diff --git a/.changeset/small-shoes-hide.md b/.changeset/small-shoes-hide.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b1f95e9f2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/small-shoes-hide.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-search-backend-node': patch
+---
+
+Exports `MissingIndexError` that can be used by the search engines for better error handling when missing index.
diff --git a/.changeset/tender-chicken-learn.md b/.changeset/tender-chicken-learn.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bd95c5545f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/tender-chicken-learn.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-search-backend': patch
+---
+
+If error is `MissingIndexError` we return a 400 response with a more clear error message.
diff --git a/.changeset/two-owls-cry.md b/.changeset/two-owls-cry.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b469561ad7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/two-owls-cry.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-search-backend-module-elasticsearch': patch
+'@backstage/plugin-search-backend-module-pg': patch
+---
+
+Throws `MissingIndexError` when no index of type exist.