diff --git a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/runtime/platform/ios/ReactCommon/RCTHost.mm b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/runtime/platform/ios/ReactCommon/RCTHost.mm
index b796713ed0670a..c6d129e54c7370 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/runtime/platform/ios/ReactCommon/RCTHost.mm
+++ b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/runtime/platform/ios/ReactCommon/RCTHost.mm
@@ -254,7 +254,8 @@ - (RCTFabricSurface *)createSurfaceWithModuleName:(NSString *)moduleName
   surface.surfaceHandler.setDisplayMode(displayMode);
   [self _attachSurface:surface];
 
-  [_instance callFunctionOnBufferedRuntimeExecutor:[surface](facebook::jsi::Runtime &_) { [surface start]; }];
+  __weak RCTFabricSurface *weakSurface = surface;
+  [_instance callFunctionOnBufferedRuntimeExecutor:[weakSurface](facebook::jsi::Runtime &_) { [weakSurface start]; }];
   return surface;
 }