diff --git a/pkg/quickwit/client/client.go b/pkg/quickwit/client/client.go
index 3ab42cb..790155c 100644
--- a/pkg/quickwit/client/client.go
+++ b/pkg/quickwit/client/client.go
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana-plugin-sdk-go/backend/log"
 )
 
+type ReadyStatus struct {
+	IsReady bool
+	Err     error
+}
+
 type DatasourceInfo struct {
 	ID                         int64
 	HTTPClient                 *http.Client
@@ -23,7 +28,8 @@ type DatasourceInfo struct {
 	Database                   string
 	ConfiguredFields           ConfiguredFields
 	MaxConcurrentShardRequests int64
-	IsReady                    bool
+	ReadyStatus                chan ReadyStatus
+	ShouldInit                 bool
 }
 
 type ConfiguredFields struct {
diff --git a/pkg/quickwit/quickwit.go b/pkg/quickwit/quickwit.go
index eb89a1a..09249ae 100644
--- a/pkg/quickwit/quickwit.go
+++ b/pkg/quickwit/quickwit.go
@@ -104,46 +104,62 @@ func NewQuickwitDatasource(settings backend.DataSourceInstanceSettings) (instanc
 		Database:                   index,
 		MaxConcurrentShardRequests: int64(maxConcurrentShardRequests),
 		ConfiguredFields:           configuredFields,
-		IsReady:                    false,
-	}
-	return &QuickwitDatasource{dsInfo: model}, nil
-}
-
-// Network dependent datasource initialization.
-// This is not done in the "constructor" function to allow saving the ds
-// even if the server is not responsive.
-func (ds *QuickwitDatasource) initDatasource(force bool) error {
-	if ds.dsInfo.IsReady && !force {
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	indexMetadataList, err := GetIndexesMetadata(ds.dsInfo.Database, ds.dsInfo.URL, ds.dsInfo.HTTPClient)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get index metadata : %w", err)
-	}
-
-	if len(indexMetadataList) == 0 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("no index found for %s", ds.dsInfo.Database)
-	}
-
-	timeField, timeOutputFormat, err := GetTimestampFieldInfos(indexMetadataList)
-	if nil != err {
-		return err
+		ReadyStatus:                make(chan es.ReadyStatus, 1),
+		ShouldInit:                 true,
 	}
 
-	ds.dsInfo.ConfiguredFields.TimeField = timeField
-	ds.dsInfo.ConfiguredFields.TimeOutputFormat = timeOutputFormat
+	ds := &QuickwitDatasource{dsInfo: model}
 
-	ds.dsInfo.IsReady = true
-	return nil
+	// Create an initialization goroutine
+	go func(ds *QuickwitDatasource, readyStatus chan<- es.ReadyStatus) {
+		var status es.ReadyStatus = es.ReadyStatus{
+			IsReady: false,
+			Err:     nil,
+		}
+		for {
+			// Will retry init everytime the channel is consumed until ready
+			if !status.IsReady || ds.dsInfo.ShouldInit {
+				qwlog.Debug("Initializing Datasource")
+				status.IsReady = true
+				status.Err = nil
+
+				indexMetadataList, err := GetIndexesMetadata(ds.dsInfo.Database, ds.dsInfo.URL, ds.dsInfo.HTTPClient)
+				if err != nil {
+					status.IsReady = false
+					status.Err = fmt.Errorf("failed to get index metadata : %w", err)
+				} else if len(indexMetadataList) == 0 {
+					status.IsReady = false
+					status.Err = fmt.Errorf("no index found for %s", ds.dsInfo.Database)
+				} else {
+					timeField, timeOutputFormat, err := GetTimestampFieldInfos(indexMetadataList)
+					if nil != err {
+						status.IsReady = false
+						status.Err = err
+					} else if "" == timeField {
+						status.IsReady = false
+						status.Err = fmt.Errorf("timefield is empty for %s", ds.dsInfo.Database)
+					} else if "" == timeOutputFormat {
+						status.Err = fmt.Errorf("timefield's output_format is empty, logs timestamps will not be parsed correctly for %s", ds.dsInfo.Database)
+					}
+
+					ds.dsInfo.ConfiguredFields.TimeField = timeField
+					ds.dsInfo.ConfiguredFields.TimeOutputFormat = timeOutputFormat
+					ds.dsInfo.ShouldInit = false
+				}
+			}
+			readyStatus <- status
+		}
+	}(ds, model.ReadyStatus)
+	return ds, nil
 }
 
