diff --git a/cmd/thanos/receive.go b/cmd/thanos/receive.go
index 5b699d264d..b9cb22741b 100644
--- a/cmd/thanos/receive.go
+++ b/cmd/thanos/receive.go
@@ -202,17 +202,21 @@ func runReceive(
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "parse relabel configuration")
 	}
 
-	dbs := receive.NewMultiTSDB(
+	dbs, err := receive.NewMultiTSDB(
 		conf.dataDir,
 		logger,
 		reg,
 		tsdbOpts,
 		lset,
 		conf.tenantLabelName,
+		conf.defaultTenantID,
 		bkt,
 		conf.allowOutOfOrderUpload,
 		hashFunc,
 	)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "creating multi tsdb")
+	}
 	writer := receive.NewWriter(log.With(logger, "component", "receive-writer"), dbs, &receive.WriterOptions{
 		Intern:                   conf.writerInterning,
 		TooFarInFutureTimeWindow: int64(time.Duration(*conf.tsdbTooFarInFutureTimeWindow)),
diff --git a/pkg/receive/multitsdb.go b/pkg/receive/multitsdb.go
index 509e9f3535..203b836c83 100644
--- a/pkg/receive/multitsdb.go
+++ b/pkg/receive/multitsdb.go
@@ -72,15 +72,16 @@ func NewMultiTSDB(
 	tsdbOpts *tsdb.Options,
 	labels labels.Labels,
 	tenantLabelName string,
+	defaultTenantId string,
 	bucket objstore.Bucket,
 	allowOutOfOrderUpload bool,
 	hashFunc metadata.HashFunc,
-) *MultiTSDB {
+) (*MultiTSDB, error) {
 	if l == nil {
 		l = log.NewNopLogger()
 	}
 
-	return &MultiTSDB{
+	res := &MultiTSDB{
 		dataDir:               dataDir,
 		logger:                log.With(l, "component", "multi-tsdb"),
 		reg:                   reg,
@@ -93,6 +94,10 @@ func NewMultiTSDB(
 		allowOutOfOrderUpload: allowOutOfOrderUpload,
 		hashFunc:              hashFunc,
 	}
+	// initialize default tenant for warmer startups
+	_, err := res.getOrLoadTenant(defaultTenantId, true)
+
+	return res, err
 }
 
 type localClient struct {