diff --git a/modules/indexer/issues/indexer.go b/modules/indexer/issues/indexer.go
index 81ffcaaf5d..2f70cf7a69 100644
--- a/modules/indexer/issues/indexer.go
+++ b/modules/indexer/issues/indexer.go
@@ -61,10 +61,12 @@ func init() {
 
 // InitIssueIndexer initialize issue indexer, syncReindex is true then reindex until
 // all issue index done.
-func InitIssueIndexer(syncReindex bool) {
+// The return value is a done channel that signals that the indexer can be safely used.
+func InitIssueIndexer(syncReindex bool) <-chan struct{} {
 	ctx, _, finished := process.GetManager().AddTypedContext(context.Background(), "Service: IssueIndexer", process.SystemProcessType, false)
 
 	indexerInitWaitChannel := make(chan time.Duration, 1)
+	done := make(chan struct{}, 1)
 
 	// Create the Queue
 	issueIndexerQueue = queue.CreateUniqueQueue(ctx, "issue_indexer", getIssueIndexerQueueHandler(ctx))
@@ -136,6 +138,7 @@ func InitIssueIndexer(syncReindex bool) {
 
 		indexerInitWaitChannel <- time.Since(start)
 		close(indexerInitWaitChannel)
+		close(done)
 	}()
 
 	if syncReindex {
@@ -163,6 +166,8 @@ func InitIssueIndexer(syncReindex bool) {
 			}
 		}()
 	}
+
+	return done
 }
 
 func getIssueIndexerQueueHandler(ctx context.Context) func(items ...*IndexerMetadata) []*IndexerMetadata {
diff --git a/modules/indexer/issues/indexer_test.go b/modules/indexer/issues/indexer_test.go
index 2d7aa71236..60c46d9a2c 100644
--- a/modules/indexer/issues/indexer_test.go
+++ b/modules/indexer/issues/indexer_test.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ func TestDBSearchIssues(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, unittest.PrepareTestDatabase())
 
 	defer test.MockVariableValue(&setting.Indexer.IssueType, "db")()
-	InitIssueIndexer(true)
+	<-InitIssueIndexer(true)
 
 	t.Run("search issues with keyword", searchIssueWithKeyword)
 	t.Run("search issues in repo", searchIssueInRepo)
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ func TestBleveDeleteIssue(t *testing.T) {
 	tmp := t.TempDir()
 	defer test.MockVariableValue(&setting.Indexer.IssuePath, filepath.Join(tmp, "indexers/issues.bleve"))()
 	defer test.MockVariableValue(&setting.Indexer.IssueType, "bleve")()
-	InitIssueIndexer(false)
+	<-InitIssueIndexer(false)
 
 	ctx := t.Context()
 	issue := unittest.AssertExistsAndLoadBean(t, &issues.Issue{ID: 1})