diff --git a/rmw_fastrtps_cpp/src/rmw_init.cpp b/rmw_fastrtps_cpp/src/rmw_init.cpp
index 5cd5927f3..9fda70589 100644
--- a/rmw_fastrtps_cpp/src/rmw_init.cpp
+++ b/rmw_fastrtps_cpp/src/rmw_init.cpp
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ rmw_init(const rmw_init_options_t * options, rmw_context_t * context)
     }
     return ret;
   }
+  context_impl->is_shutdown = false;
   context->impl = context_impl.release();
   clean_when_fail.release();
   return RMW_RET_OK;
@@ -115,8 +116,8 @@ rmw_shutdown(rmw_context_t * context)
     context->implementation_identifier,
     eprosima_fastrtps_identifier,
     return RMW_RET_INCORRECT_RMW_IMPLEMENTATION);
-  // Nothing to do here for now.
-  // This is just the middleware's notification that shutdown was called.
+  RCUTILS_CHECK_ARGUMENT_FOR_NULL(context->impl, RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
+  context->impl->is_shutdown = true;
   return RMW_RET_OK;
 }
 
@@ -129,6 +130,10 @@ rmw_context_fini(rmw_context_t * context)
     context->implementation_identifier,
     eprosima_fastrtps_identifier,
     return RMW_RET_INCORRECT_RMW_IMPLEMENTATION);
+  if (!context->impl->is_shutdown) {
+    RCUTILS_SET_ERROR_MSG("context has not been shutdown");
+    return RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT;
+  }
   delete context->impl;
   *context = rmw_get_zero_initialized_context();
   return RMW_RET_OK;
diff --git a/rmw_fastrtps_dynamic_cpp/src/rmw_init.cpp b/rmw_fastrtps_dynamic_cpp/src/rmw_init.cpp
index 9d320cfc1..aedf8974d 100644
--- a/rmw_fastrtps_dynamic_cpp/src/rmw_init.cpp
+++ b/rmw_fastrtps_dynamic_cpp/src/rmw_init.cpp
@@ -115,8 +115,8 @@ rmw_shutdown(rmw_context_t * context)
     context->implementation_identifier,
     eprosima_fastrtps_identifier,
     return RMW_RET_INCORRECT_RMW_IMPLEMENTATION);
-  // Nothing to do here for now.
-  // This is just the middleware's notification that shutdown was called.
+  RCUTILS_CHECK_ARGUMENT_FOR_NULL(context->impl, RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
+  context->impl->is_shutdown = true;
   return RMW_RET_OK;
 }
 
@@ -129,6 +129,10 @@ rmw_context_fini(rmw_context_t * context)
     context->implementation_identifier,
     eprosima_fastrtps_identifier,
     return RMW_RET_INCORRECT_RMW_IMPLEMENTATION);
+  if (!context->impl->is_shutdown) {
+    RCUTILS_SET_ERROR_MSG("context has not been shutdown");
+    return RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT;
+  }
   delete context->impl;
   *context = rmw_get_zero_initialized_context();
   return RMW_RET_OK;
diff --git a/rmw_fastrtps_shared_cpp/include/rmw_fastrtps_shared_cpp/rmw_context_impl.hpp b/rmw_fastrtps_shared_cpp/include/rmw_fastrtps_shared_cpp/rmw_context_impl.hpp
index 9132363b7..c9e206ec2 100644
--- a/rmw_fastrtps_shared_cpp/include/rmw_fastrtps_shared_cpp/rmw_context_impl.hpp
+++ b/rmw_fastrtps_shared_cpp/include/rmw_fastrtps_shared_cpp/rmw_context_impl.hpp
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ struct rmw_context_impl_t
   std::mutex mutex;
   /// Reference count.
   uint64_t count;
+  /// Shutdown flag.
+  bool is_shutdown;
 };
 
 #endif  // RMW_FASTRTPS_SHARED_CPP__RMW_CONTEXT_IMPL_HPP_