diff --git a/search_api.theme.inc b/search_api.theme.inc
index 6924b00..1bc2378 100644
--- a/search_api.theme.inc
+++ b/search_api.theme.inc
@@ -137,6 +137,15 @@ function theme_search_api_server($variables) {
   $rows[] = Utility::deepCopy($row);
   $class = '';
 
+  // Add backend availability information.
+  $info = $server->isAvailable() ? t('Server is available.') : t('Server is not available.');
+  $class = $server->isAvailable() ? 'ok' : 'error';
+
+  // Append the row and reset variables.
+  $label = t('Backend availability');
+  $rows[] = Utility::deepCopy($row);
+  $class = '';
+
   // Build the indexes links container.
   $indexes = array(
     '#theme' => 'links',
diff --git a/src/Backend/BackendPluginBase.php b/src/Backend/BackendPluginBase.php
index ecb1662..fab8ed8 100644
--- a/src/Backend/BackendPluginBase.php
+++ b/src/Backend/BackendPluginBase.php
@@ -94,6 +94,13 @@ abstract class BackendPluginBase extends ConfigurablePluginBase implements Backe
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
+  public function isAvailable() {
+    return TRUE;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
   public function supportsFeature($feature) {
     return FALSE;
   }
diff --git a/src/Backend/BackendSpecificInterface.php b/src/Backend/BackendSpecificInterface.php
index 394ebfd..a77cef6 100644
--- a/src/Backend/BackendSpecificInterface.php
+++ b/src/Backend/BackendSpecificInterface.php
@@ -37,6 +37,20 @@ interface BackendSpecificInterface {
   public function viewSettings();
 
   /**
+   * Returns a boolean with the availability of the backend.
+   *
+   * This can implement a specific call to test if the backend is available for
+   * reading. For SOLR or elasticsearch this would be a "ping" to the server to
+   * test if it's online. If this is a db-backend that is running on a seperate
+   * server, this can also be a ping. When it's a db-backend that runs in the
+   * same database as the drupal installation; just returning TRUE is enough.
+   *
+   * @return bool
+   *   The availability of the backend.
+   */
+  public function isAvailable();
+
+  /**
    * Determines whether the backend supports a given feature.
    *
    * Features are optional extensions to Search API functionality and usually
diff --git a/src/Entity/Server.php b/src/Entity/Server.php
index fac5f8f..66cfaa7 100644
--- a/src/Entity/Server.php
+++ b/src/Entity/Server.php
@@ -174,6 +174,13 @@ class Server extends ConfigEntityBase implements ServerInterface {
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
+  public function isAvailable() {
+    return $this->hasValidBackend() ? $this->getBackend()->isAvailable() : FALSE;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
   public function supportsFeature($feature) {
     return $this->hasValidBackend() ? $this->getBackend()->supportsFeature($feature) : FALSE;
   }
diff --git a/src/Tests/IntegrationTest.php b/src/Tests/IntegrationTest.php
index dc46b93..5afcd42 100644
--- a/src/Tests/IntegrationTest.php
+++ b/src/Tests/IntegrationTest.php
@@ -128,6 +128,11 @@ class IntegrationTest extends WebTestBase {
 
     $this->assertText($this->t('The server was successfully saved.'));
     $this->assertUrl('admin/config/search/search-api/server/' . $this->serverId, array(), 'Correct redirect to server page.');
+
+    // Test that the server view page has a list of useful server information.
+    $this->assertText($this->t('Backend class'));
+    $this->assertText($this->t('Backend availability'));
+    $this->assertText($this->t('Server is available.'));
   }
 
   /**