diff --git a/internal/indexcoord/index_coord.go b/internal/indexcoord/index_coord.go
index 32deb9f658..a5d407064c 100644
--- a/internal/indexcoord/index_coord.go
+++ b/internal/indexcoord/index_coord.go
@@ -361,6 +361,17 @@ func (i *IndexCoord) BuildIndex(ctx context.Context, req *indexpb.BuildIndexRequ
 		zap.Strings("DataPath = ", req.DataPaths),
 		zap.Any("TypeParams", req.TypeParams),
 		zap.Any("IndexParams", req.IndexParams))
+	if !i.isHealthy() {
+		errMsg := "IndexCoord is not healthy"
+		err := errors.New(errMsg)
+		log.Warn(errMsg)
+		return &indexpb.BuildIndexResponse{
+			Status: &commonpb.Status{
+				ErrorCode: commonpb.ErrorCode_UnexpectedError,
+				Reason:    errMsg,
+			},
+		}, err
+	}
 	sp, ctx := trace.StartSpanFromContextWithOperationName(ctx, "IndexCoord-BuildIndex")
 	defer sp.Finish()
 	hasIndex, indexBuildID := i.metaTable.HasSameReq(req)
diff --git a/internal/indexcoord/index_coord_test.go b/internal/indexcoord/index_coord_test.go
index 6ec39568d1..0f2c44d360 100644
--- a/internal/indexcoord/index_coord_test.go
+++ b/internal/indexcoord/index_coord_test.go
@@ -247,3 +247,12 @@ func TestIndexCoord_GetComponentStates(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, commonpb.ErrorCode_Success, resp.Status.ErrorCode)
 }
+
+func TestIndexCoord_NotHealthy(t *testing.T) {
+	ic := &IndexCoord{}
+	ic.stateCode.Store(internalpb.StateCode_Abnormal)
+	req := &indexpb.BuildIndexRequest{}
+	resp, err := ic.BuildIndex(context.Background(), req)
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, commonpb.ErrorCode_UnexpectedError, resp.Status.ErrorCode)
+}