diff --git a/rosidl_runtime_c/include/rosidl_runtime_c/type_description_utils.h b/rosidl_runtime_c/include/rosidl_runtime_c/type_description_utils.h
index c20a4b53e..0de341eb7 100644
--- a/rosidl_runtime_c/include/rosidl_runtime_c/type_description_utils.h
+++ b/rosidl_runtime_c/include/rosidl_runtime_c/type_description_utils.h
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ rosidl_runtime_c_type_description_utils_prune_referenced_type_descriptions_in_pl
 ROSIDL_GENERATOR_C_PUBLIC
 bool
 rosidl_runtime_c_type_description_utils_field_is_valid(
-  rosidl_runtime_c__type_description__Field * field);
+  const rosidl_runtime_c__type_description__Field * field);
 
 /// Check if individual type description is valid
 /**
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ rosidl_runtime_c_type_description_utils_field_is_valid(
 ROSIDL_GENERATOR_C_PUBLIC
 bool
 rosidl_runtime_c_type_description_utils_individual_type_description_is_valid(
-  rosidl_runtime_c__type_description__IndividualTypeDescription * description);
+  const rosidl_runtime_c__type_description__IndividualTypeDescription * description);
 
 /// Check if type description is valid
 /**
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ rosidl_runtime_c_type_description_utils_individual_type_description_is_valid(
 ROSIDL_GENERATOR_C_PUBLIC
 bool
 rosidl_runtime_c_type_description_utils_type_description_is_valid(
-  rosidl_runtime_c__type_description__TypeDescription * description);
+  const rosidl_runtime_c__type_description__TypeDescription * description);
 
 /// This is on a best effort basis, it won't work if the fields of the main or necessary referenced
 /// types are invalid. It prunes then sorts.
@@ -597,12 +597,15 @@ rosidl_runtime_c_type_description_utils_append_referenced_type_description(
   rosidl_runtime_c__type_description__TypeDescription * type_description_to_append,
   bool coerce_to_valid);
 
-// Copy main type description, then validate if coerce_to_valid is true
+// Create a type description from a referenced description, then validate if coerce_to_valid is true
+// This is done by copy!! This allocates memory and the caller is responsible for deallocating the
+// output
 ROSIDL_GENERATOR_C_PUBLIC
 rcutils_ret_t
 rosidl_runtime_c_type_description_utils_get_referenced_type_description_as_type_description(
-  rosidl_runtime_c__type_description__IndividualTypeDescription__Sequence * referenced_descriptions,
-  rosidl_runtime_c__type_description__IndividualTypeDescription * referenced_description,
+  const rosidl_runtime_c__type_description__IndividualTypeDescription__Sequence *
+    referenced_descriptions,
+  const rosidl_runtime_c__type_description__IndividualTypeDescription * referenced_description,
   rosidl_runtime_c__type_description__TypeDescription ** output_description,
   bool coerce_to_valid);
 
diff --git a/rosidl_runtime_c/src/type_description_utils.c b/rosidl_runtime_c/src/type_description_utils.c
index 152b918d0..eb07e384d 100644
--- a/rosidl_runtime_c/src/type_description_utils.c
+++ b/rosidl_runtime_c/src/type_description_utils.c
@@ -622,7 +622,7 @@ rosidl_runtime_c_type_description_utils_prune_referenced_type_descriptions_in_pl
 
 bool
 rosidl_runtime_c_type_description_utils_field_is_valid(
-  rosidl_runtime_c__type_description__Field * field)
+  const rosidl_runtime_c__type_description__Field * field)
 {
   if (field == NULL) {
     RCUTILS_LOG_WARN("Field is invalid: Pointer is null");
@@ -651,7 +651,7 @@ rosidl_runtime_c_type_description_utils_field_is_valid(
 
 bool
 rosidl_runtime_c_type_description_utils_individual_type_description_is_valid(
-  rosidl_runtime_c__type_description__IndividualTypeDescription * description)
+  const rosidl_runtime_c__type_description__IndividualTypeDescription * description)
 {
   if (description == NULL) {
     RCUTILS_LOG_WARN("Individual type description is invalid: Pointer is null");
@@ -710,7 +710,7 @@ rosidl_runtime_c_type_description_utils_individual_type_description_is_valid(
 
 bool
 rosidl_runtime_c_type_description_utils_type_description_is_valid(
-  rosidl_runtime_c__type_description__TypeDescription * description)
+  const rosidl_runtime_c__type_description__TypeDescription * description)
 {
   if (description == NULL) {
     RCUTILS_LOG_WARN("Type description is invalid: Pointer is null");
@@ -799,7 +799,7 @@ rosidl_runtime_c_type_description_utils_type_description_is_valid(
     RCUTILS_LOG_ERROR("Could allocate sequence for copy of referenced type descriptions");
     goto end_necessary;
   }
-  if (rosidl_runtime_c__type_description__IndividualTypeDescription__Sequence__copy(
+  if (!rosidl_runtime_c__type_description__IndividualTypeDescription__Sequence__copy(
       &description->referenced_type_descriptions, sorted_sequence))
   {
     RCUTILS_LOG_ERROR("Could not copy referenced type descriptions for validation");
@@ -1232,8 +1232,9 @@ rosidl_runtime_c_type_description_utils_append_referenced_type_description(
 
 rcutils_ret_t
 rosidl_runtime_c_type_description_utils_get_referenced_type_description_as_type_description(
-  rosidl_runtime_c__type_description__IndividualTypeDescription__Sequence * referenced_descriptions,
-  rosidl_runtime_c__type_description__IndividualTypeDescription * referenced_description,
+  const rosidl_runtime_c__type_description__IndividualTypeDescription__Sequence *
+    referenced_descriptions,
+  const rosidl_runtime_c__type_description__IndividualTypeDescription * referenced_description,
   rosidl_runtime_c__type_description__TypeDescription ** output_description,
   bool coerce_to_valid)
 {
diff --git a/rosidl_runtime_c/test/test_type_description_utils.cpp b/rosidl_runtime_c/test/test_type_description_utils.cpp
index 50e908f95..94255c876 100644
--- a/rosidl_runtime_c/test/test_type_description_utils.cpp
+++ b/rosidl_runtime_c/test/test_type_description_utils.cpp
@@ -365,6 +365,7 @@ TEST_F(TestUtilsFixture, test_appends_and_advanced_construction)
     individual_desc_1,                                  // Depends on ref: "empty"
     &subset_desc_2,
     true);                                              // Coercion to valid
+  EXPECT_TRUE(rosidl_runtime_c_type_description_utils_type_description_is_valid(subset_desc_2));
   EXPECT_EQ(subset_desc_2->referenced_type_descriptions.size, 1);
   EXPECT_EQ(subset_desc_2->referenced_type_descriptions.capacity, 1);
   EXPECT_FALSE(