diff --git a/karapace/coordinator/schema_coordinator.py b/karapace/coordinator/schema_coordinator.py
index 852c63e8f..c36e60c9e 100644
--- a/karapace/coordinator/schema_coordinator.py
+++ b/karapace/coordinator/schema_coordinator.py
@@ -191,6 +191,9 @@ def __init__(
 
         self._metadata_snapshot: list[Assignment] = []
 
+    def is_master_assigned_to_myself(self) -> bool:
+        return self._are_we_master or False
+
     def are_we_master(self) -> bool | None:
         """
         After a new election its made we should wait for a while since the previous master could have produced
@@ -489,7 +492,8 @@ async def _on_join_complete(
             else:
                 LOG.info(
                     "Starting immediately serving requests since I was master less than %s milliseconds ago, "
-                    "no other masters could have written a new schema meanwhile"
+                    "no other masters could have written a new schema meanwhile",
+                    self._waiting_time_before_acting_as_master_ms,
                 )
         elif not member_identity["master_eligibility"]:
             self.master_url = None
diff --git a/karapace/schema_registry_apis.py b/karapace/schema_registry_apis.py
index d3b90dac6..b2df5bcfb 100644
--- a/karapace/schema_registry_apis.py
+++ b/karapace/schema_registry_apis.py
@@ -200,6 +200,13 @@ def _add_schema_registry_routes(self) -> None:
             schema_request=True,
             auth=self._auth,
         )
+        self.route(
+            "/master_available",
+            callback=self.master_available,
+            method="POST",  # post because they are not cached
+            schema_request=True,
+            # auth=self._auth,
+        )
         self.route(
             "/config",
             callback=self.config_set,
@@ -715,6 +722,24 @@ async def config_subject_delete(
 
         self.r({"compatibility": self.schema_registry.schema_reader.config["compatibility"]}, content_type)
 
+    async def master_available(self, content_type: str, *, request: HTTPRequest, user: User | None = None) -> None:
+        _ = user
+        # self._check_authorization(user, Operation.Read, "Config:")
+
+        are_we_master, master_url = await self.schema_registry.get_master()
+
+        if (
+            self.schema_registry.schema_reader.master_coordinator._sc is not None  # pylint: disable=protected-access
+            and self.schema_registry.schema_reader.master_coordinator._sc.is_master_assigned_to_myself()  # pylint: disable=protected-access
+        ):
+            self.r({"master_available": are_we_master}, content_type)
+
+        if master_url is None:
+            self.r({"master_available": False}, content_type)
+        else:
+            url = f"{master_url}/master_available"
+            await self._forward_request_remote(request=request, body={}, url=url, content_type=content_type, method="POST")
+
     async def subjects_list(self, content_type: str, *, request: HTTPRequest, user: User | None = None) -> None:
         deleted = request.query.get("deleted", "false").lower() == "true"
         subjects = self.schema_registry.database.find_subjects(include_deleted=deleted)
diff --git a/tests/integration/conftest.py b/tests/integration/conftest.py
index 6ed4f4b22..862b99fef 100644
--- a/tests/integration/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/integration/conftest.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 from tests.integration.utils.process import stop_process, wait_for_port_subprocess
 from tests.integration.utils.synchronization import lock_path_for
 from tests.integration.utils.zookeeper import configure_and_start_zk
-from tests.utils import repeat_until_successful_request
+from tests.utils import repeat_until_master_is_available, repeat_until_successful_request
 from typing import AsyncIterator, Iterator, List, Optional
 from urllib.parse import urlparse
 
@@ -550,6 +550,7 @@ async def fixture_registry_async_client(
             timeout=10,
             sleep=0.3,
         )
+        await repeat_until_master_is_available(client)
         yield client
     finally:
         await client.close()
diff --git a/tests/utils.py b/tests/utils.py
index f38097858..2c5dd4ebf 100644
--- a/tests/utils.py
+++ b/tests/utils.py
@@ -291,6 +291,22 @@ async def repeat_until_successful_request(
     return res
 
 
+async def repeat_until_master_is_available(client: Client) -> None:
+    while True:
+        res = await repeat_until_successful_request(
+            client.post,
+            "master_available",
+            json_data={},
+            headers=None,
+            error_msg=f"Registry API {client.server_uri} is unreachable",
+            timeout=10,
+            sleep=1,
+        )
+        reply = res.json()
+        if reply["master_available"] is True:
+            break
+
+
 def write_ini(file_path: Path, ini_data: dict) -> None:
     ini_contents = (f"{key}={value}" for key, value in ini_data.items())
     file_contents = "\n".join(ini_contents)