diff --git a/dev/docker-compose-gpu.yml b/dev/docker-compose-gpu.yml
index 8f5ff40934..f0c302d389 100644
--- a/dev/docker-compose-gpu.yml
+++ b/dev/docker-compose-gpu.yml
@@ -104,3 +104,9 @@ services:
       - ML_PORT=3000
       - UWSGI_PROCESSES=${uwsgi_processes:-1}
       - UWSGI_THREADS=${uwsgi_threads:-1}
+    healthcheck:
+      test: curl --fail http://localhost:3000/healthcheck || exit 1
+      interval: 10s
+      retries: 0
+      start_period: 0s
+      timeout: 1s
diff --git a/dev/docker-compose.yml b/dev/docker-compose.yml
index 38fba2fbb9..926613e11e 100644
--- a/dev/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/dev/docker-compose.yml
@@ -103,3 +103,9 @@ services:
       - ML_PORT=3000
       - UWSGI_PROCESSES=${uwsgi_processes:-2}
       - UWSGI_THREADS=${uwsgi_threads:-1}
+    healthcheck:
+      test: curl --fail http://localhost:3000/healthcheck || exit 1
+      interval: 10s
+      retries: 0
+      start_period: 0s
+      timeout: 1s
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 566a780e4e..ac07b0bc7f 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -77,3 +77,9 @@ services:
       - IMG_LENGTH_LIMIT=${max_detect_size}
       - UWSGI_PROCESSES=${uwsgi_processes:-2}
       - UWSGI_THREADS=${uwsgi_threads:-1}
+    healthcheck:
+      test: curl --fail http://localhost:3000/healthcheck || exit 1
+      interval: 10s
+      retries: 0
+      start_period: 0s
+      timeout: 1s
diff --git a/embedding-calculator/src/_endpoints.py b/embedding-calculator/src/_endpoints.py
index c79777c701..a18080ae42 100644
--- a/embedding-calculator/src/_endpoints.py
+++ b/embedding-calculator/src/_endpoints.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #  WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express
 #  or implied. See the License for the specific language governing
 #  permissions and limitations under the License.
+
 from typing import List, Optional
 
 from flask import request
@@ -19,12 +20,13 @@
 
 from src.constants import ENV
 from src.exceptions import NoFaceFoundError
-from src.services.facescan.plugins import base, managers
+from src.services.facescan.plugins import managers
 from src.services.facescan.scanner.facescanners import scanner
 from src.services.flask_.constants import ARG
 from src.services.flask_.needs_attached_file import needs_attached_file
 from src.services.imgtools.read_img import read_img
 from src.services.utils.pyutils import Constants
+from src.services.imgtools.test.files import IMG_DIR
 import base64
 from src.constants import SKIPPED_PLUGINS
 
@@ -41,8 +43,26 @@ def face_detection_skip_check(face_plugins):
     else:
         return face_plugins
 
-
 def endpoints(app):
+    @app.before_first_request
+    def init_model() -> None:
+        detector = managers.plugin_manager.detector
+        face_plugins = managers.plugin_manager.face_plugins
+        face_plugins = face_detection_skip_check(face_plugins)
+        detector(
+            img=read_img(str(IMG_DIR / 'einstein.jpeg')),
+            det_prob_threshold=_get_det_prob_threshold(),
+            face_plugins=face_plugins
+        )
+        print("Starting to load ML models")
+        return None
+
+    @app.route('/healthcheck')
+    def healthcheck():
+        return jsonify(
+            status='OK'
+        )
+
     @app.route('/status')
     def status_get():
         available_plugins = {p.slug: str(p)