diff --git a/src/applications/config/check/PhabricatorElasticSearchSetupCheck.php b/src/applications/config/check/PhabricatorElasticSearchSetupCheck.php
--- a/src/applications/config/check/PhabricatorElasticSearchSetupCheck.php
+++ b/src/applications/config/check/PhabricatorElasticSearchSetupCheck.php
@@ -7,44 +7,71 @@
   }
 
   protected function executeChecks() {
-    if ($this->shouldUseElasticSearchEngine()) {
-      $engine = new PhabricatorElasticSearchEngine();
-
-      if (!$engine->indexExists()) {
-        $summary = pht(
-          'You enabled Elasticsearch but the index does not exist.');
-
-        $message = pht(
-          'You likely enabled search.elastic.host without creating the '.
-          'index. Run `./bin/search init` to correct the index.');
-
-        $this
-          ->newIssue('elastic.missing-index')
-          ->setName(pht('Elasticsearch index Not Found'))
-          ->setSummary($summary)
-          ->setMessage($message)
-          ->addRelatedPhabricatorConfig('search.elastic.host');
-      } else if (!$engine->indexIsSane()) {
-        $summary = pht(
-          'Elasticsearch index exists but needs correction.');
-
-        $message = pht(
-          'Either the Phabricator schema for Elasticsearch has changed '.
-          'or Elasticsearch created the index automatically. Run '.
-          '`./bin/search init` to correct the index.');
-
-        $this
-          ->newIssue('elastic.broken-index')
-          ->setName(pht('Elasticsearch index Incorrect'))
-          ->setSummary($summary)
-          ->setMessage($message);
+    if (!$this->shouldUseElasticSearchEngine()) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    $engine = new PhabricatorElasticSearchEngine();
+
+    $index_exists = null;
+    $index_sane = null;
+    try {
+      $index_exists = $engine->indexExists();
+      if ($index_exists) {
+        $index_sane = $engine->indexIsSane();
       }
+    } catch (Exception $ex) {
+      $summary = pht('Elasticsearch is not reachable as configured.');
+      $message = pht(
+        'Elasticsearch is configured (with the %s setting) but Phabricator '.
+        'encountered an exception when trying to test the index.'.
+        "\n\n".
+        '%s',
+        phutil_tag('tt', array(), 'search.elastic.host'),
+        phutil_tag('pre', array(), $ex->getMessage()));
+
+      $this->newIssue('elastic.misconfigured')
+        ->setName(pht('Elasticsearch Misconfigured'))
+        ->setSummary($summary)
+        ->setMessage($message)
+        ->addRelatedPhabricatorConfig('search.elastic.host');
+      return;
+    }
+
+    if (!$index_exists) {
+      $summary = pht(
+        'You enabled Elasticsearch but the index does not exist.');
+
+      $message = pht(
+        'You likely enabled search.elastic.host without creating the '.
+        'index. Run `./bin/search init` to correct the index.');
+
+      $this
+        ->newIssue('elastic.missing-index')
+        ->setName(pht('Elasticsearch index Not Found'))
+        ->setSummary($summary)
+        ->setMessage($message)
+        ->addRelatedPhabricatorConfig('search.elastic.host');
+    } else if (!$index_sane) {
+      $summary = pht(
+        'Elasticsearch index exists but needs correction.');
+
+      $message = pht(
+        'Either the Phabricator schema for Elasticsearch has changed '.
+        'or Elasticsearch created the index automatically. Run '.
+        '`./bin/search init` to correct the index.');
+
+      $this
+        ->newIssue('elastic.broken-index')
+        ->setName(pht('Elasticsearch index Incorrect'))
+        ->setSummary($summary)
+        ->setMessage($message);
     }
   }
 
   protected function shouldUseElasticSearchEngine() {
     $search_engine = PhabricatorSearchEngine::loadEngine();
-    return $search_engine instanceof PhabricatorElasticSearchEngine;
+    return ($search_engine instanceof PhabricatorElasticSearchEngine);
   }
 
 }