diff --git a/nav2_costmap_2d/test/unit/declare_parameter_test.cpp b/nav2_costmap_2d/test/unit/declare_parameter_test.cpp
index 82a67a6b78..4edb6af29c 100644
--- a/nav2_costmap_2d/test/unit/declare_parameter_test.cpp
+++ b/nav2_costmap_2d/test/unit/declare_parameter_test.cpp
@@ -65,10 +65,11 @@ TEST(DeclareParameter, useInvalidParameter)
 
   layer.initialize(&layers, "test_layer", &tf, node, nullptr, nullptr);
 
+  layer.declareParameter("test2", rclcpp::PARAMETER_STRING);
   try {
-    layer.declareParameter("test2", rclcpp::PARAMETER_STRING);
+    std::string val = node->get_parameter("test_layer.test2").as_string();
     FAIL() << "Incorrectly handling test_layer.test2 parameter which was not set";
-  } catch (rclcpp::exceptions::NoParameterOverrideProvided & ex) {
+  } catch (rclcpp::exceptions::ParameterUninitializedException & ex) {
     SUCCEED();
   }
 }
diff --git a/nav2_util/include/nav2_util/node_utils.hpp b/nav2_util/include/nav2_util/node_utils.hpp
index 76d77ca50e..484ff35dd1 100644
--- a/nav2_util/include/nav2_util/node_utils.hpp
+++ b/nav2_util/include/nav2_util/node_utils.hpp
@@ -104,9 +104,6 @@ void declare_parameter_if_not_declared(
 
 /// Declares static ROS2 parameter with given type if it was not already declared
 /* Declares static ROS2 parameter with given type if it was not already declared.
- * NOTE: The parameter should be set via input param-file
- * or throught a command-line. Otherwise according to the RCLCPP API,
- * NoParameterOverrideProvided exception will be thrown by declare_parameter().
  *
  * \param[in] node A node in which given parameter to be declared
  * \param[in] param_type The type of parameter
@@ -140,18 +137,19 @@ std::string get_plugin_type_param(
   NodeT node,
   const std::string & plugin_name)
 {
+  declare_parameter_if_not_declared(node, plugin_name + ".plugin", rclcpp::PARAMETER_STRING);
+  std::string plugin_type;
   try {
-    declare_parameter_if_not_declared(node, plugin_name + ".plugin", rclcpp::PARAMETER_STRING);
-  } catch (rclcpp::exceptions::NoParameterOverrideProvided & ex) {
+    if (!node->get_parameter(plugin_name + ".plugin", plugin_type)) {
+      RCLCPP_FATAL(
+        node->get_logger(), "Can not get 'plugin' param value for %s", plugin_name.c_str());
+      exit(-1);
+    }
+  } catch (rclcpp::exceptions::ParameterUninitializedException & ex) {
     RCLCPP_FATAL(node->get_logger(), "'plugin' param not defined for %s", plugin_name.c_str());
     exit(-1);
   }
-  std::string plugin_type;
-  if (!node->get_parameter(plugin_name + ".plugin", plugin_type)) {
-    RCLCPP_FATAL(
-      node->get_logger(), "Can not get 'plugin' param value for %s", plugin_name.c_str());
-    exit(-1);
-  }
+
   return plugin_type;
 }