diff --git a/modules/couchbase/src/main/java/org/testcontainers/couchbase/CouchbaseContainer.java b/modules/couchbase/src/main/java/org/testcontainers/couchbase/CouchbaseContainer.java
index 14e5744bb6d..1f9cc592812 100644
--- a/modules/couchbase/src/main/java/org/testcontainers/couchbase/CouchbaseContainer.java
+++ b/modules/couchbase/src/main/java/org/testcontainers/couchbase/CouchbaseContainer.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 import okhttp3.Request;
 import okhttp3.RequestBody;
 import okhttp3.Response;
+import org.rnorth.ducttape.unreliables.Unreliables;
 import org.testcontainers.containers.GenericContainer;
 import org.testcontainers.containers.wait.strategy.HttpWaitStrategy;
 import org.testcontainers.containers.wait.strategy.WaitAllStrategy;
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
 /**
@@ -353,6 +355,24 @@ private void createBuckets() {
                 .forStatusCode(200)
                 .waitUntilReady(this);
 
+            if (enabledServices.contains(CouchbaseService.QUERY)) {
+                // If the query service is enabled, make sure that we only proceed if the query engine also
+                // knows about the bucket in its metadata configuration.
+                Unreliables.retryUntilTrue(1, TimeUnit.MINUTES, () -> {
+                    Response queryResponse = doHttpRequest(QUERY_PORT, "/query/service", "POST", new FormBody.Builder()
+                        .add("statement", "SELECT COUNT(*) > 0 as present FROM system:keyspaces WHERE name = \"" + bucket.getName() + "\"")
+                        .build(), true);
+
+                    String body = queryResponse.body() != null ? queryResponse.body().string() : null;
+                    checkSuccessfulResponse(queryResponse, "Could not poll query service state for bucket: " + bucket.getName());
+
+                    return Optional.of(MAPPER.readTree(body))
+                        .map(n -> n.at("/results/0/present"))
+                        .map(JsonNode::asBoolean)
+                        .orElse(false);
+                });
+            }
+
             if (bucket.hasPrimaryIndex()) {
                 if (enabledServices.contains(CouchbaseService.QUERY)) {
                     Response queryResponse = doHttpRequest(QUERY_PORT, "/query/service", "POST", new FormBody.Builder()