diff --git a/packages/react-native/React/Fabric/Mounting/ComponentViews/Image/RCTImageComponentView.mm b/packages/react-native/React/Fabric/Mounting/ComponentViews/Image/RCTImageComponentView.mm
index b5f45412d257..2578acaf9cca 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/React/Fabric/Mounting/ComponentViews/Image/RCTImageComponentView.mm
+++ b/packages/react-native/React/Fabric/Mounting/ComponentViews/Image/RCTImageComponentView.mm
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 
 @implementation RCTImageComponentView {
   ImageShadowNode::ConcreteState::Shared _state;
-  RCTImageResponseObserverProxy _imageResponseObserverProxy;
+  std::shared_ptr<RCTImageResponseObserverProxy> _imageResponseObserverProxy;
 }
 
 - (instancetype)initWithFrame:(CGRect)frame
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ - (instancetype)initWithFrame:(CGRect)frame
     _imageView.layer.minificationFilter = kCAFilterTrilinear;
     _imageView.layer.magnificationFilter = kCAFilterTrilinear;
 
-    _imageResponseObserverProxy = RCTImageResponseObserverProxy(self);
+    _imageResponseObserverProxy = std::make_shared<RCTImageResponseObserverProxy>(self);
 
     self.contentView = _imageView;
   }
diff --git a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/imagemanager/ImageResponseObserverCoordinator.cpp b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/imagemanager/ImageResponseObserverCoordinator.cpp
index 5b3e2574a9f3..40b5af0fbf1d 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/imagemanager/ImageResponseObserverCoordinator.cpp
+++ b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/imagemanager/ImageResponseObserverCoordinator.cpp
@@ -20,11 +20,11 @@ ImageResponseObserverCoordinator::ImageResponseObserverCoordinator(
       cancelRequest_(std::move(cancelationFunction)) {}
 
 void ImageResponseObserverCoordinator::addObserver(
-    const ImageResponseObserver& observer) const {
+    std::shared_ptr<const ImageResponseObserver> observer) const {
   mutex_.lock();
   switch (status_) {
     case ImageResponse::Status::Loading: {
-      observers_.push_back(&observer);
+      observers_.push_back(observer);
       mutex_.unlock();
       break;
     }
@@ -32,17 +32,17 @@ void ImageResponseObserverCoordinator::addObserver(
       auto imageData = imageData_;
       auto imageMetadata = imageMetadata_;
       mutex_.unlock();
-      observer.didReceiveImage(ImageResponse{imageData, imageMetadata});
+      observer->didReceiveImage(ImageResponse{imageData, imageMetadata});
       break;
     }
     case ImageResponse::Status::Failed: {
       auto imageErrorData = imageErrorData_;
       mutex_.unlock();
-      observer.didReceiveFailure(ImageLoadError{imageErrorData});
+      observer->didReceiveFailure(ImageLoadError{imageErrorData});
       break;
     }
     case ImageResponse::Status::Cancelled: {
-      observers_.push_back(&observer);
+      observers_.push_back(observer);
       status_ = ImageResponse::Status::Loading;
       mutex_.unlock();
       resumeRequest_();
@@ -52,13 +52,13 @@ void ImageResponseObserverCoordinator::addObserver(
 }
 
 void ImageResponseObserverCoordinator::removeObserver(
-    const ImageResponseObserver& observer) const {
+    const std::shared_ptr<const ImageResponseObserver>& observer) const {
   std::scoped_lock lock(mutex_);
 
   // We remove only one element to maintain a balance between add/remove calls.
-  auto position = std::find(observers_.begin(), observers_.end(), &observer);
+  auto position = std::find(observers_.begin(), observers_.end(), observer);
   if (position != observers_.end()) {
-    observers_.erase(position, observers_.end());
+    observers_.erase(position);
 
     if (observers_.empty() && status_ == ImageResponse::Status::Loading) {
       status_ = ImageResponse::Status::Cancelled;
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ void ImageResponseObserverCoordinator::nativeImageResponseProgress(
       status_ == ImageResponse::Status::Cancelled);
   mutex_.unlock();
 
-  for (auto observer : observers) {
+  for (const auto& observer : observers) {
     observer->didReceiveProgress(progress, loaded, total);
   }
 }
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ void ImageResponseObserverCoordinator::nativeImageResponseComplete(
   auto observers = observers_;
   mutex_.unlock();
 
-  for (auto observer : observers) {
+  for (const auto& observer : observers) {
     observer->didReceiveImage(imageResponse);
   }
 }
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ void ImageResponseObserverCoordinator::nativeImageResponseFailed(
   auto observers = observers_;
   mutex_.unlock();
 
-  for (auto observer : observers) {
+  for (const auto& observer : observers) {
     observer->didReceiveFailure(loadError);
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/imagemanager/ImageResponseObserverCoordinator.h b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/imagemanager/ImageResponseObserverCoordinator.h
index 3aae8ee9ab69..766380829d15 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/imagemanager/ImageResponseObserverCoordinator.h
+++ b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/imagemanager/ImageResponseObserverCoordinator.h
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include <react/renderer/imagemanager/ImageResponseObserver.h>
 #include <react/utils/SharedFunction.h>
 
+#include <memory>
 #include <mutex>
 #include <vector>
 
@@ -33,12 +34,13 @@ class ImageResponseObserverCoordinator {
    * If the current image request status is not equal to `Loading`, the observer
    * will be called immediately.
    */
-  void addObserver(const ImageResponseObserver& observer) const;
+  void addObserver(std::shared_ptr<const ImageResponseObserver> observer) const;
 
   /*
    * Interested parties may stop observing the image response.
    */
-  void removeObserver(const ImageResponseObserver& observer) const;
+  void removeObserver(
+      const std::shared_ptr<const ImageResponseObserver>& observer) const;
 
   /*
    * Platform-specific image loader will call this method with progress updates.
@@ -65,7 +67,7 @@ class ImageResponseObserverCoordinator {
    * List of observers.
    * Mutable: protected by mutex_.
    */
-  mutable std::vector<const ImageResponseObserver*> observers_;
+  mutable std::vector<std::shared_ptr<const ImageResponseObserver>> observers_;
 
   /*
    * Current status of image loading.
diff --git a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/imagemanager/platform/ios/react/renderer/imagemanager/RCTImageManager.mm b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/imagemanager/platform/ios/react/renderer/imagemanager/RCTImageManager.mm
index 601dfe45ac38..20ea791efb2d 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/imagemanager/platform/ios/react/renderer/imagemanager/RCTImageManager.mm
+++ b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/imagemanager/platform/ios/react/renderer/imagemanager/RCTImageManager.mm
@@ -105,7 +105,11 @@ - (ImageRequest)requestImage:(ImageSource)imageSource surfaceId:(SurfaceId)surfa
                                       completionBlock:completionBlock];
 
       RCTImageLoaderCancellationBlock cancelationBlock = loaderRequest.cancellationBlock;
-      sharedCancelationFunction.assign([cancelationBlock]() { cancelationBlock(); });
+      sharedCancelationFunction.assign([cancelationBlock]() {
+        if (cancelationBlock) {
+          cancelationBlock();
+        }
+      });
     };
 
     startRequest();