diff --git a/components/usage/pkg/server/dialer.go b/components/usage/pkg/server/dialer.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..1ed1ba96848290
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/usage/pkg/server/dialer.go
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2022 Gitpod GmbH. All rights reserved.
+// Licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License (AGPL).
+// See License-AGPL.txt in the project root for license information.
+
+package server
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"net"
+	"time"
+
+	"google.golang.org/grpc"
+)
+
+func grpcDialerWithInitialDelay(delay time.Duration) grpc.DialOption {
+	return grpc.WithContextDialer(func(_ context.Context, addr string) (net.Conn, error) {
+		<-time.After(delay)
+
+		conn, err := net.Dial("tcp", addr)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		return conn, nil
+	})
+}
diff --git a/components/usage/pkg/server/server.go b/components/usage/pkg/server/server.go
index 414e2024827778..3d75723551c9b8 100644
--- a/components/usage/pkg/server/server.go
+++ b/components/usage/pkg/server/server.go
@@ -6,12 +6,13 @@ package server
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"google.golang.org/grpc"
-	"google.golang.org/grpc/credentials/insecure"
 	"net"
 	"os"
 	"time"
 
+	"google.golang.org/grpc"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/credentials/insecure"
+
 	"github.com/gitpod-io/gitpod/common-go/baseserver"
 	"github.com/gitpod-io/gitpod/common-go/log"
 	v1 "github.com/gitpod-io/gitpod/usage-api/v1"
@@ -58,7 +59,8 @@ func Start(cfg Config) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to initialize usage server: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	selfConnection, err := grpc.Dial(srv.GRPCAddress(), grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()))
+	dialerOpt := grpcDialerWithInitialDelay(1 * time.Second)
+	selfConnection, err := grpc.Dial(srv.GRPCAddress(), grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()), dialerOpt)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create self-connection to grpc server: %w", err)
 	}