 // Dispose here tells plugin SDK that plugin wants to clean up resources when a new instance
 // created. As soon as datasource settings change detected by SDK old datasource instance will
 // be disposed and a new one will be created using NewSampleDatasource factory function.
 func (ds *QuickwitDatasource) Dispose() {
-	// Clean up datasource instance resources.
-	// TODO
+	// FIXME: The ReadyStatus channel should probably be closed here, but doing it
+	// causes odd calls to healthcheck to fail. Needs investigation
+	// close(ds.dsInfo.ReadyStatus)
 }
 
 // CheckHealth handles health checks sent from Grafana to the plugin.
@@ -152,28 +168,37 @@ func (ds *QuickwitDatasource) Dispose() {
 // a datasource is working as expected.
 func (ds *QuickwitDatasource) CheckHealth(ctx context.Context, req *backend.CheckHealthRequest) (*backend.CheckHealthResult, error) {
 	res := &backend.CheckHealthResult{}
+	res.Status = backend.HealthStatusOk
+	res.Message = "plugin is running"
 
-	if err := ds.initDatasource(true); err != nil {
-		res.Status = backend.HealthStatusError
-		res.Message = fmt.Errorf("Failed to initialize datasource: %w", err).Error()
-		return res, nil
-	}
+	ds.dsInfo.ShouldInit = true
+	status := <-ds.dsInfo.ReadyStatus
 
-	if ds.dsInfo.ConfiguredFields.TimeField == "" || ds.dsInfo.ConfiguredFields.TimeOutputFormat == "" {
+	if nil != status.Err {
+		res.Status = backend.HealthStatusError
+		res.Message = fmt.Errorf("Failed to initialize datasource: %w", status.Err).Error()
+	} else if "" == ds.dsInfo.ConfiguredFields.TimeField {
 		res.Status = backend.HealthStatusError
 		res.Message = fmt.Sprintf("timefield is missing from index config \"%s\"", ds.dsInfo.Database)
-		return res, nil
+	} else if "" == ds.dsInfo.ConfiguredFields.TimeOutputFormat {
+		res.Status = backend.HealthStatusError
+		res.Message = fmt.Sprintf("timefield's output_format is missing from index config \"%s\"", ds.dsInfo.Database)
 	}
+	qwlog.Debug(res.Message)
 
-	res.Status = backend.HealthStatusOk
-	res.Message = "plugin is running"
 	return res, nil
 }
 
 func (ds *QuickwitDatasource) QueryData(ctx context.Context, req *backend.QueryDataRequest) (*backend.QueryDataResponse, error) {
 	// Ensure ds is initialized, we need timestamp infos
-	if err := ds.initDatasource(false); err != nil {
-		return &backend.QueryDataResponse{}, fmt.Errorf("Failed to initialize datasource")
+	status := <-ds.dsInfo.ReadyStatus
+	if !status.IsReady {
+		qwlog.Debug(fmt.Errorf("Datasource initialization failed: %w", status.Err).Error())
+		response := &backend.QueryDataResponse{
+			Responses: backend.Responses{},
+		}
+		response.Responses["__qwQueryDataError"] = backend.ErrDataResponse(backend.StatusInternal, "Datasource initialization failed")
+		return response, nil
 	}
 
 	return queryData(ctx, req.Queries, &ds.dsInfo)