diff --git a/React/Fabric/Mounting/RCTComponentViewDescriptor.h b/React/Fabric/Mounting/RCTComponentViewDescriptor.h
index 1642c2bc51d..b77f04d23cb 100644
--- a/React/Fabric/Mounting/RCTComponentViewDescriptor.h
+++ b/React/Fabric/Mounting/RCTComponentViewDescriptor.h
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ class RCTComponentViewDescriptor final {
   /*
    * Associated (and owned) native view instance.
    */
-  UIView<RCTComponentViewProtocol> *view;
+  __strong UIView<RCTComponentViewProtocol> *view = nil;
 
   /*
    * Indicates a requirement to call on the view methods from
diff --git a/React/Fabric/Mounting/RCTMountingManager.mm b/React/Fabric/Mounting/RCTMountingManager.mm
index e0096438ff1..060eda9043c 100644
--- a/React/Fabric/Mounting/RCTMountingManager.mm
+++ b/React/Fabric/Mounting/RCTMountingManager.mm
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ static void RNDeleteMountInstruction(
     SurfaceId surfaceId)
 {
   auto const &oldChildShadowView = mutation.oldChildShadowView;
-  RCTComponentViewDescriptor componentViewDescriptor = [registry componentViewDescriptorWithTag:oldChildShadowView.tag];
+  auto const &componentViewDescriptor = [registry componentViewDescriptorWithTag:oldChildShadowView.tag];
   observerCoordinator.unregisterViewComponentDescriptor(componentViewDescriptor, surfaceId);
   [registry enqueueComponentViewWithComponentHandle:oldChildShadowView.componentHandle
                                                 tag:oldChildShadowView.tag