diff --git a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/core/ShadowNode.cpp b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/core/ShadowNode.cpp
index 438d5fbb9a61..44cca7436b98 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/core/ShadowNode.cpp
+++ b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/core/ShadowNode.cpp
@@ -310,7 +310,8 @@ bool ShadowNode::progressStateIfNecessary() {
 }
 
 void ShadowNode::setRuntimeShadowNodeReference(
-    ShadowNodeWrapper* runtimeShadowNodeReference) const {
+    const std::shared_ptr<ShadowNodeWrapper>& runtimeShadowNodeReference)
+    const {
   runtimeShadowNodeReference_ = runtimeShadowNodeReference;
 }
 
@@ -319,8 +320,8 @@ void ShadowNode::transferRuntimeShadowNodeReference(
   destinationShadowNode->runtimeShadowNodeReference_ =
       runtimeShadowNodeReference_;
 
-  if (runtimeShadowNodeReference_ != nullptr) {
-    runtimeShadowNodeReference_->shadowNode = destinationShadowNode;
+  if (auto reference = runtimeShadowNodeReference_.lock()) {
+    reference->shadowNode = destinationShadowNode;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/core/ShadowNode.h b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/core/ShadowNode.h
index ea5dae23eebd..48196b4475b0 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/core/ShadowNode.h
+++ b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/core/ShadowNode.h
@@ -190,11 +190,11 @@ class ShadowNode : public Sealable,
   bool progressStateIfNecessary();
 
   /*
-   * Bind the runtime reference to this `ShadowNode` with a raw pointer,
+   * Bind the runtime reference to this `ShadowNode` with a weak pointer,
    * allowing to update the reference to this `ShadowNode` when cloned.
    */
-  void setRuntimeShadowNodeReference(
-      ShadowNodeWrapper* runtimeShadowNodeReference) const;
+  void setRuntimeShadowNodeReference(const std::shared_ptr<ShadowNodeWrapper>&
+                                         runtimeShadowNodeReference) const;
 
   /*
    * Transfer the runtime reference to this `ShadowNode` to a new instance,
@@ -269,9 +269,9 @@ class ShadowNode : public Sealable,
   ShadowNodeTraits traits_;
 
   /*
-   * Pointer to the runtime reference to this `ShadowNode`.
+   * Weak pointer to the runtime reference to this `ShadowNode`.
    */
-  mutable ShadowNodeWrapper* runtimeShadowNodeReference_{};
+  mutable std::weak_ptr<ShadowNodeWrapper> runtimeShadowNodeReference_{};
 };
 
 static_assert(
diff --git a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/core/tests/ShadowNodeTest.cpp b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/core/tests/ShadowNodeTest.cpp
index 4a33373969d5..1430eb027dfb 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/core/tests/ShadowNodeTest.cpp
+++ b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/core/tests/ShadowNodeTest.cpp
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ TEST_P(ShadowNodeTest, testCloneTree) {
 TEST_P(ShadowNodeTest, handleRuntimeReferenceTransferOnClone) {
   auto nodeABRev1 = nodeAB_->clone({});
   auto wrappedShadowNode = std::make_shared<ShadowNodeWrapper>(nodeABRev1);
-  nodeABRev1->setRuntimeShadowNodeReference(&*wrappedShadowNode);
+  nodeABRev1->setRuntimeShadowNodeReference(wrappedShadowNode);
 
   auto nodeABRev2 = nodeABRev1->clone({});
 
diff --git a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/uimanager/primitives.h b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/uimanager/primitives.h
index 0a6b29dab582..b88b288c99bb 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/uimanager/primitives.h
+++ b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/uimanager/primitives.h
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ inline static jsi::Value valueFromShadowNode(
 
   if (assignRuntimeShadowNodeReference) {
     wrappedShadowNode->shadowNode->setRuntimeShadowNodeReference(
-        &*wrappedShadowNode);
+        wrappedShadowNode);
   }
 
   jsi::Object obj(runtime);