diff --git a/backend/config/management/commands/ta_connection.py b/backend/config/management/commands/ta_connection.py
index 3edb42db..4ad511d1 100644
--- a/backend/config/management/commands/ta_connection.py
+++ b/backend/config/management/commands/ta_connection.py
@@ -99,7 +99,12 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
                 continue
 
             if status_code and status_code == 200:
-                path = "_cluster/health?wait_for_status=yellow&timeout=60s"
+                path = (
+                    "_cluster/health?"
+                    "wait_for_status=yellow&"
+                    "timeout=60s&"
+                    "wait_for_active_shards=1"
+                )
                 _, _ = ElasticWrap(path).get(timeout=60)
                 self.stdout.write(
                     self.style.SUCCESS("    ✓ ES connection established")
diff --git a/backend/config/management/commands/ta_startup.py b/backend/config/management/commands/ta_startup.py
index e80af6b7..980354b1 100644
--- a/backend/config/management/commands/ta_startup.py
+++ b/backend/config/management/commands/ta_startup.py
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
     def _init_app_config(self) -> None:
         """init default app config to ES"""
         self.stdout.write("[10] Check AppConfig")
-        _, status_code = ElasticWrap("ta_config/_doc/appsettings").get()
+        response, status_code = ElasticWrap("ta_config/_doc/appsettings").get()
         if status_code in [200, 201]:
             self.stdout.write(
                 self.style.SUCCESS("    skip completed appsettings init")
@@ -276,6 +276,13 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
 
             return
 
+        if status_code != 404:
+            message = "    🗙 ta_config index lookup failed"
+            self.stdout.write(self.style.ERROR(message))
+            self.stdout.write(response)
+            sleep(60)
+            raise CommandError(message)
+
         handler = AppConfig.__new__(AppConfig)
         _, status_code = handler.sync_defaults()
         self.stdout.write(