diff --git a/hardware_interface/include/hardware_interface/loaned_command_interface.hpp b/hardware_interface/include/hardware_interface/loaned_command_interface.hpp
index 08ae5d0d1f..640783ecbd 100644
--- a/hardware_interface/include/hardware_interface/loaned_command_interface.hpp
+++ b/hardware_interface/include/hardware_interface/loaned_command_interface.hpp
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ class LoanedCommandInterface
   }
 
   explicit LoanedCommandInterface(CommandInterface::SharedPtr command_interface, Deleter && deleter)
-  : command_interface_(*command_interface), deleter_(std::forward<Deleter>(deleter))
+  : command_interface_(command_interface), deleter_(std::forward<Deleter>(deleter))
   {
   }
 
@@ -47,38 +47,46 @@ class LoanedCommandInterface
 
   virtual ~LoanedCommandInterface()
   {
-    auto logger = rclcpp::get_logger(command_interface_.get_name());
-    RCLCPP_WARN_EXPRESSION(
-      rclcpp::get_logger(get_name()),
-      (get_value_statistics_.failed_counter > 0 || get_value_statistics_.timeout_counter > 0),
-      "LoanedCommandInterface %s has %u (%.4f %%) timeouts and %u (~ %.4f %%) missed calls out of "
-      "%u get_value calls",
-      get_name().c_str(), get_value_statistics_.timeout_counter,
-      (get_value_statistics_.timeout_counter * 100.0) / get_value_statistics_.total_counter,
-      get_value_statistics_.failed_counter,
-      (get_value_statistics_.failed_counter * 100.0) / get_value_statistics_.total_counter,
-      get_value_statistics_.total_counter);
-    RCLCPP_WARN_EXPRESSION(
-      rclcpp::get_logger(get_name()),
-      (set_value_statistics_.failed_counter > 0 || set_value_statistics_.timeout_counter > 0),
-      "LoanedCommandInterface %s has %u (%.4f %%) timeouts and  %u (~ %.4f %%) missed calls out of "
-      "%u set_value calls",
-      get_name().c_str(), set_value_statistics_.timeout_counter,
-      (set_value_statistics_.timeout_counter * 100.0) / set_value_statistics_.total_counter,
-      set_value_statistics_.failed_counter,
-      (set_value_statistics_.failed_counter * 100.0) / set_value_statistics_.total_counter,
-      set_value_statistics_.total_counter);
+    if (command_interface_)
+    {
+      auto logger = rclcpp::get_logger(command_interface_->get_name());
+      RCLCPP_WARN_EXPRESSION(
+        rclcpp::get_logger(get_name()),
+        (get_value_statistics_.failed_counter > 0 || get_value_statistics_.timeout_counter > 0),
+        "LoanedCommandInterface %s has %u (%.4f %%) timeouts and %u (~ %.4f %%) missed calls out "
+        "of "
+        "%u get_value calls",
+        get_name().c_str(), get_value_statistics_.timeout_counter,
+        (get_value_statistics_.timeout_counter * 100.0) / get_value_statistics_.total_counter,
+        get_value_statistics_.failed_counter,
+        (get_value_statistics_.failed_counter * 100.0) / get_value_statistics_.total_counter,
+        get_value_statistics_.total_counter);
+      RCLCPP_WARN_EXPRESSION(
+        rclcpp::get_logger(get_name()),
+        (set_value_statistics_.failed_counter > 0 || set_value_statistics_.timeout_counter > 0),
+        "LoanedCommandInterface %s has %u (%.4f %%) timeouts and  %u (~ %.4f %%) missed calls out "
+        "of "
+        "%u set_value calls",
+        get_name().c_str(), set_value_statistics_.timeout_counter,
+        (set_value_statistics_.timeout_counter * 100.0) / set_value_statistics_.total_counter,
+        set_value_statistics_.failed_counter,
+        (set_value_statistics_.failed_counter * 100.0) / set_value_statistics_.total_counter,
+        set_value_statistics_.total_counter);
+    }
     if (deleter_)
     {
       deleter_();
     }
   }
 
-  const std::string & get_name() const { return command_interface_.get_name(); }
+  const std::string & get_name() const { return command_interface_->get_name(); }
 
-  const std::string & get_interface_name() const { return command_interface_.get_interface_name(); }
+  const std::string & get_interface_name() const
+  {
+    return command_interface_->get_interface_name();
+  }
 
-  const std::string & get_prefix_name() const { return command_interface_.get_prefix_name(); }
+  const std::string & get_prefix_name() const { return command_interface_->get_prefix_name(); }
 
   /**
    * @brief Set the value of the command interface.
@@ -100,7 +108,7 @@ class LoanedCommandInterface
   {
     unsigned int nr_tries = 0;
     ++set_value_statistics_.total_counter;
-    while (!command_interface_.set_limited_value(value))
+    while (!command_interface_->set_limited_value(value))
     {
       ++set_value_statistics_.failed_counter;
       ++nr_tries;
@@ -135,7 +143,7 @@ class LoanedCommandInterface
     do
     {
       ++get_value_statistics_.total_counter;
-      const std::optional<T> data = command_interface_.get_optional<T>();
+      const std::optional<T> data = command_interface_->get_optional<T>();
       if (data.has_value())
       {
         return data;
@@ -153,16 +161,16 @@ class LoanedCommandInterface
    * @brief Get the data type of the command interface.
    * @return The data type of the command interface.
    */
-  HandleDataType get_data_type() const { return command_interface_.get_data_type(); }
+  HandleDataType get_data_type() const { return command_interface_->get_data_type(); }
 
