diff --git a/.changeset/seven-geese-raise.md b/.changeset/seven-geese-raise.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..176f6ae479
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/seven-geese-raise.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-search-backend-node': patch
+'@backstage/plugin-search-backend': patch
+---
+
+Split backend search plugin startup into "build" and "start" stages to ensure necessary initialization has happened before startup