diff --git a/app/services/merge_requests/create_service.rb b/app/services/merge_requests/create_service.rb
index 19189e64acf..5414fa79def 100644
--- a/app/services/merge_requests/create_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/merge_requests/create_service.rb
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ module MergeRequests
       merge_request.source_project = source_project
       merge_request.source_branch = params[:source_branch]
       merge_request.merge_params['force_remove_source_branch'] = params.delete(:force_remove_source_branch)
-      merge_request.head_pipeline = head_pipeline_for(merge_request)
 
       create(merge_request)
     end
@@ -22,10 +21,16 @@ module MergeRequests
       notification_service.new_merge_request(issuable, current_user)
       todo_service.new_merge_request(issuable, current_user)
       issuable.cache_merge_request_closes_issues!(current_user)
+      update_merge_requests_head_pipeline(issuable)
     end
 
     private
 
+    def update_merge_requests_head_pipeline(merge_request)
+      pipeline = head_pipeline_for(merge_request)
+      merge_request.update(head_pipeline_id: pipeline.id) if pipeline
+    end
+
     def head_pipeline_for(merge_request)
       return unless merge_request.source_project
 
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/fix-sm-34547-cannot-connect-to-ci-server-error-messages.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/fix-sm-34547-cannot-connect-to-ci-server-error-messages.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ddaec4f19f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/fix-sm-34547-cannot-connect-to-ci-server-error-messages.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Fix an order of operations for CI connection error message in merge request
+  widget
+merge_request: 13252
+author:
diff --git a/spec/features/merge_requests/pipelines_spec.rb b/spec/features/merge_requests/pipelines_spec.rb
index b3d6cf8deb4..347ce788b36 100644
--- a/spec/features/merge_requests/pipelines_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/merge_requests/pipelines_spec.rb
@@ -1,45 +1,88 @@
 require 'spec_helper'
 
 feature 'Pipelines for Merge Requests', js: true do
-  given(:user) { create(:user) }
-  given(:merge_request) { create(:merge_request) }
-  given(:project) { merge_request.target_project }
-
-  before do
-    project.team << [user, :master]
-    sign_in user
-  end
-
-  context 'with pipelines' do
-    let!(:pipeline) do
-      create(:ci_empty_pipeline,
-             project: merge_request.source_project,
-             ref: merge_request.source_branch,
-             sha: merge_request.diff_head_sha)
-    end
+  describe 'pipeline tab' do
+    given(:user) { create(:user) }
+    given(:merge_request) { create(:merge_request) }
+    given(:project) { merge_request.target_project }
 
     before do
-      visit project_merge_request_path(project, merge_request)
+      project.team << [user, :master]
+      sign_in user
     end
 
-    scenario 'user visits merge request pipelines tab' do
-      page.within('.merge-request-tabs') do
-        click_link('Pipelines')
+    context 'with pipelines' do
+      let!(:pipeline) do
+        create(:ci_empty_pipeline,
+               project: merge_request.source_project,
+               ref: merge_request.source_branch,
+               sha: merge_request.diff_head_sha)
       end
-      wait_for_requests
 
-      expect(page).to have_selector('.stage-cell')
+      before do
+        visit project_merge_request_path(project, merge_request)
+      end
+
+      scenario 'user visits merge request pipelines tab' do
+        page.within('.merge-request-tabs') do
+          click_link('Pipelines')
+        end
+        wait_for_requests
+
+        expect(page).to have_selector('.stage-cell')
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'without pipelines' do
+      before do
+        visit project_merge_request_path(project, merge_request)
+      end
+
+      scenario 'user visits merge request page' do
+        page.within('.merge-request-tabs') do
+          expect(page).to have_no_link('Pipelines')
+        end
+      end
     end
   end
 
-  context 'without pipelines' do
-    before do
-      visit project_merge_request_path(project, merge_request)
+  describe 'race condition' do
+    given(:project) { create(:project, :repository) }
+    given(:user) { create(:user) }
+    given(:build_push_data) { { ref: 'feature', checkout_sha: TestEnv::BRANCH_SHA['feature'] } }
+
+    given(:merge_request_params) do
+      { "source_branch" => "feature", "source_project_id" => project.id,
+        "target_branch" => "master", "target_project_id" => project.id, "title" => "A" }
     end
 
-    scenario 'user visits merge request page' do
-      page.within('.merge-request-tabs') do
-        expect(page).to have_no_link('Pipelines')
+    background do
+      project.add_master(user)
+      sign_in user
+    end
+
+    context 'when pipeline and merge request were created simultaneously' do
+      background do
+        stub_ci_pipeline_to_return_yaml_file
+
+        threads = []
+
+        threads << Thread.new do
+          @merge_request = MergeRequests::CreateService.new(project, user, merge_request_params).execute
+        end
+
+        threads << Thread.new do
+          @pipeline = Ci::CreatePipelineService.new(project, user, build_push_data).execute(:push)
+        end
+
+        threads.each { |thr| thr.join }
+      end
+
+      scenario 'user sees pipeline in merge request widget' do
+        visit project_merge_request_path(project, @merge_request)
+
+        expect(page.find(".ci-widget")).to have_content(TestEnv::BRANCH_SHA['feature'])
+        expect(page.find(".ci-widget")).to have_content("##{@pipeline.id}")
       end
     end
   end