   /**
    * @brief Check if the state interface can be casted to double.
    * @return True if the state interface can be casted to double, false otherwise.
    */
-  bool is_castable_to_double() const { return command_interface_.is_castable_to_double(); }
+  bool is_castable_to_double() const { return command_interface_->is_castable_to_double(); }
 
 protected:
-  CommandInterface & command_interface_;
+  CommandInterface::SharedPtr command_interface_;
   Deleter deleter_;
 
 private:
diff --git a/hardware_interface/include/hardware_interface/loaned_state_interface.hpp b/hardware_interface/include/hardware_interface/loaned_state_interface.hpp
index ab2720af37..475edbf88c 100644
--- a/hardware_interface/include/hardware_interface/loaned_state_interface.hpp
+++ b/hardware_interface/include/hardware_interface/loaned_state_interface.hpp
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class LoanedStateInterface
   }
 
   explicit LoanedStateInterface(StateInterface::ConstSharedPtr state_interface, Deleter && deleter)
-  : state_interface_(*state_interface), deleter_(std::forward<Deleter>(deleter))
+  : state_interface_(state_interface), deleter_(std::forward<Deleter>(deleter))
   {
   }
 
@@ -46,28 +46,31 @@ class LoanedStateInterface
 
   virtual ~LoanedStateInterface()
   {
-    auto logger = rclcpp::get_logger(state_interface_.get_name());
-    RCLCPP_WARN_EXPRESSION(
-      logger,
-      (get_value_statistics_.failed_counter > 0 || get_value_statistics_.timeout_counter > 0),
-      "LoanedStateInterface %s has %u (%.4f %%) timeouts and %u (%.4f %%) missed calls out of %u "
-      "get_value calls",
-      state_interface_.get_name().c_str(), get_value_statistics_.timeout_counter,
-      (get_value_statistics_.timeout_counter * 100.0) / get_value_statistics_.total_counter,
-      get_value_statistics_.failed_counter,
-      (get_value_statistics_.failed_counter * 100.0) / get_value_statistics_.total_counter,
-      get_value_statistics_.total_counter);
+    if (state_interface_)
+    {
+      auto logger = rclcpp::get_logger(state_interface_->get_name());
+      RCLCPP_WARN_EXPRESSION(
+        logger,
+        (get_value_statistics_.failed_counter > 0 || get_value_statistics_.timeout_counter > 0),
+        "LoanedStateInterface %s has %u (%.4f %%) timeouts and %u (%.4f %%) missed calls out of %u "
+        "get_value calls",
+        state_interface_->get_name().c_str(), get_value_statistics_.timeout_counter,
+        (get_value_statistics_.timeout_counter * 100.0) / get_value_statistics_.total_counter,
+        get_value_statistics_.failed_counter,
+        (get_value_statistics_.failed_counter * 100.0) / get_value_statistics_.total_counter,
+        get_value_statistics_.total_counter);
+    }
     if (deleter_)
     {
       deleter_();
     }
   }
 
-  const std::string & get_name() const { return state_interface_.get_name(); }
+  const std::string & get_name() const { return state_interface_->get_name(); }
 
-  const std::string & get_interface_name() const { return state_interface_.get_interface_name(); }
+  const std::string & get_interface_name() const { return state_interface_->get_interface_name(); }
 
-  const std::string & get_prefix_name() const { return state_interface_.get_prefix_name(); }
+  const std::string & get_prefix_name() const { return state_interface_->get_prefix_name(); }
 
   /**
    * @brief Get the value of the state interface.
@@ -90,7 +93,7 @@ class LoanedStateInterface
     do
     {
       ++get_value_statistics_.total_counter;
-      const std::optional<T> data = state_interface_.get_optional<T>();
+      const std::optional<T> data = state_interface_->get_optional<T>();
       if (data.has_value())
       {
         return data;
@@ -108,16 +111,16 @@ class LoanedStateInterface
    * @brief Get the data type of the state interface.
    * @return The data type of the state interface.
    */
-  HandleDataType get_data_type() const { return state_interface_.get_data_type(); }
+  HandleDataType get_data_type() const { return state_interface_->get_data_type(); }
 
   /**
    * @brief Check if the state interface can be casted to double.
    * @return True if the state interface can be casted to double, false otherwise.
    */
-  bool is_castable_to_double() const { return state_interface_.is_castable_to_double(); }
+  bool is_castable_to_double() const { return state_interface_->is_castable_to_double(); }
 
 protected:
-  const StateInterface & state_interface_;
+  StateInterface::ConstSharedPtr state_interface_;
   Deleter deleter_;
 
 private: