diff --git a/src/plugins/es_ui_shared/public/request/np_ready_request.ts b/src/plugins/es_ui_shared/public/request/np_ready_request.ts
index b8f7db1463ab8..790e29b6d3655 100644
--- a/src/plugins/es_ui_shared/public/request/np_ready_request.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/es_ui_shared/public/request/np_ready_request.ts
@@ -120,7 +120,6 @@ export const useRequest = (
 
     const response = await sendRequest(httpClient, requestBody);
     const { data: serializedResponseData, error: responseError } = response;
-    const responseData = deserializer(serializedResponseData);
 
     // If an outdated request has resolved, DON'T update state, but DO allow the processData handler
     // to execute side effects like update telemetry.
@@ -129,7 +128,12 @@ export const useRequest = (
     }
 
     setError(responseError);
-    setData(responseData);
+
+    if (!responseError) {
+      const responseData = deserializer(serializedResponseData);
+      setData(responseData);
+    }
+
     setIsLoading(false);
     setIsInitialRequest(false);
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/watcher/public/plugin.ts b/x-pack/plugins/watcher/public/plugin.ts
index a2a0d3cf1c978..354edd2078676 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/watcher/public/plugin.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/watcher/public/plugin.ts
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ export class WatcherUIPlugin implements Plugin<void, void, Dependencies, any> {
       }),
       icon: 'watchesApp',
       path: '/app/kibana#/management/elasticsearch/watcher/watches',
-      showOnHomePage: true,
+      showOnHomePage: false,
     };
 
     home.featureCatalogue.register(watcherHome);
@@ -85,9 +85,6 @@ export class WatcherUIPlugin implements Plugin<void, void, Dependencies, any> {
       if (valid) {
         watcherESApp.enable();
         watcherHome.showOnHomePage = true;
-      } else {
-        watcherESApp.disable();
-        watcherHome.showOnHomePage = false;
       }
     });
   }
diff --git a/x-pack/test/functional/apps/watcher/watcher_test.js b/x-pack/test/functional/apps/watcher/watcher_test.js
index a2da0aad2d3c5..d96426997ca8b 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/functional/apps/watcher/watcher_test.js
+++ b/x-pack/test/functional/apps/watcher/watcher_test.js
@@ -36,10 +36,23 @@ export default function({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
       }
 
       await browser.setWindowSize(1600, 1000);
-      // TODO: Remove the retry.try wrapper once https://github.com/elastic/kibana/issues/55985 is resolved
-      retry.try(async () => {
-        await PageObjects.common.navigateToApp('watcher');
-        await testSubjects.find('createWatchButton');
+
+      // License values are emitted ES -> Kibana Server -> Kibana Public. The current implementation
+      // creates a situation where the Watcher plugin may not have received a minimum required license at setup time
+      // so the public app may not have registered in the UI.
+      //
+      // For functional testing this is a problem. The temporary solution is we wait for watcher
+      // to be visible.
+      //
+      // See this issue https://github.com/elastic/kibana/issues/55985.
+      await retry.waitFor('watcher to display in management UI', async () => {
+        try {
+          await PageObjects.common.navigateToApp('watcher');
+          await testSubjects.find('createWatchButton');
+        } catch (e) {
+          return false;
+        }
+        return true;
       });
     });