diff --git a/internal/biz/health.go b/internal/biz/health.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f802a5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/biz/health.go
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+package biz
+
+type IsBackendAvaliableUsecase struct {
+	repo ZanzibarRepository
+}
+
+func NewIsBackendAvailableUsecase(repo ZanzibarRepository) *IsBackendAvaliableUsecase {
+	return &IsBackendAvaliableUsecase{repo: repo}
+}
+
+func (rc *IsBackendAvaliableUsecase) IsBackendAvailable() error {
+	return rc.repo.IsBackendAvailable()
+}
diff --git a/internal/biz/relationships.go b/internal/biz/relationships.go
index 9751781..bb57c3a 100644
--- a/internal/biz/relationships.go
+++ b/internal/biz/relationships.go
@@ -49,18 +49,6 @@ func (rc *CheckUsecase) Check(ctx context.Context, check *v0.CheckRequest) (*v0.
 	return rc.repo.Check(ctx, check)
 }
 
-type IsBackendAvaliableUsecase struct {
-	repo ZanzibarRepository
-}
-
-func NewIsBackendAvailableUsecase(repo ZanzibarRepository) *IsBackendAvaliableUsecase {
-	return &IsBackendAvaliableUsecase{repo: repo}
-}
-
-func (rc *IsBackendAvaliableUsecase) IsBackendAvailable() error {
-	return rc.repo.IsBackendAvaliable()
-}
-
 type CreateRelationshipsUsecase struct {
 	repo ZanzibarRepository
 	log  *log.Helper
diff --git a/internal/data/spicedb.go b/internal/data/spicedb.go
index 44bdff8..2a0d5c2 100644
--- a/internal/data/spicedb.go
+++ b/internal/data/spicedb.go
@@ -73,20 +73,6 @@ func NewSpiceDbRepository(c *conf.Data, logger log.Logger) (*SpiceDbRepository,
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("error creating spicedb client: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	// Create health client for readyz
-	conn, err := grpc.NewClient(
-		c.SpiceDb.Endpoint,
-		opts...,
-	)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("error creating grpc health client: %w", err)
-	}
-	healthClient := grpc_health_v1.NewHealthClient(conn)
-	_, err = client.ReadSchema(context.TODO(), &v1.ReadSchemaRequest{})
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("error testing connection to SpiceDB: %w", err)
-	}
-
 	// Create health client for readyz
 	conn, err := grpc.NewClient(
 		c.SpiceDb.Endpoint,
@@ -357,7 +343,7 @@ func (s *SpiceDbRepository) Check(ctx context.Context, check *apiV0.CheckRequest
 	return &apiV0.CheckResponse{Allowed: apiV0.CheckResponse_ALLOWED_FALSE}, nil
 }
 
-func (s *SpiceDbRepository) IsBackendAvaliable() error {
+func (s *SpiceDbRepository) IsBackendAvailable() error {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Second)
 	defer cancel()
 
@@ -368,11 +354,11 @@ func (s *SpiceDbRepository) IsBackendAvaliable() error {
 
 	switch resp.Status {
 	case grpc_health_v1.HealthCheckResponse_NOT_SERVING, grpc_health_v1.HealthCheckResponse_SERVICE_UNKNOWN:
-		return err
+		return fmt.Errorf("error connecting to backend: %v", resp.Status.Descriptor())
 	case grpc_health_v1.HealthCheckResponse_SERVING:
 		return nil
 	}
-	return err
+	return fmt.Errorf("error connecting to backend")
 }
 
 func createSpiceDbRelationshipFilter(filter *apiV0.RelationTupleFilter) *v1.RelationshipFilter {
diff --git a/internal/data/spicedb_test.go b/internal/data/spicedb_test.go
index 4518214..55e9189 100644
--- a/internal/data/spicedb_test.go
+++ b/internal/data/spicedb_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 
 	apiV0 "github.com/project-kessel/relations-api/api/relations/v0"
 	"github.com/project-kessel/relations-api/internal/biz"
+	"github.com/project-kessel/relations-api/internal/conf"
 
 	"github.com/go-kratos/kratos/v2/log"
 	"github.com/go-kratos/kratos/v2/middleware/tracing"
@@ -124,10 +125,25 @@ func TestIsBackendAvailable(t *testing.T) {
 	spiceDbrepo, err := container.CreateSpiceDbRepository()
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
-	err = spiceDbrepo.IsBackendAvaliable()
+	err = spiceDbrepo.IsBackendAvailable()
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 }
 
+func TestIsBackendUnavailable(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	spiceDBRepo, _, err := NewSpiceDbRepository(&conf.Data{
+		SpiceDb: &conf.Data_SpiceDb{
+			Endpoint: "-1",
+			Token:    "foobar",
+			UseTLS:   true,
+		}}, log.GetLogger())
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = spiceDBRepo.IsBackendAvailable()
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+}
+
 func TestCreateRelationshipFailsWithBadSubjectType(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
diff --git a/internal/service/health_test.go b/internal/service/health_test.go
index ca2ba41..e5e9100 100644
--- a/internal/service/health_test.go
+++ b/internal/service/health_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package service
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"fmt"
 	"testing"
 
 	pb "github.com/project-kessel/relations-api/api/health/v1"
@@ -39,6 +40,31 @@ func TestHealthService_GetReadyz_SpiceDBAvailable(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, resp, &pb.GetReadyzReply{Status: "OK", Code: 200})
 }
 
+func TestHealthService_GetReadyz_SpiceDBUnavailable(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	ctx := context.TODO()
+
+	d := &DummyZanzibar{}
+	service := createDummyHealthService(d)
+	resp, err := service.GetReadyz(ctx, &pb.GetReadyzRequest{})
+
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, resp, &pb.GetReadyzReply{Status: "Unavailable", Code: 503})
+}
+
+type DummyZanzibar struct {
+	biz.ZanzibarRepository
+}
+
+func (dz *DummyZanzibar) IsBackendAvailable() error {
+	return fmt.Errorf("Unavailable")
+}
+
+func createDummyHealthService(d *DummyZanzibar) *HealthService {
+	return NewHealthService(biz.NewIsBackendAvailableUsecase(d))
+}
+
 func createHealthService(spicedb *data.SpiceDbRepository) *HealthService {
 	return NewHealthService(biz.NewIsBackendAvailableUsecase(spicedb))
 }