diff --git a/indexer/core_ready_test.go b/indexer/core_ready_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ab701fb1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/indexer/core_ready_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+package indexer
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"sync"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"connectrpc.com/connect"
+	corev1 "github.com/OpenAudio/go-openaudio/pkg/api/core/v1"
+	corev1connect "github.com/OpenAudio/go-openaudio/pkg/api/core/v1/v1connect"
+	"github.com/OpenAudio/go-openaudio/pkg/sdk"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"go.uber.org/zap"
+)
+
+type fakeCoreClient struct {
+	corev1connect.CoreServiceClient
+
+	mu        sync.Mutex
+	calls     int
+	failFirst int
+}
+
+func (f *fakeCoreClient) GetNodeInfo(context.Context, *connect.Request[corev1.GetNodeInfoRequest]) (*connect.Response[corev1.GetNodeInfoResponse], error) {
+	f.mu.Lock()
+	defer f.mu.Unlock()
+
+	f.calls++
+	if f.failFirst < 0 || f.calls <= f.failFirst {
+		return nil, connect.NewError(connect.CodeUnavailable, errors.New("core service not ready"))
+	}
+	return connect.NewResponse(&corev1.GetNodeInfoResponse{Chainid: "test-chain"}), nil
+}
+
+func (f *fakeCoreClient) callCount() int {
+	f.mu.Lock()
+	defer f.mu.Unlock()
+	return f.calls
+}
+
+func newTestCoreIndexer(core corev1connect.CoreServiceClient) *CoreIndexer {
+	return &CoreIndexer{
+		logger:       zap.NewNop(),
+		openAudioSDK: &sdk.OpenAudioSDK{Core: core},
+	}
+}
+
+func TestAwaitCoreReadyRetriesUntilCoreIsUp(t *testing.T) {
+	core := &fakeCoreClient{failFirst: 3}
+	ci := newTestCoreIndexer(core)
+
+	err := ci.awaitCoreReady(context.Background(), 5*time.Second, time.Millisecond)
+
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, 4, core.callCount())
+}
+
+func TestAwaitCoreReadyTimesOut(t *testing.T) {
+	core := &fakeCoreClient{failFirst: -1}
+	ci := newTestCoreIndexer(core)
+
+	err := ci.awaitCoreReady(context.Background(), 50*time.Millisecond, time.Millisecond)
+
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "core service not ready after")
+	assert.NotErrorIs(t, err, context.Canceled)
+}
+
+func TestAwaitCoreReadyReturnsCanceledOnShutdown(t *testing.T) {
+	core := &fakeCoreClient{failFirst: -1}
+	ci := newTestCoreIndexer(core)
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	cancel()
+
+	err := ci.awaitCoreReady(ctx, time.Minute, time.Millisecond)
+
+	assert.ErrorIs(t, err, context.Canceled)
+}
diff --git a/indexer/indexer.go b/indexer/indexer.go
index 1fcdcf0f..f9b625ed 100644
--- a/indexer/indexer.go
+++ b/indexer/indexer.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package indexer
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"strings"
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"api.audius.co/jobs"
 	"api.audius.co/logging"
 	"connectrpc.com/connect"
+	corev1 "github.com/OpenAudio/go-openaudio/pkg/api/core/v1"
 	corev1connect "github.com/OpenAudio/go-openaudio/pkg/api/core/v1/v1connect"
 	etl "github.com/OpenAudio/go-openaudio/pkg/etl"
 	em "github.com/OpenAudio/go-openaudio/pkg/etl/processors/entity_manager"
@@ -21,6 +23,12 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/sync/errgroup"
 )
 
+const (
+	coreReadyTimeout      = 15 * time.Minute
+	coreReadyPollInterval = 2 * time.Second
+	coreReadyLogEvery     = 15
+)
+
 // CoreIndexer runs the OpenAudio ETL indexer plus the dependent api/-side
 // background jobs (aggregates, parity jobs, etc.). The block-fetching and
 // entity-manager dispatch loop that previously lived here was a stub that
@@ -164,6 +172,9 @@ func (ci *CoreIndexer) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
 		return ci.aggregatesCalculator.Start(gCtx)
 	})
 	eg.Go(func() error {
+		if err := ci.awaitCoreReady(gCtx, coreReadyTimeout, coreReadyPollInterval); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 		ci.logger.Info("Starting ETL indexer")
 		return ci.etlIndexer.Run()
 	})
@@ -171,6 +182,41 @@ func (ci *CoreIndexer) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
 	return eg.Wait()
 }
 
+func (ci *CoreIndexer) awaitCoreReady(ctx context.Context, timeout, pollInterval time.Duration) error {
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, timeout)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	var lastErr error
+	for attempt := 1; ; attempt++ {
+		_, err := ci.openAudioSDK.Core.GetNodeInfo(ctx, connect.NewRequest(&corev1.GetNodeInfoRequest{}))
+		if err == nil {
+			if attempt > 1 {
+				ci.logger.Info("core service ready", zap.Int("attempts", attempt))
+			}
+			return nil
+		}
+		lastErr = err
+
+		if attempt == 1 || attempt%coreReadyLogEvery == 0 {
+			ci.logger.Warn("waiting for core service",
+				zap.Int("attempt", attempt),
+				zap.Duration("timeout", timeout),
+				zap.Error(err))
+		}
+
+		timer := time.NewTimer(pollInterval)
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			timer.Stop()
+			if errors.Is(ctx.Err(), context.Canceled) {
+				return ctx.Err()
+			}
+			return fmt.Errorf("core service not ready after %s: %w", timeout, lastErr)
+		case <-timer.C:
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // startParityJobs schedules the periodic jobs that mirror what the legacy
 // Python discovery-provider celery beat used to run. Each job's ScheduleEvery
 // launches its own goroutine and exits when ctx is cancelled, so we don't