diff --git a/packages/react-native/scripts/cocoapods/__tests__/utils-test.rb b/packages/react-native/scripts/cocoapods/__tests__/utils-test.rb
index 690145b6144..4e4aa2ef4e6 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/scripts/cocoapods/__tests__/utils-test.rb
+++ b/packages/react-native/scripts/cocoapods/__tests__/utils-test.rb
@@ -560,24 +560,28 @@ class UtilsTests < Test::Unit::TestCase
     # =================================== #
     # Test - Prepare React Native Project #
     # =================================== #
-    def test_createXcodeEnvIfMissing_whenItIsPresent_doNothing
+    def test_createXcodeEnvIfMissing_whenTheyArePresent_doNothing
         # Arrange
         FileMock.mocked_existing_files("/.xcode.env")
+        FileMock.mocked_existing_files("/.xcode.env.local")
         # Act
         ReactNativePodsUtils.create_xcode_env_if_missing(file_manager: FileMock)
         # Assert
-        assert_equal(FileMock.exist_invocation_params, ["/.xcode.env"])
+        assert_equal(FileMock.exist_invocation_params, ["/.xcode.env", "/.xcode.env.local"])
         assert_equal($collected_commands, [])
     end
 
-    def test_createXcodeEnvIfMissing_whenItIsNotPresent_createsIt
+    def test_createXcodeEnvIfMissing_whenTheyAreNotPresent_createsThem
         # Arrange
 
         # Act
         ReactNativePodsUtils.create_xcode_env_if_missing(file_manager: FileMock)
         # Assert
-        assert_equal(FileMock.exist_invocation_params, ["/.xcode.env"])
-        assert_equal($collected_commands, ["echo 'export NODE_BINARY=$(command -v node)' > /.xcode.env"])
+        assert_equal(FileMock.exist_invocation_params, ["/.xcode.env", "/.xcode.env.local"])
+        assert_equal($collected_commands[0], "echo 'export NODE_BINARY=$(command -v node)' > /.xcode.env")
+
+        assert_true($collected_commands[1].start_with? "echo 'export NODE_BINARY=")
+        assert_true($collected_commands[1].end_with? "' > /.xcode.env.local")
     end
 
     # ============================ #
diff --git a/packages/react-native/scripts/cocoapods/utils.rb b/packages/react-native/scripts/cocoapods/utils.rb
index 2f66018339b..e26f0cf1b2a 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/scripts/cocoapods/utils.rb
+++ b/packages/react-native/scripts/cocoapods/utils.rb
@@ -186,11 +186,15 @@ class ReactNativePodsUtils
     def self.create_xcode_env_if_missing(file_manager: File)
         relative_path = Pod::Config.instance.installation_root.relative_path_from(Pathname.pwd)
         file_path = file_manager.join(relative_path, '.xcode.env')
-        if file_manager.exist?(file_path)
-            return
+
+        if !file_manager.exist?(file_path)
+            system("echo 'export NODE_BINARY=$(command -v node)' > #{file_path}")
         end
 
-        system("echo 'export NODE_BINARY=$(command -v node)' > #{file_path}")
+        if !file_manager.exist?("#{file_path}.local")
+            node_binary = `command -v node`
+            system("echo 'export NODE_BINARY=#{node_binary}' > #{file_path}.local")
+        end
     end
 
     # It examines the target_definition property and sets the appropriate value for