diff --git a/changelog/unreleased/pr-24671.toml b/changelog/unreleased/pr-24671.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6b0083fcf1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/unreleased/pr-24671.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+type = "f"
+message = "Fix metrix datastream creation in situations where opensearch in datanode starts too slowly"
+
+pulls = ["24671"]
diff --git a/data-node/src/main/java/org/graylog/datanode/metrics/ConfigureMetricsIndexSettings.java b/data-node/src/main/java/org/graylog/datanode/metrics/ConfigureMetricsIndexSettings.java
index 2b40af5e28..f74a4290a3 100644
--- a/data-node/src/main/java/org/graylog/datanode/metrics/ConfigureMetricsIndexSettings.java
+++ b/data-node/src/main/java/org/graylog/datanode/metrics/ConfigureMetricsIndexSettings.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import org.graylog.datanode.opensearch.statemachine.OpensearchState;
 import org.graylog.datanode.periodicals.MetricsCollector;
 import org.graylog.datanode.process.statemachine.tracer.StateMachineTracer;
 import org.graylog.storage.opensearch2.DataStreamAdapterOS2;
+import org.graylog.storage.opensearch2.OpenSearchClient;
 import org.graylog.storage.opensearch2.ism.IsmApi;
 import org.graylog2.cluster.nodes.DataNodeDto;
 import org.graylog2.cluster.nodes.NodeService;
@@ -48,17 +49,19 @@ import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
 public class ConfigureMetricsIndexSettings implements StateMachineTracer<OpensearchState, OpensearchEvent> {
 
     private final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(ConfigureMetricsIndexSettings.class);
 
+    private final AtomicBoolean datastreamCreated = new AtomicBoolean(false);
+
     private final OpensearchProcess process;
     private final Configuration configuration;
     private final IndexFieldTypesService indexFieldTypesService;
     private final ObjectMapper objectMapper;
-    private DataStreamService dataStreamService;
     private final NodeService<DataNodeDto> nodeService;
 
     @Inject
@@ -76,23 +79,33 @@ public class ConfigureMetricsIndexSettings implements StateMachineTracer<Opensea
 
     @Override
     public void transition(OpensearchEvent trigger, OpensearchState source, OpensearchState destination) {
-        if (destination == OpensearchState.AVAILABLE && source == OpensearchState.STARTING && process.isManagerNode()) {
+        // we can't rely on the source->destination combination, because the process may become UNAVAILABLE before it
+        // finally starts (due to slow startup or limited resources) and then the source state is not starting,
+        // as originally assumed. Instead, let's remember if we have already created a datastream once.
+        if (destination == OpensearchState.AVAILABLE && process.isManagerNode()) {
             process.openSearchClient().ifPresent(client -> {
-                final IsmApi ismApi = new IsmApi(client, objectMapper);
-                int replicas = nodeService.allActive().size() == 1 ? 0 : 1;
-                dataStreamService = new DataStreamServiceImpl(
-                        new DataStreamAdapterOS2(client, objectMapper, ismApi),
-                        indexFieldTypesService,
-                        replicas
-                );
-                dataStreamService.createDataStream(configuration.getMetricsStream(),
-                        configuration.getMetricsTimestamp(),
-                        createMappings(),
-                        createPolicy(configuration));
+                if (datastreamCreated.compareAndSet(false, true)) {
+                    createDatastream(client);
+                }
             });
         }
     }
 
+    private void createDatastream(OpenSearchClient client) {
+        final IsmApi ismApi = new IsmApi(client, objectMapper);
+        int replicas = nodeService.allActive().size() == 1 ? 0 : 1;
+
+        final DataStreamService dataStreamService = new DataStreamServiceImpl(
+                new DataStreamAdapterOS2(client, objectMapper, ismApi),
+                indexFieldTypesService,
+                replicas
+        );
+        dataStreamService.createDataStream(configuration.getMetricsStream(),
+                configuration.getMetricsTimestamp(),
+                createMappings(),
+                createPolicy(configuration));
+    }
+
     private Map<String, Map<String, String>> createMappings() {
         Map<String, Map<String, String>> mappings = new HashMap<>();
         mappings.put("node", ImmutableMap.of("type", "keyword"));