diff --git a/src/platform/plugins/shared/data/server/search/session/get_session_status.test.ts b/src/platform/plugins/shared/data/server/search/session/get_session_status.test.ts
index cd45066a1c8e3..aea9fe0acc977 100644
--- a/src/platform/plugins/shared/data/server/search/session/get_session_status.test.ts
+++ b/src/platform/plugins/shared/data/server/search/session/get_session_status.test.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import type { SearchSessionSavedObjectAttributes } from '../../../common';
 import { SearchSessionStatus } from '../../../common';
 import moment from 'moment';
 import type { SearchSessionsConfigSchema } from '../../config';
+import { createSearchSessionSavedObjectAttributesMock } from './mocks';
 
 const mockInProgressSearchResponse = {
   body: {
@@ -46,13 +47,30 @@ describe('getSessionStatus', () => {
   const deps = {
     esClient: elasticsearchServiceMock.createElasticsearchClient(),
   };
-  test("returns an in_progress status if there's nothing inside the session", async () => {
-    const session: any = {
-      idMapping: {},
-      touched: moment(),
-    };
-    expect(await getSessionStatus(deps, session, mockConfig)).toEqual({
-      status: SearchSessionStatus.IN_PROGRESS,
+
+  describe('when there are no searches inside the session', () => {
+    describe('when the search is brand new', () => {
+      test('returns an in_progress status', async () => {
+        const session = createSearchSessionSavedObjectAttributesMock({
+          idMapping: {},
+          created: moment().toISOString(),
+        });
+        expect(await getSessionStatus(deps, session, mockConfig)).toEqual({
+          status: SearchSessionStatus.IN_PROGRESS,
+        });
+      });
+    });
+
+    describe('when the search is has been created for a few seconds', () => {
+      test('returns an error status', async () => {
+        const session = createSearchSessionSavedObjectAttributesMock({
+          idMapping: {},
+          created: moment().subtract(1, 'minutes').toISOString(),
+        });
+        expect(await getSessionStatus(deps, session, mockConfig)).toEqual({
+          status: SearchSessionStatus.ERROR,
+        });
+      });
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/src/platform/plugins/shared/data/server/search/session/get_session_status.ts b/src/platform/plugins/shared/data/server/search/session/get_session_status.ts
index 530a65c2906d1..f1286c948ba58 100644
--- a/src/platform/plugins/shared/data/server/search/session/get_session_status.ts
+++ b/src/platform/plugins/shared/data/server/search/session/get_session_status.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@ import { SearchStatus } from './types';
 import type { SearchSessionsConfigSchema } from '../../config';
 import { getSearchStatus } from './get_search_status';
 
+// A session should is considered "new" for the first 30 seconds after creation. We need some arbitrary value here
+// because if a sessions stays for too long with no searches assigned to it something happened and we should mark it as error.
+// Some examples of possible issues: the browser is closed or in another tab the search requests are canceled.
+const NEW_SESSION_THRESHOLD_SECONDS = 30;
+
 export async function getSessionStatus(
   deps: { esClient: ElasticsearchClient },
   session: SearchSessionSavedObjectAttributes,
@@ -31,6 +36,13 @@ export async function getSessionStatus(
   }
 
   const searches = Object.values(session.idMapping);
+
+  const secondsSinceCreated = moment().diff(moment(session.created), 'seconds');
+  const isOldSession = secondsSinceCreated > NEW_SESSION_THRESHOLD_SECONDS;
+  if (searches.length === 0 && isOldSession) {
+    return { status: SearchSessionStatus.ERROR };
+  }
+
   const searchStatuses = await Promise.all(
     searches.map(async (s) => {
       const status = await getSearchStatus({
diff --git a/src/platform/plugins/shared/data/server/search/session/mocks.ts b/src/platform/plugins/shared/data/server/search/session/mocks.ts
index 25a4efaded55d..a30c46302ddf1 100644
--- a/src/platform/plugins/shared/data/server/search/session/mocks.ts
+++ b/src/platform/plugins/shared/data/server/search/session/mocks.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 import moment from 'moment';
 import type { IScopedSearchSessionsClient } from './types';
 import type { SearchSessionsConfigSchema } from '../../config';
+import type { SearchSessionSavedObjectAttributes } from '../../../common';
 
 export function createSearchSessionsClientMock(): jest.Mocked<IScopedSearchSessionsClient> {
   return {
@@ -33,3 +34,16 @@ export function createSearchSessionsClientMock(): jest.Mocked<IScopedSearchSessi
     ),
   };
 }
+
+export function createSearchSessionSavedObjectAttributesMock(
+  overrides: Partial<SearchSessionSavedObjectAttributes> = {}
+) {
+  return {
+    sessionId: '1234',
+    created: moment().toISOString(),
+    expires: moment().add(7, 'days').toISOString(),
+    idMapping: {},
+    version: '9.2.0',
+    ...overrides,
+  } as SearchSessionSavedObjectAttributes;
+}