diff --git a/src/v/pandaproxy/api/api-doc/rest.json b/src/v/pandaproxy/api/api-doc/rest.json
index f34d9368272e..44ebecbe7aee 100644
--- a/src/v/pandaproxy/api/api-doc/rest.json
+++ b/src/v/pandaproxy/api/api-doc/rest.json
@@ -547,4 +547,18 @@
           }
         }
       }
+    },
+    "/status/ready": {
+      "get": {
+        "summary": "Health check",
+        "operationId": "http_rest_status_ready",
+        "responses": {
+          "200": {
+            "description": "Success"
+          },
+          "503": {
+            "description": "Service Unavailable"
+          }
+        }
+      }
     }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/v/pandaproxy/rest/handlers.cc b/src/v/pandaproxy/rest/handlers.cc
index 2d121d43d64f..fb25485ab8fb 100644
--- a/src/v/pandaproxy/rest/handlers.cc
+++ b/src/v/pandaproxy/rest/handlers.cc
@@ -493,4 +493,15 @@ post_consumer_offsets(server::request_t rq, server::reply_t rp) {
       });
 }
 
+ss::future<proxy::server::reply_t>
+status_ready(proxy::server::request_t rq, proxy::server::reply_t rp) {
+    auto make_metadata_req = []() {
+        return kafka::metadata_request{.list_all_topics = false};
+    };
+
+    auto res = co_await rq.dispatch(make_metadata_req);
+    rp.rep->set_status(ss::httpd::reply::status_type::ok);
+    co_return rp;
+}
+
 } // namespace pandaproxy::rest
diff --git a/src/v/pandaproxy/rest/handlers.h b/src/v/pandaproxy/rest/handlers.h
index 264cd4a071ee..ca4b854fec60 100644
--- a/src/v/pandaproxy/rest/handlers.h
+++ b/src/v/pandaproxy/rest/handlers.h
@@ -49,4 +49,7 @@ get_consumer_offsets(proxy::server::request_t rq, proxy::server::reply_t rp);
 ss::future<proxy::server::reply_t>
 post_consumer_offsets(proxy::server::request_t rq, proxy::server::reply_t rp);
 
+ss::future<proxy::server::reply_t>
+status_ready(proxy::server::request_t rq, proxy::server::reply_t rp);
+
 } // namespace pandaproxy::rest
diff --git a/src/v/pandaproxy/rest/proxy.cc b/src/v/pandaproxy/rest/proxy.cc
index 7b0f83bd7ee9..561b371a4df1 100644
--- a/src/v/pandaproxy/rest/proxy.cc
+++ b/src/v/pandaproxy/rest/proxy.cc
@@ -96,6 +96,10 @@ server::routes_t get_proxy_routes(ss::gate& gate, one_shot& es) {
       ss::httpd::rest_json::post_consumer_offsets,
       wrap(gate, es, post_consumer_offsets)});
 
+    routes.routes.emplace_back(server::route_t{
+      ss::httpd::rest_json::http_rest_status_ready,
+      wrap(gate, es, status_ready)});
+
     return routes;
 }