diff --git a/agent/health_endpoint_test.go b/agent/health_endpoint_test.go
index bfe187ea7b..b822bdde82 100644
--- a/agent/health_endpoint_test.go
+++ b/agent/health_endpoint_test.go
@@ -1128,76 +1128,84 @@ func TestHealthServiceNodes_NodeMetaFilter(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	for _, tst := range tests {
 		t.Run(tst.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-
 			a := NewTestAgent(t, tst.config)
-			defer a.Shutdown()
 			testrpc.WaitForLeader(t, a.RPC, "dc1")
+			testrpc.WaitForTestAgent(t, a.RPC, "dc1")
+			waitForStreamingToBeReady(t, a)
 
-			req, _ := http.NewRequest("GET", "/v1/health/service/consul?dc=dc1&node-meta=somekey:somevalue", nil)
-			resp := httptest.NewRecorder()
-			obj, err := a.srv.HealthServiceNodes(resp, req)
-			if err != nil {
-				t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
-			}
+			encodedMeta := url.QueryEscape("somekey:somevalue")
 
-			assertIndex(t, resp)
+			var lastIndex uint64
+			testutil.RunStep(t, "do initial read", func(t *testing.T) {
+				u := fmt.Sprintf("/v1/health/service/test?dc=dc1&node-meta=%s", encodedMeta)
 
-			cIndex, err := strconv.ParseUint(resp.Header().Get("X-Consul-Index"), 10, 64)
-			require.NoError(t, err)
+				req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", u, nil)
+				require.NoError(t, err)
+				resp := httptest.NewRecorder()
+				obj, err := a.srv.HealthServiceNodes(resp, req)
+				require.NoError(t, err)
 
-			// Should be a non-nil empty list
-			nodes := obj.(structs.CheckServiceNodes)
-			if nodes == nil || len(nodes) != 0 {
-				t.Fatalf("bad: %v", obj)
-			}
+				lastIndex = getIndex(t, resp)
+				require.True(t, lastIndex > 0)
 
-			args := &structs.RegisterRequest{
-				Datacenter: "dc1",
-				Node:       "bar",
-				Address:    "127.0.0.1",
-				NodeMeta:   map[string]string{"somekey": "somevalue"},
-				Service: &structs.NodeService{
-					ID:      "test",
-					Service: "test",
-				},
-			}
+				// Should be a non-nil empty list
+				nodes := obj.(structs.CheckServiceNodes)
+				require.NotNil(t, nodes)
+				require.Empty(t, nodes)
+			})
 
-			var out struct{}
-			if err := a.RPC("Catalog.Register", args, &out); err != nil {
-				t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
-			}
+			require.True(t, lastIndex > 0, "lastindex = %d", lastIndex)
 
-			args = &structs.RegisterRequest{
-				Datacenter: "dc1",
-				Node:       "bar2",
-				Address:    "127.0.0.1",
-				NodeMeta:   map[string]string{"somekey": "othervalue"},
-				Service: &structs.NodeService{
-					ID:      "test2",
-					Service: "test",
-				},
-			}
+			testutil.RunStep(t, "register item 1", func(t *testing.T) {
+				args := &structs.RegisterRequest{
+					Datacenter: "dc1",
+					Node:       "bar",
+					Address:    "127.0.0.1",
+					NodeMeta:   map[string]string{"somekey": "somevalue"},
+					Service: &structs.NodeService{
+						ID:      "test",
+						Service: "test",
+					},
+				}
 
-			if err := a.RPC("Catalog.Register", args, &out); err != nil {
-				t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
-			}
+				var ignored struct{}
+				require.NoError(t, a.RPC("Catalog.Register", args, &ignored))
+			})
 
-			req, _ = http.NewRequest("GET", fmt.Sprintf("/v1/health/service/test?dc=dc1&node-meta=somekey:somevalue&index=%d&wait=10ms", cIndex), nil)
-			resp = httptest.NewRecorder()
-			obj, err = a.srv.HealthServiceNodes(resp, req)
-			if err != nil {
-				t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
-			}
+			testutil.RunStep(t, "register item 2", func(t *testing.T) {
+				args := &structs.RegisterRequest{
+					Datacenter: "dc1",
+					Node:       "bar2",
+					Address:    "127.0.0.1",
+					NodeMeta:   map[string]string{"somekey": "othervalue"},
+					Service: &structs.NodeService{
+						ID:      "test2",
+						Service: "test",
+					},
+				}
+				var ignored struct{}
+				require.NoError(t, a.RPC("Catalog.Register", args, &ignored))
+			})
 
-			assertIndex(t, resp)
+			testutil.RunStep(t, "do blocking read", func(t *testing.T) {
+				u := fmt.Sprintf("/v1/health/service/test?dc=dc1&node-meta=%s&index=%d&wait=100ms&cached", encodedMeta, lastIndex)
 
-			// Should be a non-nil empty list for checks
-			nodes = obj.(structs.CheckServiceNodes)
-			if len(nodes) != 1 || nodes[0].Checks == nil || len(nodes[0].Checks) != 0 {
-				t.Fatalf("bad: %v", obj)
-			}
+				req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", u, nil)
+				require.NoError(t, err)
+				resp := httptest.NewRecorder()
+				obj, err := a.srv.HealthServiceNodes(resp, req)
+				require.NoError(t, err)
 
-			require.Equal(t, tst.queryBackend, resp.Header().Get("X-Consul-Query-Backend"))
+				assertIndex(t, resp)
+
+				// Should be a non-nil empty list for checks
+				nodes := obj.(structs.CheckServiceNodes)
+				require.Len(t, nodes, 1)
+				require.NotNil(t, nodes[0].Checks)
+				require.Empty(t, nodes[0].Checks)
+
+				require.Equal(t, tst.queryBackend, resp.Header().Get("X-Consul-Query-Backend"))
+			})
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -1637,6 +1645,7 @@ func testHealthIngressServiceNodes(t *testing.T, agentHCL string) {
 	a := NewTestAgent(t, agentHCL)
 	defer a.Shutdown()
 	testrpc.WaitForLeader(t, a.RPC, "dc1")
+	waitForStreamingToBeReady(t, a)
 
 	// Register gateway
 	gatewayArgs := structs.TestRegisterIngressGateway(t)
@@ -2038,3 +2047,9 @@ func peerQuerySuffix(peerName string) string {
 	}
 	return "&peer=" + peerName
 }
+
+func waitForStreamingToBeReady(t *testing.T, a *TestAgent) {
+	retry.Run(t, func(r *retry.R) {
+		require.True(r, a.rpcClientHealth.IsReadyForStreaming())
+	})
+}
diff --git a/agent/rpcclient/health/health.go b/agent/rpcclient/health/health.go
index a4bdae78a9..9b24a164dd 100644
--- a/agent/rpcclient/health/health.go
+++ b/agent/rpcclient/health/health.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package health
 import (
 	"context"
 
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/connectivity"
+
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/agent/cache"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/agent/structs"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/agent/submatview"
@@ -34,6 +36,16 @@ type MaterializedViewStore interface {
 	NotifyCallback(ctx context.Context, req submatview.Request, cID string, cb cache.Callback) error
 }
 
+// IsReadyForStreaming will indicate if the underlying gRPC connection is ready.
+func (c *Client) IsReadyForStreaming() bool {
+	conn := c.MaterializerDeps.Conn
+	if conn == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	return conn.GetState() == connectivity.Ready
+}
+
 func (c *Client) ServiceNodes(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	req structs.ServiceSpecificRequest,