diff --git a/src/components/views/elements/DesktopBuildsNotice.tsx b/src/components/views/elements/DesktopBuildsNotice.tsx
index fd1c7848aa..e5e94d4bd4 100644
--- a/src/components/views/elements/DesktopBuildsNotice.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/elements/DesktopBuildsNotice.tsx
@@ -14,10 +14,15 @@ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License.
 */
 
+import React from "react";
 import EventIndexPeg from "../../../indexing/EventIndexPeg";
 import { _t } from "../../../languageHandler";
 import SdkConfig from "../../../SdkConfig";
-import React from "react";
+
+import dis from "../../../dispatcher/dispatcher";
+import { Action } from "../../../dispatcher/actions";
+import { UserTab } from "../dialogs/UserSettingsDialog";
+
 
 export enum WarningKind {
     Files,
@@ -33,6 +38,18 @@ export default function DesktopBuildsNotice({isRoomEncrypted, kind}: IProps) {
     if (!isRoomEncrypted) return null;
     if (EventIndexPeg.get()) return null;
 
+    if (EventIndexPeg.error) {
+        return _t("Message search initialisation failed, check <a>your settings</a> for more information", {}, {
+            a: sub => (<a onClick={(evt) => {
+                evt.preventDefault();
+                dis.dispatch({
+                    action: Action.ViewUserSettings,
+                    initialTabId: UserTab.Security,
+                });
+            }}>{sub}</a>),
+        });
+    }
+
     const {desktopBuilds, brand} = SdkConfig.get();
 
     let text = null;
diff --git a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
index b88dc79da5..37f6416460 100644
--- a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
+++ b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
@@ -1933,6 +1933,7 @@
     "Error loading Widget": "Error loading Widget",
     "Error - Mixed content": "Error - Mixed content",
     "Popout widget": "Popout widget",
+    "Message search initialisation failed, check <a>your settings</a> for more information": "Message search initialisation failed, check <a>your settings</a> for more information",
     "Use the <a>Desktop app</a> to see all encrypted files": "Use the <a>Desktop app</a> to see all encrypted files",
     "Use the <a>Desktop app</a> to search encrypted messages": "Use the <a>Desktop app</a> to search encrypted messages",
     "This version of %(brand)s does not support viewing some encrypted files": "This version of %(brand)s does not support viewing some encrypted files",