diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/ClusterStateSupplier.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/ClusterStateSupplier.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..61bb049ffd5c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/ClusterStateSupplier.java
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the "Elastic License
+ * 2.0", the "GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 only", and the "Server Side
+ * Public License v 1"; you may not use this file except in compliance with, at
+ * your election, the "Elastic License 2.0", the "GNU Affero General Public
+ * License v3.0 only", or the "Server Side Public License, v 1".
+ */
+
+package org.elasticsearch.cluster;
+
+import java.util.Optional;
+import java.util.function.Function;
+import java.util.function.Supplier;
+
+/**
+ * Utility to access {@link ClusterState} only when it is "ready", with a fallback if it's not. The definition of "ready" is left to the
+ * class implementations.
+ */
+public interface ClusterStateSupplier extends Supplier<Optional<ClusterState>> {
+    default <T> T withCurrentClusterState(Function<ClusterState, T> clusterStateFunction, T fallbackIfNotReady) {
+        var x = get();
+        return x.map(clusterStateFunction).orElse(fallbackIfNotReady);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/SafeClusterStateSupplier.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/SafeClusterStateSupplier.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..b12ef3d78f864
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/SafeClusterStateSupplier.java
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the "Elastic License
+ * 2.0", the "GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 only", and the "Server Side
+ * Public License v 1"; you may not use this file except in compliance with, at
+ * your election, the "Elastic License 2.0", the "GNU Affero General Public
+ * License v3.0 only", or the "Server Side Public License, v 1".
+ */
+
+package org.elasticsearch.cluster;
+
+import java.util.Optional;
+
+import static org.elasticsearch.gateway.GatewayService.STATE_NOT_RECOVERED_BLOCK;
+
+/**
+ * Utility to access {@link ClusterState} only when it is "ready", where "ready" means that we received a first clusterChanged event
+ * with no global block of type {@code STATE_NOT_RECOVERED_BLOCK}
+ * This guarantees that:
+ * - the initial cluster state has been set (see
+ * {@link org.elasticsearch.cluster.service.ClusterApplierService#setInitialState(ClusterState)});
+ * - the initial recovery process has completed.
+ */
+public class SafeClusterStateSupplier implements ClusterStateSupplier, ClusterStateListener {
+    private volatile ClusterState currentClusterState;
+
+    @Override
+    public void clusterChanged(ClusterChangedEvent event) {
+        // In this default implementation, "ready" is really "is cluster state available", which after the initial recovery it should be.
+        // If you need a different condition, feel free to add a different implementation of ClusterStateSupplier
+        if (isInitialized() || event.state().blocks().hasGlobalBlock(STATE_NOT_RECOVERED_BLOCK) == false) {
+            currentClusterState = event.state();
+        }
+    }
+
+    private boolean isInitialized() {
+        return currentClusterState != null;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Optional<ClusterState> get() {
+        return Optional.ofNullable(currentClusterState);
+    }
+}