indicesMetadata.map {
@@ -117,18 +124,18 @@ class MetadataService(
             }
 
             if (clusterStateManagedIndexMetadata.isEmpty()) {
-                if (failedToCleanIndices.isNotEmpty()) {
-                    logger.info("Failed to clean indices: $failedToCleanIndices. Only clean cluster state metadata in this run.")
-                    cleanMetadatas(failedToCleanIndices.toList())
-                    finishFlag = false; runningLock = false
-                    return
-                }
                 if (counter++ > 2 && corruptManagedIndices.isEmpty()) {
                     logger.info("Move Metadata succeed, set finish flag to true. Indices failed to get indexed: $failedToIndexIndices")
                     updateStatusSetting(1)
                     finishFlag = true; runningLock = false; runTimeCounter = 0
                     return
                 }
+                if (failedToCleanIndices.isNotEmpty()) {
+                    logger.info("Failed to clean indices: $failedToCleanIndices. Only clean cluster state metadata in this run.")
+                    cleanMetadatas(failedToCleanIndices.toList())
+                    finishFlag = false; runningLock = false
+                    return
+                }
             } else {
                 counter = 0; finishFlag = false // index metadata for indices which metadata hasn't been indexed
                 val bulkIndexReq =
@@ -160,6 +167,8 @@ class MetadataService(
             if (failedToCleanIndices.isNotEmpty()) {
                 logger.info("Failed to clean cluster metadata for: ${failedToCleanIndices.map { it.name }}")
             }
+
+            runTimeCounter++
         } finally {
             runningLock = false
         }
diff --git a/src/test/kotlin/org/opensearch/indexmanagement/indexstatemanagement/MetadataServiceTests.kt b/src/test/kotlin/org/opensearch/indexmanagement/indexstatemanagement/MetadataServiceTests.kt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fdd223560
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/kotlin/org/opensearch/indexmanagement/indexstatemanagement/MetadataServiceTests.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+package org.opensearch.indexmanagement.indexstatemanagement
+
+import com.nhaarman.mockitokotlin2.any
+import com.nhaarman.mockitokotlin2.doAnswer
+import com.nhaarman.mockitokotlin2.doReturn
+import com.nhaarman.mockitokotlin2.mock
+import com.nhaarman.mockitokotlin2.never
+import com.nhaarman.mockitokotlin2.verify
+import com.nhaarman.mockitokotlin2.whenever
+import kotlinx.coroutines.runBlocking
+import org.junit.Before
+import org.opensearch.action.ActionListener
+import org.opensearch.action.admin.cluster.settings.ClusterUpdateSettingsResponse
+import org.opensearch.client.AdminClient
+import org.opensearch.client.Client
+import org.opensearch.client.ClusterAdminClient
+import org.opensearch.cluster.ClusterState
+import org.opensearch.cluster.metadata.Metadata
+import org.opensearch.cluster.service.ClusterService
+import org.opensearch.common.collect.ImmutableOpenMap
+import org.opensearch.indexmanagement.IndexManagementIndices
+import org.opensearch.test.OpenSearchTestCase
+import kotlin.test.assertFailsWith
+
+class MetadataServiceTests : OpenSearchTestCase() {
+
+    private val clusterService: ClusterService = mock()
+    private val clusterState: ClusterState = mock()
+    private val metadata: Metadata = mock()
+    private val imIndices: IndexManagementIndices = mock()
+
+    private val ex = Exception()
+
+    @Before
+    fun setup() {
+        whenever(clusterService.state()).doReturn(clusterState)
+        whenever(clusterState.metadata).doReturn(metadata)
+        whenever(metadata.indices).doReturn(ImmutableOpenMap.of())
+    }
+
+    fun `test config index not exists`() = runBlocking {
+        whenever(imIndices.indexManagementIndexExists()).doReturn(false)
+
+        val client = getClient(
+            getAdminClient(
+                getClusterAdminClient(
+                    updateSettingResponse = null,
+                    updateSettingException = ex
+                )
+            )
+        )
+        val skipFlag = SkipExecution(client, clusterService)
+        val metadataService = MetadataService(client, clusterService, skipFlag, imIndices)
+        metadataService.moveMetadata()
+
+        verify(client.admin().cluster(), never()).updateSettings(any(), any())
+        assertEquals(metadataService.finishFlag, true)
+    }
+
+    // If update setting to 1 failed with some exception, runTimeCounter shouldn't be increased
+    fun `test failed to update setting to 1`() = runBlocking {
+        whenever(imIndices.indexManagementIndexExists()).doReturn(true)
+
+        val client = getClient(
+            getAdminClient(
+                getClusterAdminClient(
+                    updateSettingResponse = null,
+                    updateSettingException = ex
+                )
+            )
+        )
+
+        val skipFlag = SkipExecution(client, clusterService)
+        val metadataService = MetadataService(client, clusterService, skipFlag, imIndices)
+        metadataService.moveMetadata()
+        assertEquals(metadataService.runTimeCounter, 2)
+        metadataService.moveMetadata()
+        assertEquals(metadataService.runTimeCounter, 3)
+        metadataService.moveMetadata()
+        assertEquals(metadataService.runTimeCounter, 4)
+        assertFailsWith(Exception::class) {
+            runBlocking {
+                metadataService.moveMetadata()
+            }
+        }
+        assertEquals(metadataService.runTimeCounter, 4)
+        assertEquals(metadataService.finishFlag, false)
+    }
+
+    private fun getClient(adminClient: AdminClient): Client = mock { on { admin() } doReturn adminClient }
+
+    private fun getAdminClient(clusterAdminClient: ClusterAdminClient): AdminClient = mock { on { cluster() } doReturn clusterAdminClient }
+
+    private fun getClusterAdminClient(
+        updateSettingResponse: ClusterUpdateSettingsResponse?,
+        updateSettingException: Exception?
+    ): ClusterAdminClient {
+        assertTrue(
+            "Must provide either a getMappingsResponse or getMappingsException",
+            (updateSettingResponse != null).xor(updateSettingException != null)
+        )
+
+        return mock {
+            doAnswer { invocationOnMock ->
+                val listener = invocationOnMock.getArgument<ActionListener<ClusterUpdateSettingsResponse>>(1)
+                if (updateSettingResponse != null) listener.onResponse(updateSettingResponse)
+                else listener.onFailure(updateSettingException)
+            }.whenever(this.mock).updateSettings(any(), any())
+        }
+    }
+}