diff --git a/k8s/cloud/base/indexer_config.yaml b/k8s/cloud/base/indexer_config.yaml
index 442cd08af80..cf778581845 100644
--- a/k8s/cloud/base/indexer_config.yaml
+++ b/k8s/cloud/base/indexer_config.yaml
@@ -8,3 +8,4 @@ data:
   PL_MD_INDEX_REPLICAS: "4"
   PL_MD_INDEX_MAX_AGE: "3d"
   PL_MD_INDEX_DELETE_AFTER: "3d"
+  PL_MD_MANUAL_INDEX_MANAGEMENT: "false"
diff --git a/src/cloud/autocomplete/suggester_test.go b/src/cloud/autocomplete/suggester_test.go
index a713c160706..e292f76d9cf 100644
--- a/src/cloud/autocomplete/suggester_test.go
+++ b/src/cloud/autocomplete/suggester_test.go
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 	elasticClient = es
 
 	// Set up elastic indexes.
-	err = md.InitializeMapping(es, indexName, 1, "30d", "30d")
+	err = md.InitializeMapping(es, indexName, 1, "30d", "30d", false)
 	if err != nil {
 		cleanup()
 		log.Fatal(err)
diff --git a/src/cloud/indexer/indexer_server.go b/src/cloud/indexer/indexer_server.go
index 19ba67fda1f..95b49fe2ac5 100644
--- a/src/cloud/indexer/indexer_server.go
+++ b/src/cloud/indexer/indexer_server.go
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ func init() {
 	pflag.String("md_index_max_age", "", "The amount of time before rolling over the elastic index as a string, eg '30d'")
 	pflag.String("md_index_delete_after", "", "The amount of time after rollover to delete old elastic indices, as a string, eg '30d'")
 	pflag.Int("md_index_replicas", 4, "The number of replicas to setup for the metadata index.")
+	pflag.Bool("md_manual_index_management", false, "Skip creation of managed elastic indices. Requires manually deploying an elastic index with md_index_name")
 }
 
 func newVZMgrClient() (vzmgrpb.VZMgrServiceClient, error) {
@@ -132,7 +133,7 @@ func main() {
 		log.Fatal("Must specify a delete after time for the rolled over elastic indices.")
 	}
 
-	err = md.InitializeMapping(es, indexName, replicas, maxAge, deleteAfter)
+	err = md.InitializeMapping(es, indexName, replicas, maxAge, deleteAfter, viper.GetBool("md_manual_index_management"))
 	if err != nil {
 		log.WithError(err).Fatal("Could not initialize elastic mapping")
 	}
diff --git a/src/cloud/indexer/md/mapping.o.go b/src/cloud/indexer/md/mapping.o.go
index ba47d80dc5b..77a2ed416fa 100644
--- a/src/cloud/indexer/md/mapping.o.go
+++ b/src/cloud/indexer/md/mapping.o.go
@@ -207,17 +207,33 @@ const IndexMapping = `
 `
 
 // InitializeMapping creates the index in elastic.
-func InitializeMapping(es *elastic.Client, indexName string, replicas int, maxAge string, deleteAfter string) error {
-	err := esutils.NewManagedIndex(es, indexName).
-		IndexFromJSONString(IndexMapping).
-		MaxIndexAge(maxAge).
-		TimeBeforeDelete(deleteAfter).
-		Migrate(context.Background())
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
+func InitializeMapping(es *elastic.Client, indexName string, replicas int, maxAge string, deleteAfter string, manualIndex bool) error {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	if manualIndex {
+		exists, err := es.IndexExists(indexName).Do(ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if !exists {
+			return fmt.Errorf("elastic index %s does not exist, but manual index management specified", indexName)
+		}
+		// Update the index mappings if necessary.
+		err = esutils.NewIndex(es).Name(indexName).FromJSONString(IndexMapping).Migrate(ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	} else {
+		err := esutils.NewManagedIndex(es, indexName).
+			IndexFromJSONString(IndexMapping).
+			MaxIndexAge(maxAge).
+			TimeBeforeDelete(deleteAfter).
+			Migrate(ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 
 	replicaSetting := fmt.Sprintf("{\"index\": {\"number_of_replicas\": %d}}", replicas)
-	_, err = es.IndexPutSettings(indexName).BodyString(replicaSetting).Do(context.Background())
+	_, err := es.IndexPutSettings(indexName).BodyString(replicaSetting).Do(context.Background())
 	return err
 }
diff --git a/src/cloud/indexer/md/md_test.go b/src/cloud/indexer/md/md_test.go
index 1fa83aa5c8f..b78e5b6f49d 100644
--- a/src/cloud/indexer/md/md_test.go
+++ b/src/cloud/indexer/md/md_test.go
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 	vzID = uuid.Must(uuid.NewV4())
 	orgID = uuid.Must(uuid.NewV4())
 
-	err = md.InitializeMapping(es, indexName, 1, "30d", "30d")
+	err = md.InitializeMapping(es, indexName, 1, "30d", "30d", false)
 	if err != nil {
 		cleanup()
 		log.WithError(err).Fatal("Could not initialize indexes in elastic")
diff --git a/src/cloud/shared/esutils/index.go b/src/cloud/shared/esutils/index.go
index bdd3d77e92c..2c18072ae08 100644
--- a/src/cloud/shared/esutils/index.go
+++ b/src/cloud/shared/esutils/index.go
@@ -21,8 +21,10 @@ package esutils
 import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"reflect"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/olivere/elastic/v7"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
@@ -246,7 +248,18 @@ func (i *Index) updateSettings(ctx context.Context) (bool, error) {
 			WithField("cause", err.(*elastic.Error).Details.CausedBy).Error("failed to get index settings")
 		return false, err
 	}
-	currentSettings := settingsResp[i.indexName].Settings
+	var indexResp *elastic.IndicesGetSettingsResponse
+	for indexName, resp := range settingsResp {
+		// If `i.indexName` is an alias, then the response can be the full index name instead of the alias name.
+		if strings.HasPrefix(indexName, i.indexName) {
+			indexResp = resp
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	if indexResp == nil {
+		return false, errors.New("could not get index settings")
+	}
+	currentSettings := indexResp.Settings
 	diff := updates(i.index.Settings, currentSettings)
 	if diff == nil {
 		return false, nil